The Wild Tchoupitoulas were originally a group of
Mardi Gras Indians
The Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians or Black Maskers) are African American Carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for their elaborate suits and participation in Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras Indians subculture em ...
formed in the early 1970s by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry. Landry, with his self-identified
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
heritage, had been an active performer in the Mardi Gras Indian styling for a number of years. The group is named after the Tchoupitoulas tribe who also gave their name to
Tchoupitoulas Street.
With help from local New Orleans musicians
the Meters
The Meters (later The Funky Meters) are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their o ...
, the Wild Tchoupitoulas recorded an
eponymous album, which featured the "call-and-response" style chants typical of Mardi Gras Indians. Vocals were provided by Landry, as well as other members of his Mardi Gras tribe. Instrumentation was provided in part by members of the Meters. The album also notably featured Landry's nephews,
the Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 19 ...
, providing harmonies and some of the instrumentation. The album was produced by famed New Orleans writer-musician-producer
Allen Toussaint
Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
.
While not a financial success, the album and The Wild Tchoupitoulas' style was well received critically and the experience working with them encouraged the four Neville brothers to continue performing together as a group.
Discography
*''
The Wild Tchoupitoulas
The Wild Tchoupitoulas were originally a group of Mardi Gras Indians formed in the early 1970s by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry. Landry, with his self-identified Choctaw heritage, had been an active performer in the Mardi Gras Indian styling f ...
'' (1976)
See also
*
Tchoupitoulas Street
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wild Tchoupitoulas
Musical groups from New Orleans
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Musical groups established in 1976
Self-identification as Native American