Emergence of Jazz in New Orleans

     New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century was a hodgepodge of goods, people, and cultures. It is only natural that this blend of cultures produced a new kind of music. New Orleans was the only city which could at the time spur such a dramatic change in the progression of musical form. New Orleans is a city founded by the French and eventually bought by the Americans in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The purchase allowed the passage of goods up and down the Mississippi river in addition to the naval passages that allowed shipments to the north, Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. 
     
     New Orleans was a special American city, however, in that it was distinctly catholic. The Latin form of slavery made New Orleans  more lenient toward slavery than other parts of the U.S. Slaves under this form were allowed to marry, own property and  purchase/free themselves. More leniency allowed African culture to continue to evolve distant from Africa, espectially in the gathering place that is Congo Square. The Congo Square is a meeting place where slaves were allowed to gather and share their cultures through music, dance, and song. Another result of the leniency of the Latin versus the English system of slavery was the allowance for blacks and whites to intermarry. This brought about the Creoles, and in specific to our discussion, the Creoles of color. The Creoles of color experienced somewhat of a double consciousness; they identified with both their European and African descendants. Creoles of color were very skilled musicians who studied more of the European culture in an attempt to distance themselves from their African heritage. During the rewriting of the Louisiana Constitution, near the turn of the 20th century, there became a more distinct line of separation between blacks and whites. Creoles of color were now forced to enter the more poverty stricken areas of New Orleans in search of work. Some of which may have ended up in the red light district of New Orleans.
    
     The red light district, also known as Storyville, was the epitome of stereotypical New Orleans: loud music, parties, and sex.Here, Jazz was produced because of the sexy and defiant nature of the district. Brass bands were found near every party or social gathering. Buddy Bolden created music which supposedly caused police to strike anybody singing the lyrics. Much of the music being played came from brothel pianists and bands, playing at an attempt to make a "sexier" atmosphere. Jazz was finally mainstreamed by ODJB and the self-proclaimed father of jazz Jelly Roll Morton. Those that took the music mainstream were not the deciding factor in the emergence of jazz. It was the melting pot of cultures, the leniency of the Latin slave code, and the double consciousness of the Creoles of color, which infused European and African music to make something uniquely American.