Jazz Funerals & Second Line…send me off this way, please…
I have only gone to two funerals,my Mother’s and Father’s. I have this mental block about death and the finality of standing around a grave mourning and walking away without my loved one. For as long as I can remember, it has been made very clear to my children, there will be no funeral with black dresses, dark skies and programs lauding my life’s work. My will clearly states for them to have a celebration complete with food, drinks, music and laughter. Dancing too if the music is right.
New Orleans and I have the same thought process on funerals. Mourn the passing while celebrating the life and thus we have the Jazz Funeral. The notion of attaching musical traditions to social processions emerged in the early 18th century. One manifestation of this social fusion was West Africans combining European traditions to give folks a proper send-off in New Orleans. On the way to the cemetery, slow mournful music is played. Upon leaving, the mood does a 180-degree turn into a party called a Jazz Funeral.
There also is this in New Orleans.
A “Main Line” is the “main section or the members of a Social & Pleasure Club, that have a permit to parade. Social Aide & Pleasure Club tradition is a mixture of African American and African traditions in New Orleans forming one of the most unique cultural celebrations in America. Fans and admirers form the “Second Line” of the planned street parade. Consequently, Main Lines and Second Lines typically are held in neighborhoods where the traditions continue to flourish.
Isn’t this what life is really supposed to be all about? Celebrating our time on the planet. I respect the fact that not everyone embraces this type of funeral procession. However for me, I want trumpets, drums, cymbals, even the spoons are fine.
Just have some good music, let the people dance, smile and celebrate in remembrance.
Tis is exactly how it should be! I attended a dear friends funeral at an all black church. Another friend was the minister and he brought the house down! Music, laughter, amazing stories, the smell of amazing food being cooked down stairs by the older women in the congregation …where do I sign up! I never felt more alive after a funeral…I grew up Catholic, so this was a huge switch from the guilt and gloom.
I was raised an Episcopal, so our funeral services (I presume, if they are like church) were very somber & serious.
This is just one of the many reasons I am moving to New Orleans in 2013. All religions there embrace these celebrations of life.
Come on down and visit me sometime:-)
Main Line?!!! But yeah, it’s good if that’s what you want. I guess I want no fuss. (British ya know?)
I wrote about funerals on Clouds. They are longish, so leave it until you have time/cup of tea/glass of wine, whatever.
I did say there though that I did think the idea of having a get together afterwards is so cathartic. It’s not just about celebration and commemoration, those left behind need to deal with their emotions too.
http://cloudsmovingin.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/funerals/
http://cloudsmovingin.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/death-and-bereavement/
I agree each person, culture has their own way of recognizing the departed one. Some prefer a more somber, reflective service and others prefer a more celebratory of life service. I happen to fit in the later. Like I said, I don’t do funerals..also I don’t want my children to mourn me too long..
I will definitely stop by to read the links.Thanks for posting them
Great! Of course, you know what I want done: http://rtewrite.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/desecrate-me-i-dont-mind/
Great write (yours, not meaning mine)..like I said there, my spirit is gone, now enjoy the memory of me and carry on with a happy life. If not, I’ll be mighty upset
Thx for the words and link!
Sure! HF
of all the stereotypes of New Orleans that are abused, this has to be near the top….fortunately you have presented this in a factual and reverent tone…every dang movie or book has an obligatory image of the Jazz Funeral as if they are a daily occurrence, when in fact it is a rare event
those who know, quietly meet and “stumble” along city streets with stops at special sights to pay homage to the Life of a Loved one now gone….having laid many a good soul to rest there, I will say it is as beautiful and personal as anyone could want…your day will be glorious and the numbers high…I am sure of this….and well, a dance for you would certainly make you smile from above
as I said, you touched on this with a reverent voice and I thank you for that
Peace
WCG..you are so correct. While I am not a native of NOLA like you, from I have learned this does not happen every day like a Mardi Gras parade.. not sure how high the numbers will be since I will be a gypsy when I move there (not knowing many I mean) but if it’s my kids a stray dog and the straggler, that’s good enough for me
I hate funerals. I always think it too bad that the dead can’t hear the kind words or see how much they are missed. There is something “connecting” about a New Orleans funeral, and at least, before death, knowing that you will cause a party might be a happy thought.
~ Lily
Lily-I embrace this for many reasons but mainly the celebration for the departed one’s life. grieving can be done in private!!!
I’m with you all the way on this one, Lynne. Thank you for celebrating this tradition!
Best wishes. Elliott (elliottingotham.wordpress.com)
Elliott –It just makes sense to me, but I do respect others finding this a bit too much for them.
Thank you for your kind remarks
I wasn’t aware of this until I became an avid “Treme” viewer. Great sentiment, though….celebrate me when I’m gone.
Treme is a great show:-).. Yes Singlemalt, remember me with smiles and laughter and dancing !!
I had no idea of this type of funeral and ‘send off’ but I like it! I have been to more funerals than I’d like to remember and they always make me feel out of my skin and empty. Boo. I like the idea of doing something that is a little more upbeat and not making the guests feel completely depressed and poopy.
Like I said I have only gone to two and both left me drained for weeks. I mean even the people there were afraid to crack a smile or anything. That would have made my parents upset. They liked happy.
I like it too. My friend, terminally ill, threw a big party for herself while she still felt like partying.
Good for your friend..I’m sure that brought her a great deal of joy!
Thx for the visit!
Great post. I had a similar discussion with a dear friend recently. It deserves a blog post!
Yes..make a post.. let us change the face of funerals..need not only be in NOLA!
17 years old, my first time in America with my family. New Orleans was one of the places we visited. The first thing we saw when we arrived was a funeral. I loved it, and this is how I would like my funeral to be. I have been to many funerals, all very sad but also beautiful. At my father’s funeral an opera singer sang several songs, and one of them was “My way” by Frank Sinatra. He did it better than Frank himself,
. Have a nice weekend!
Isn’t New Orleans wonderful? See, I knew I was not the only one living outside that city that wanted to be sent off this way.. I have only been to two funerals, my parents. I was in a bad way at my Mum’s (very sad) and somehow I read a poem at my Father’s..But an opera singer qould have been glorious in a fiitting way.. How beautiful your memories of such a sad day..
It took me 2 years before I could listen to “My way” without crying,
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Oh my..I can relate to that..Well our Dad’s want us to have a great weekend!!
Absolutely!
Indeed.. celebrate the life lived !
I’ve loved this type of music for most of my life…I’d much rather have this at my funeral than some depressing hymn.
I think it was Boris Pasternak who in his book Dr.Zhivago said ‘you are anxious about whether you will rise from the dead or not,but you rose from the dead when you were born,and you didn’t notice it.’ In other words,being born is coming out of the dark for us human beings and that’s what we’ve got to remember. We’ve got to celebrate the fact that we have lived,not dwell too long or much on the fact that we have died. Grief and loss are horrible things,but they are part of life and without them,life would not be life. It ‘s an ecosystem,a tragic one but beautiful too,in its awful tragedy. I love the idea of a jazz funeral.I started my blog on the 25th of April specifically to help me to deal with the sudden and awful death of my Mom who I found a few weeks previously having already passed,so I could relate to your post hugely. Celebrate the life,celebrate life,and let that celebration rise above the tears!
Such a beautiful comment.. I lost my best girl (Mom) last year..She died in my arms so I can relate to the emotional roller coaster you are currently riding..While I miss her physical presence enormously, I have chosen to embrace her love for me and all the things she enjoyed and not allow it to bring me to my knees. She would have loved a Jazz funeral. I wrote a post (my second or this one in March) about all of her journals I found.. I have only read a few pages but when the time is right I will read them all..
Thank you for reading, commenting and following.. I am coming to visit you as well..
I’m with you.
I’ve already spoken to those close to me and made clear that I would like good music, booze, jokes and Hawaiian shirts at my funeral.
That’s what I’m talking about… yes, the jokes are a must too!!
Have a great new week EG!!
Thank you, young lady. You too!
I have written a book on positive dying. I am interested in where you obtained the above photograph of the joyous Jazz funeral as a possible cover for my book. That photo says it all.
Hi.. I got here on Flickr @ the Free use Creative Commons site.. I just searched for “Jazz lines” they have many you can use for book covers an such:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/free-book-cover-book-blog-image-resources-on-flickr_b39591