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14 |
LOUISIANA TOWN |
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is the best town in the world. What's the use for me to go any other place?" *
Now everybody in the world has heard about the New Orleans Mardi Gras, but maybe not about the Indians, one of the biggest feats that happened in Mardi Gras. Even at the parades with floats and costumes that cost millions, why, if the folks heard the sign of the Indians Ungai-ah! Ungai-ha! —that big parade wouldn't have anybody there: the crowd would flock to see the Indians. When I was a child, I thought they really was Indians. They wore paint and blankets and, when they danced, one would get in the ring and throw his head back and downward, stooping over and bending his knees, making a rhythm with his heels and singing— Touwais, has q'ouwais—and the tribe would answer—Ou tendais. And they'd sing on—
Touwais, has q'ouwais,
Ou tendais, Touwais, has qouwais, Ou tendais** And then they would stop for a minute, throw back their heads and holler— Ala caille-yo,
Ala cattle toais ... Ouwais has q'ouwais, Touwais has qouwais, Ou tendais** They would dance and sing and go on just like regular Indians, because they had the idea they wanted to act just like
* Johnny St. Cyr put it this way . . .
"This is a town that would break up a show. What I mean, several shows came in here and the people fall so much in love with the town that they miss their train and didn't even try to catch up. When the Dixie Minstrels came here on their second trip, half the men stayed on m New Orleans—just crazy about them Creole girls/*
** Tune 6, Appendix 1. |
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