What Do People Wear to the Zulu Ball in New Orleans?

What do people wear to the Zulu Ball in New Orleans? That is a common question that I see coming through my traffic tracker as we near the Mardi Gras season, and so, I edited some video I had of the Zulu Ball 2011 to scenes that would let people get an idea of how some of the participants dress. The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club also known as the Zulu Krewe requires formal attire for the ball.

I have been told by a reliable source that the entertainment at the Zulu Ball 2012 (February 17) will include Mary J. Blige and R. Kelly. However, even reliable sources can be wrong or the entertainment can change. One year a snow storm kept En Vogue away and Mistikal, who happened to be at the ball, performed in their place. (Update January 21: Now I'm hearing not Mary J. Blige and R. Kelly but Charlie Wilson instead.)

The second video shows more people dancing in gowns and tuxedos at the Zulu Ball 2010. They are doing the second line, which is the parade you see in the background of the first video.

Watch the second video here.

Updated December 30: As for buying tickets to the Zulu Coronation Ball, here is the answer I posted in the comments section:

Hi, Coy. I suggest you contact the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club at this link, contact Zulu for information about how to get an invitation or a ticket. Or maybe someone at the Zulu Memorabilia Store can help.

R. Kelly ... Again? The Dartmouth Aires Cracked Me Up

I did not intend to mention the Dartmouth Aires again, but as I said in my post about NBC's The Sing-Off finale, I'm catching up with what I missed via OnDemand. Anyway, the Aires's performance of R. Kelley's "Ignition Remix" on Episode 9 had me howling with laughter. As judge Shawn Stockman said, "there were so many uncomfortable moments ..." in the performance, and yet it was fun. Ben Folds told the group that he would like to see them do R. Kelly's whole "Trapped in the Closet" series.



Seeing them made the second time I've heard R. Kelly's name in a week, which is very unusual. He was hot after I was married and having babies, so I didn't pay that much attention to him, and only became aware of him with "I Believe I Can Fly" and then his scandal hit the news. Nevertheless, I may be seeing the man live in February 2012 at the Zulu Ball because I let my cousin talk me into going to that Mardis Gras ball again.

This will make the third year in a row that I'm going. Last time, I went for the O'Jays and Frankie Beverly and Maze, but she nudged me this time with Mary J. Blige. When she told me that R. Kelly would perform, I shook my head and said, "Wait. You mean golden-shower man? I don't know if I want to see him," and was ready to say "No," and that's when she played the Mary J. Blige card. My daughter told me she wanted to go, too, mainly to see the people in their gowns and tuxedos, and that sealed it for me. But I probably won't buy a ticket until I get more assurance that Mary J. Blige will be there.

All on a Mardi Gras Day: Zulu Parade, Red Beans, and Family

I got up at 5:50 a.m., again complying with my dearest cousin (yes, the same cousin with whom I went to the Zulu Ball) but also with pressure from my son, and went to one Mardi Gras parade, the first of Mardi Gras Day, which is the Zulu Parade. We stood somewhere on St. Charles Avenue between Jackson and Felicity Streets. Scenes from the morning are in the video above.

We didn't stay until the end, however. Once my daughter had three coconuts and my son had an ax (he's too old for that), they were ready to go. But we also caught waaay too many beads and toys despite ducking some of them. Afterward, we went to my aunt's house and ate red beans and rice, hot sausauge, ribs, potato salad, garlic-stuffed chuck roast, and King Cake. Now, that his how to wreck a diet! We reminisced a little about former Mardi Gras and friends and family who are no longer with us, and we played cards. My adult children and I got home after 6:00 a.m., and I plan to sleep late tomorrow.

About the Zulus: I know for some people seeing black people and white people dress up in grass skirts and blackface is a shock. Wasn't it just last month that folks on the Net bristled at Beyoncé Knowles in blackface on a magazine cover? For some explanation of why the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club wears black face, try this article at Mardi Gras Digest.

My Zulu Ball Adventure

Friday night, where was I? First, I was getting ready for the Zulu Ball at home. Had a near disaster because my daughter made a bad decision about where tho take the ball gowns to be steamed. Then I was leaving the house with my son and daughter an hour late.

We had to go pick up my son's girlfriend. At her house, my Toyota got stuck in the mud. In tuxes and evening gowns, who was going to push it out? No one. We found another means of transportation.

At the ball we saw these people in the older video below, Casa Samba, perform. I didn't know I would see half-naked dancers, and my daughter commented on the weird juxtaposition of virginal debutantes being introduced to society against drums and gyrating, thong-wearing, booty-exposed females. Hey, that's entertainment, New Orleans style!



However, before we made it into the ball room, we parked the car and walked two blocks in unusually cold weather for New Orleans. My feet hurt and I was freezing.

When we went to the ladies room before we went to our tables, I discovered that the dry cleaner had attempted to remove the rhinestone broach from my purple gown just to steam it (why I don't know), hadn't sewn it back securely, and so the broach had fallen of half way, ruining the drape of the bodice. I'm glad I wasn't there to be cute.

We enjoyed the pageantry of the evening. Pretty funny that Queen Zulu couldn't sit down without help under all that queen-wear. The second lines of people still high on the Saints Super Bowl win were fun.

Eric Benet performed, looking as fine and and sounding as beautiful as ever. He sang some old favorites but also a not-so-old song of which he's very proud because it was produced by David Foster. It was quite good and is called "The Last Time."



En Vogue was snowed in someplace, at least three of them, and so they couldn't perform.

We got home after 4:00 a.m. I got up today around 3:45 p.m. and sat in a stupor on my living room sofa watching television. After 7:00 or so, in the dark, my son and daughter went with me to retrieve car that was stuck in mud the night before. We pushed it out, and then hit the Waffle House. Fun, fun! Sorry, I did not take my video camera.

Zulu History and Watching Parade Cam at NOLA.com

I couldn't make it to the Krewe of Tucks parade, in which my son's marching today, but I'm watching it on NOLA.com's live parade cam. Just saw his band go by. It's a 4-mile-plus route. He'll be whipped when he gets home.

I went last year and saw him march. Tucks is a fun parade, mocking politicians and making statements about life as we know it in the Crescent City. One of today's floats' theme was "The Mayor Who Cried Wolf." The Krewe of Muse has its shoes, the Zulus have their golden coconuts. Krewe of Tucks signature throw of Tucks? Tiny toilet plungers. Compared to something you know, think of Tucks as similar to The Onion, full of satire and fun. (Muse is an all female krewe.)

I can't do two parades in one day or hang out a whole day like we did when I was young, and since I plan to be at NOMTOC tonight, I skipped Tucks. (Update: Listening to my little cousin, I said NOMTOC. I meant Endymion.)

This year I plan to make it to the Zulu parade on Mardi Gras day and had hoped to go to the ball, but couldn't afford it. Here's video from The Times Picayune about the Zulus celebrating their 100th anniversary. It will tell you more than I care to write, and perhaps you'll get an idea of why Zulu looks the way it does, not so politically correct, and at a website "From Tramps to Kings," you can read about Louis Armstrong's dream to be Zulu King one day:

Zulu celebrates 100 years

NOMTOC and Zulu are both all-black krewes. I wrote about segregated Mardi Gras krewes last year.

Another video found at NOLA.com/The Times Picayune is this one that shows the McDonogh #35 High School Band helping New Orleans police train horses for Mardi Gras parades. I graduated from #35, but I was not in the band. Rooted it on though.

McDonogh 35 Band Helps NOPD Acclimate Horses to Carnival

The Times Picayune does an excellent job covering carnival.

CNN and other news sources report that the economic crisis doesn't seem to be impacting Mardi Gras down here at all. I thought the same thing last night while out with friends.