Mardi Gras is Tuesday, but tonight is the Krewe of Zulu Coronation Ball. Patti LaBelle is supposed to headline. Unfortunately, I'm not going this year because I'm spending enough to see Prince at Essence Fest in July, but I wish I were going.
Thinking about it, I checked the views on my video of the 2011 Zulu Ball (What to Wear). That's how I came across the video above. It shows people on the dance floor at the 2013 ball. They are letting les bon ton roule definitement, having a good time. And since the video has the right amount of light in it, unlike my old video, you can see what people are wearing. As you can see, if you have a ticket for tonight's shindig, but didn't bother to get a tux or gown, you'll be out of place. And since it's already after 3:00 p.m. as I write this, you're out of luck, too.
The video makes me smile and laugh. I post it also for anyone out there who still believes the stereotype that all black people can sing. I assure you this video will disabuse you of such notions. The folks are drunk or buzzing and waaaayyyyy off key. Not "a little pitchy," as American Idol judges like to say, but far out of tune. Harry Connick, Jr., would be nearly apoplectic listening (I think the New Orleans jazz musician and actor has prefect pitch). But as I've said before, they're having fun.
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.
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.
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.
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.
