New Orleans Baby Dolls relearn historic French Creole songs
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) —The origins of New Orleans' most beloved organizations are storied. By the early 1900s, women from New Orleans' Red Light District, 7th Ward Creoles of color along with women of color throughout New Orleans found a unique way to express themselves.
They were celebrating femininity and freedom, as well as Mardi Gras. 'Baby' had always been used as a term of endearment, but it would gain a new meaning because, by 1912, the New Orleans Baby Doll tradition was born. These women would parade throughout the city, dancing and singing with a spirit like no other.
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Dr. Kim Vaz-Deville is a historian, author and educator and says, 'It's definitely an African American tradition. Women like the Baby Dolls were a group of women who claimed an independent spirit and nature. They weren't afraid to be on the streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras day having a good time!'
The Nous Foundation is an organization that strives to preserve Francophone culture. Over the last few months, they collaborated with Vaz-Deville on a program to reteach the Louisiana Creole language to the Baby Dolls. Baby Dolls from different groups all over New Orleans came together for the project. The idea is that a select group of Baby Dolls can take the songs and language they learned through the program and teach their individual groups.
Rudy Bazenet is the founder of the Nous Foundation and says, 'there was this direct banning of the languages for a long time. It was from 1921 to 1974. It very much meshed with Jim Crow. These laws passed were enshrined in the state's constitution. These laws made it illegal to have Creole or French as the primary language of education. You have very few examples of languages in the United States being banned, to the point, where you block transmission.'
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The Baby Dolls sang in French and recorded a special album for the National Library of Congress recently, to safeguard the history and legacy of Baby Doll culture.
There are many Baby Doll groups in New Orleans. Each group of Baby Dolls has its own style. The heritage is a two-way street. On one side, is the integrity of the old ways and language, on the other side is an innovative renaissance of carnival expression.
'These are women who have satin dresses with bonnets and bloomers who carry umbrellas. The umbrellas weren't something they did in the past. This is a newer innovation. It's a real style and signature piece of contemporary women who mask. They like to put their own signature on their umbrella,' explains Vaz-Deville.Jordan pledges to take in sick Palestinian children as Trump backpedals on aid threat
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New Orleans Baby Dolls relearn historic French Creole songs
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