The Mardi Gras Indian tribes and their tropical bird-bright plumage signify hope and defiance during dark times. In the 1800s, the native tribes of New Orleans recognized kinship with enslaved African Americans, sheltering and abetting them on their paths to freedom. Ever so slowly, Caribbean Creole patois also began to infiltrate the Indians’ costumes, dance, and music. Locals might have grown accustomed to seeing such pageantry during Mardi Gras, but this 1976 New Orleans funk classic introduced such vivid sights to the rest of the country. The Wild Tchoupitoulas were helmed by George Landry (a/k/a Big Chief Jolly), whose nephews just happened to be Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril Neville, musical stars in their own right. With Toussaint at the controls, what resulted is a snapshot of deep New Orleans heritage, the chanted call-and-responses bolstered by a crack band. This is a Mardi Gras parade captured on tape.

– Andy Beta