The Parades Start Tonight!

The first night time Carnival parade is tonight in New Orleans, starting with the fabulous and raucous Krewe du Vieux.

We learned so much during our first Mardi Gras season in New Orleans in 2000. Sabina was our guide. She told us what to do and where to go. We did not really know what she was talking about, but we did everything she told us to do. She was the best guide and our guardian angel in New Orleans.

We were so enthusiastic, so we decided to form the Krewe of Tango to march in the foot parade that is Krewe du Vieux. I tracked down the leader of the merry pranksters, and was told in stern terms that no new krewes or sub-krewes were being accepted for that year or any year. I had no idea what a sub-krewe was. Not one to take no for an answer I made it clear that we were willing and able to pay any fees or dues. That got me nowhere even faster.

I was quickly learning about the world of clubs and krewes in New Orleans, that no stinking newcomers to the city could interlope. But after a few conversations with the Grand Pooba, he started to realize that perhaps I was not an asshole after all, and he threw me a bone.

He told me that it would be okay to crash the parade, to simply have our group join in, jump in when it seemed cool. No one would bother us. Not realizing then, that he was introducing me to the time honored custom of the second line, I was incredibly excited and proud that the Krewe of Tango was being allowed to roll!

We hosted weekly tango parties and gave classes then, in the upstairs room of Pierre Masperos on Chartres Street in the French Quarter. We lived in the Quarter then too, and to us that was our world.

So I hatched a plan, and got about a dozen tango students to dress up in tango drag, and meet us in front of Cafe Brazil on Frenchman Street. It was an amazing sight to to see Krewe du Vieux.  There were crazy hand made costumes, vulgar and funny, silly and sweet,  and quaint mule drawn wagons as floats. We were so busy watching the parade we almost forgot to get in it.

Some of the original Krewe of Tango at Pierre Masperos

Finally a brass band came along, and there I saw our place, right behind them. Our group swung into the street, led by Alberto with a Kazoo shaped like a little brass trumpet. He blew that thing along with the band, really jamming and stepping. He made such a happy great noise that the band guys had to turn around and see who this guy was.

Valorie Hart and Alberto Paz greet their guests at Pierre Masperos

Now as part of the parade, we graced the onlookers with a show. When we got near Pierre Masperos, we exited the parade and danced tango there all through the night.

My sash and crown from the year I was selected as the Queen of the Krewe of Tango

The Krewe of Tango has since disbanded, but their debut that night will always be part of our New Orleans history.

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