![]() And with large gatherings prohibited in a parish that’s seen one of the highest coronavirus death rates per capita in the nation, he was laid to rest in an unpublicized ceremony, family members wearing masks and standing six feet apart. His family had 72 hours to prepare funeral arrangements, per state guidelines. Like so many New Orleanians over the past month, the 85-year-old Marsalis died in a hospital bed of complications from COVID-19. The only public sendoff was a black wreath with his picture hung on the door of Snug Harbor, which now, like much of the city, sits shuttered and silent. Instead, Marsalis was buried without music. Watch Video: Louisiana resident pays tribute to Ellis Marsalis “Mourning is happening in the homes.” Legendary jazz musician buried in silence “You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city - no brass bands, no funerals, no church services happening,” said Tulane University ethnomusicologist Matt Sakakeeny. MORE: Death rate soars in New Orleans coronavirus 'disaster' that could define city for generationsĪnd as the death toll continues to climb in the age of social distancing, the absence of jazz funerals means, in some ways, the search for closure must be put on hold. Recent data released by the Louisiana Department of Health revealed that the black population in Louisiana has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, accounting for 59 percent of the deaths statewide, while only representing 32 percent of the state population. Making matters worse, the majority of those dying are elders of the African American communities. “This is an unprecedented event, and you just have to look at the numbers to know this is necessary.” And unfortunately those really can’t occur right now,” Arnold said. “We’re a very tight-knit community of music and festivity, and I think that extends to our funerals, our jazz funerals and second lines. The gravity of his new responsibility hit him when the city asked for 20 refrigeration trailers from the state 14 are now parked outside the coroner’s office. MORE: How the surge of New Orleans coronavirus cases made Louisiana a hotspotįor the first time in the city’s history, a death task force has been assembled to oversee what they call the “deathcare” of those who succumb to the virus, said Collin Arnold, director of emergency preparedness for New Orleans and a member of the task force. The death toll is now hovering like a specter at 367 and the danger of mourning the dead can be seen in Georgia, where a funeral is believed to have sparked a coronavirus outbreak in Dougherty County. At the time, Orleans Parish had the nation’s eighth-highest rate with 276 deaths over the past month, more than double the city’s homicide numbers from 2019. View Gallery: New Orleans jazz funerals help loved ones mourn, celebrate life New Orleans hit hard by coronavirusĪs of April 13, seven of the nation’s 20 highest COVID-19 death rates belonged to southeast Louisiana parishes. And for generations it’s been an important way to cope for the city’s historic black neighborhoods that through fires, plagues, and countless hurricane seasons have had to get used to saying goodbye.īut the novel coronavirus pandemic has put jazz funerals on hold at a time when communities need it most. ![]() Just as a casket feels lighter if more hands are carrying it, that metamorphosis of a private funeral march into a jubilant, street-winding second line is a way to process the death of one by joining arms with many. ![]() In traditional jazz funerals, that moment between grief and catharsis when the deceased is lowered into the ground and the family says a final farewell is known as “cutting the body loose.” Even if I didn’t know them, I pull out my umbrella, get my best dancing shoes on, and we’re gonna have a good time.” “It’s a community’s responsibility to celebrate the life of someone. The celebration of life,” Marsalis III said. “Once a person is buried, you have the second line. Some Sundays he chased the sound, his ear catching the mournful notes of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” And when he heard the music switch from a somber dirge to an upbeat rhythm, he knew it was time to join in. The slow wailing of a brass band setting the pace. ![]() The shuffle of leather shoes walking a lost soul to the grave. Watch Video: Coronavirus Chronicles: New Orleans can't grieve with jazz funeralsįrom an early age, Ellis Marsalis III knew what grief in New Orleans sounded like.
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