Funeral processions are an essential element of New Orleans culture, and the impromptu variety in particular — honoring the passing of someone of distinction, especially a musician — are a time-honored tradition in certain neighborhoods, among which are the oldest black neighborhoods in America. Marek Edelman, commander in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was an iconic street culture figure of ground zero proportions, and he received a form of jazz funeral, which are rooted primarily on African American cultural influences. Fittingly, in this spiritual practice, death is not seen as a loss, but rather a release from life and celebration of passage.
The gensesis of the jazz funeral date back the African continent. Four centuries ago, the Dahomeans of Benin and the Yoruba of Nigeria, West Africa were laying the foundation for one of today’s most novel social practices on the North American Continent, the jazz funeral.”The secret societies of the Dahomeans and Yoruba people assured fellow tribesmen that a proper burial would be performed at the time of death.
”The practice of having music during funeral processions,… was added to the basic African pattern of celebration for most aspects of life, including death. As the brass band became increasingly popular during the early 18th century, they were frequently called on to play processional music. Eileen Southern in The Music of Black American wrote, “On the way to the cemetery it was customary to play very slowly and mournfully a dirge, or an ‘old Negro spiritual’ such as ‘Nearer My God to Thee,’ but on the return from the cemetery, the band would strike up a rousing, ‘When the Saints Go Marching In,’ or a ragtime song such as ‘Didn’t He Ramble.’ Sidney Bechet, the renowned New Orleans jazzman, after observing the celebrations of the jazz funeral, stated, “Music here is as much a part of death as it is of life.”( Neworleansonline.com)
Jazz Funeral, Jon Guillaume
Edelman’s own account of the struggle was first published in 1945 as the Ghetto Fights. One of the salient points is that amidst the terror and fighting, there was a maintenance and promotion of cultural activities. This was also expressed in the novel ,The Wall, by John Hersey.
”In 1941 a Youth Division was established at the Jewish Social Mutual Aid Organization and the Zukunft became one of the Division’s important contributors. We were able to reach large numbers of young people. Our lecturers took charge of numerous youth groups, which were at that time established under the House Committees in every apartment house. There was the choir with its active programme (public concerts were given in the Judaistic Library). School-age youth was also being organized. The SOMS (Socialist School Students’ Organization) was re-established, and numbered a few hundred members after a very short time. Comprehensive political education and cultural activities were carried out. At the same time the Skif, whose activities were until then limited to securing financial help for its pre-war members, started large-scale work among children of school and pre-school age. A so-called “corner” was established in every house, where children found a home for a few hours every day. The Dramatic Club, led by Pola Lipszyc, gave performances twice a week. During the 1941 season 12,000 children attended these performances” ( Blog, history is made At Night, Oct.6.2009 . Marek Edelman )
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