Portal:Louisiana/Selected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/1
Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Catholics of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin. These French Louisiana sounds have influenced American popular music for many decades, especially country music, and have influenced pop culture through mass media, such as television commercials.
The unaccompanied ballad was the earliest form of Cajun music. The narrative songs often had passionate themes of death, solitude or ill-fated love — a reaction to their harsh exile and rough frontier experience, as well as celebrations of love and humorous tales. Ballads were ritually sung at weddings and funerals, and sung informally for small groups of people at house parties as the food cooked and young children played.
In earlier years, the fiddle was the predominant instrument. Usually two fiddles were common, one playing the melody while the other provided the séconde, or back-up part. Twin fiddling traditions represent the music in its purest form, as it was brought to Louisiana with the early immigrants and before popular American tunes mingled with it. Gradually, the diatonic accordion emerged to share the limelight. The introduction of the accordion can be traced back to German Coast settlers. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/2
Poverty Point, known for its mound construction, is an archaeological site in northeastern Louisiana (near the town of Epps), overlooking the Mississippi River flood plain. The name derives from the Poverty Point plantation, which included the site's land in modern times. It was constructed c. 1730 BC–1350 BC by American Indians of the archaic Poverty Point culture that inhabited the Mississippi Delta at that time, and continued to develop further in the centuries to come.The earthen structures were built and enlarged for centuries, with the site reaching its final form at about 1000 BC. It is referred to by some as the first true city of North America, although the population is unlikely to have exceeded 2000 individuals at any time.
The site is a wide, 400 acre (1.6 km²) plaza consisting of six concentric earthen ridges. The ridges may have originally been six feet high. Aisles intersected the ridges, leading directly from the center to the perimeter. Unique in the configuration of its earthen structures — notably concentric, semi-elliptical ridges of great size — it had no equal in grandeur in its day. "Clearly an earth-moving project of this magnitude and sophistication, no matter how protracted over time, required not only a large pool of labor, but also formal orchestration...geometric patterning among Archaic mounds, including those of Poverty Point, is an archaeological fact whose significance lies not so much in the labor needed to erect them, but in the ideas needed to conceive of them." (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/3
Cajun French is one of three varieties or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana, specifically in the southern parishes. Other Louisiana French dialects include Napoleonic French and Colonial or Plantation Society French, spoken primarily in Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, St. Charles, St. John the Baptiste, Jefferson, West Bâton-Rouge, Pointe-Coupée, Avoyelles, St. Mary, Iberia and St. Landry parishes. Cajun French is not the same as Louisiana Creole.
It is usually presumed that Cajun French is almost solely derived from Acadian French as it was spoken in the French colony of Acadia (located in what is now the Maritime provinces of Canada and in Maine). However the dialect also has influences from Quebec French, Louisiana Creole, Haitian Creole, Swiss French, Belgian French, as well as Parisian French.
Cajun differs from Parisian (or Metropolitan) French in pronunciation, vocabulary and intonation (linguistics). (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/4
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. LSU includes nine senior colleges and three schools, in addition to specialized centers, divisions, institutes, and offices. Enrollment, which temporarily increased approximately 5% to host students from New Orleans displaced by Hurricane Katrina, stands at more than 33,000 students, and there are 1,300 full-time faculty members.
LSU is one of only thirteen American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant research center. In order to reverse decades of underfunding, the university recently launched the campaign, the most ambitious fundraising drive in its history.
The LSU main campus occupies a 650-acre (2.6 km²) plateau on the banks of the Mississippi River; overall, LSU is located on 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) of land just south of downtown Baton Rouge. The campus boasts more than 250 principal buildings. Many of the buildings are built in the style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, and are marked by red pantile roofs, overhanging eaves, rolling arches, and honey-colored stucco, and most were built between 1925 and 1940. Thomas Gaines' The Campus as a Work of Art praises LSU's landscaping as "a botanical joy" in its listing among the 20 best campuses in America. The live oak trees on campus have been valued at $36 million. Through the LSU Foundation's "Endow an Oak" program, individuals or groups are able to endow live oaks across campus.
LSU is a member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 20 varsity sports (9 men's, 11 women's). Its official team nickname is the Tigers; and Lady Tigers for women's teams that have a male counterpart (the term "Bayou Bengals" is also heard at times, but not officially recognized), and its school colors are purple and gold. LSU's mascot refers to its Confederate heritage, drawing from the fame of two Louisiana brigades whose fierce fighting earned them the nickname "the Louisiana Tigers." Based on winning percentage, the University's athletics program is consistently one of the best in the nation. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/5
The Delta Queen is an American sternwheel steamboat.
The Queen is 285 feet long (86.9 meters), 58 feet (17.7m) wide, and draws 11.5 feet (3.5m). The boat weighs 1,650 tons (1,676 metric tons), with a capacity of 200 passengers. Its compound steam engine generates 2,000 ihp, powering a stern-mounted paddlewheel.
Prefabricated at the Isherwood Yard on the River Clyde in metropolitan Glasgow, Scotland, the Queen and her sister boat Delta King were shipped in pieces to Stockton, California in 1926. There the California Transportation Company assembled the two vessels for their regular Sacramento River service between San Francisco and Sacramento, and excursions to Stockton, on the San Joaquin River. At the time, they were the most lavishly appointed and expensive sternwheel passenger boats ever commissioned. Driven out of service by a new highway linking Sacramento with San Francisco in 1940, the two vessels were laid up and then purchased by Isbrandtsen Steamship Lines for service out of New Orleans. During World War II, they were requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for duty in San Francisco Bay.
The Delta Queen cruises the Mississippi River and its tributaries on a regular schedule, with cruises ranging from New Orleans to Memphis to St. Louis to St. Paul to Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, and many more. This smaller vessel can also explore up rivers such as the Arkansas, Red, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Black Warrior, Mobile, and more. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/6
The Louisiana Hayride was a radio broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped launch the careers of the some of the greatest names in American music.
The show's creators took the name from the 1943 book with that title by Harnett Kane that was made into a Broadway show, also called "Louisiana Hayride." Within a year of its debut, the program was so popular that a regional 25-station network was set up to broadcast portions of the show. The flagship station of the program was KWKH in Shreveport.
From 1948 to the late 1950s, Horace "Hoss" Logan produced the Louisiana Hayride. In 1999 he published a book about the Hayride that received acclaim from reviewers such as Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Beginning with the successful first show on April 3, 1948, for more than a decade the Louisiana Hayride ranked second only to the Grand Ole Opry in terms of importance. While both showcased established stars, the Louisiana Hayride was where talented, but virtual unknowns, were also given exposure to a large audience. Over the years, country music greats such as Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells, Jimmie Davis, Will Strahan, Slim Whitman, Floyd Cramer, Sonny James, Hank Snow, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, Claude King, George Jones, John and The Three Wise Men, Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter, and Lefty Frizzell, amongst many others performed on the Louisiana Hayride. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/7
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces under General Andrew Jackson decisively defeated an invading British army intent on seizing New Orleans and America's western lands. The Treaty of Ghent had been signed on December 24, 1814, but news of the peace would not reach New Orleans until February.
By December 12, 1814, a large British fleet, under the command of Sir Alexander Cochrane, with more than 10,000 soldiers and sailors aboard had anchored off the eastern Louisiana coast at Lake Borgne. Guarding access to the lake was an American flotilla, commanded by Thomas ap Catesby Jones, consisting of five gunboats. On December 14, British sailors in rowing boats, each boat armed with a small cannon, captured the vastly outnumbered gunboats in a brief but violent battle. Now free to navigate Lake Borgne, thousands of British soldiers, under the command of General John Keane, were rowed to a garrison on Pea Island, about 30 miles east of New Orleans.
On the morning of December 23, Keane led a vanguard of 1,500 British soldiers from the island to the east bank of the Mississippi River, less than ten miles south of New Orleans. Keane could have attacked the city by advancing for a few hours up the river road, which was undefended all the way to New Orleans, but he made the fateful decision to wait for the arrival of reinforcements. Early that afternoon, when news of the British position reached Jackson at New Orleans he reportedly said, "Gentlemen, the British are below, we must fight them tonight." Jackson quickly sent about 2,000 of his troops from New Orleans to a position immediately north of the British to block them from making any further advances toward the city. Jackson, because he needed time to get his artillery into position, decided to immediately attack the British.
On the night of December 23, Jackson personally led a three-pronged attack on the British camp which lasted until early morning. After capturing some equipment and supplies, the Americans withdrew to New Orleans suffering a reported 24 killed, 115 wounded and 74 missing or captured, while the British claimed their losses as 46 killed, 167 wounded, and 64 missing or captured. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/8
The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia (located in the Canadian Maritime provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island — and some of the American state of Maine). Although today both Acadians and French-Canadian Québécois are francophone Canadians, Acadia was founded in a geographically separate region from Quebec ("Canada" at this time) leading to their two distinct cultures. The settlers whose descendants became Acadians did not necessarily all come from the same region in France. Acadian family names have come from many areas in France from the Maillets of Paris to the Leblancs of Normandy. Some Acadian families did not even originate in France, for example the popular Acadian surname 'Melanson' (originally 'Mallinson') has its roots in England and those with the Surname 'Bastrache' or 'Basque' can find their origin in Pays Basque ("Basque Country") which is located between France and Spain.
In the Great Expulsion of 1755, around 4000 to 5000 Acadians were deported from Acadia by the British; many later settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. Later on many Acadians returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, most specifically New Brunswick. During the British conquest of New France the French colony of Acadia was renamed Nova Scotia (meaning New Scotland). Today Acadians are a vibrant minority, particularly in New Brunswick and Louisiana (Cajuns). Since 1994, Le Congrès Mondial Acadien has united Acadians of the Maritimes, New England, and Louisiana. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/9
Gumbo is a spicy, hearty stew or soup, found typically on the Gulf of Mexico in the United States,in the state of Louisiana, in which it is native to that state. It is also found in other areas such as, Southeast Texas, southern Mississippi and the Lowcountry around Charleston, South Carolina, and down past Brunswick, Georgia due to it being brought from Louisiana to those areas. It is eaten year round, but is usually found in kitchens more during the colder months. This is due to the warmness and heartiness it brings to the body in the winter months, like hot soups and stews in many cold areas.
Gumbo usually consists of shellfish, and sausage along with the Holy Trinity of vegetables for a seafood Gumbo and is usually made in large batches. A chicken and Sausage Gumbo would contain just that with the "Trinity" of vegetables. Tomatoes and/or tomato paste is usually added to Seafood Gumbo in Southeast Louisiana, but never to Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. These Gumbos from Southeast Louisiana are typically known as "Creole" Gumbos, meaning "from the City Of New Orleans." Cajun Gumbos of South Louisiana never contain tomatoes in any variety. Left-over Gumbo can be frozen for later use, but that is not common. Usually it will stay on the back burner of a stove, and eaten on all day. If some is left over, it is usually refrigerated until it is consumed entirely. Rice is made fresh daily. The rice is prepared separately from the stew, and the two are mixed only in the serving bowl.
The gumbo broth/gravy can contain seafood (typically crab and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, or fowl (usually duck, quail, chicken), and other meats, used as seasoning; tasso (Cajun smoked pork), Cajun-style andouille (smoked sausage), and other smoked or preserved meats. Crawfish is rarely used, if used at all for this dish. A traditional lenten variety called Gumbo Z'Herbes pronounced like "Gumbo Zab," Zab sounding like the word jab. From the French Gumbo Aux Herbes), it is essentially a gumbo of smothered greens thickened with roux. (read more . . .)
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/10
Mardi Gras (French for "Fat Tuesday") is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called "Shrove Tuesday" or "Pancake Day". It is the final day of Carnival. It is a celebration that is held just before the beginning of the Christian liturgical season of Lent.
New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city in addition to the celebrating locals for the parties and parades. Most tourists can be found within the French Quarter, especially Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras came to New Orleans with the French settlers at the start of the 18th century.
New Orleans developed new traditions, including Carnival organizations called Krewes, which decorate gaily colored floats, "Truck parades" of huge, decorated trucks often have more than 100 entries. Other parades are held by "walking clubs," consisting of maskers promenading to the blare of the city's famous jazz bands. There are also elaborate masked, tableau balls held by most of the parading krewes and other organizations which limit their activities only to balls. Usually invitation-only affairs, many of the balls feature the presentation of the city's debutantes. New Roads, Louisiana hosts the state's oldest Mardi Gras celebration outside New Orleans. The family-friendly celebration consists of floats, marching bands and drill units. Lafayette, Louisiana is home to a large Mardi Gras celebration which includes eight parades of floats and bands during the Carnival season.
Other places in the New Orleans metropolitan area also have celebrations; notably the suburbs of Metairie, La Place and Chalmette have large parades. Without the restrictions on commercial sponsorship of parades seen in Orleans Parish, there is much advertising and trademark placements on the parades in Metairie. Metairie parades also tend to be more family-oriented, and even include a children's parade. Houma, Louisiana hosts a significant Mardi Gras celebration of nine parades, three of which roll on Shrove Tuesday, and the others on the two weekends preceding the big day. In parts of the Cajun country of southwestern Louisiana, the traditional Courir du Mardi Gras (French - Running of the Mardi Gras) is still run, sometimes by maskers on horseback led by "Le Capitaine" who gather ingredients for making the communal meal (usually a gumbo). (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/11
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a renowned aquarium in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Recognized as one of the leading aquariums in the United States, the Aquarium of the Americas is run by the Audubon Institute, which also supervises the Audubon Zoo and Audubon Park (in a different part of the city). The Aquarium is located along the banks of the Mississippi River by the edge of the historic French Quarter off Canal Street and opened in 1990.
With 10,000 animals representing 530 species, exhibits include the Mississippi River gallery, featuring catfish, paddlefish, and alligators; a Caribbean reef exhibit featuring a clear, 30-foot-long tunnel surrounded by aquatic creatures; and a Gulf of Mexico exhibit featuring sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays.
The first part of the Aquarium takes you on a journey through the Caribbean. You enter through the 30 foot tunnel surrounded by 17 ft of water which is approximately 132,000 gallons of water.
You then head upstairs to the Amazon Exhibit. This is located in a glass structure that gives the Aquarium an original and noticeable flair. The humidity, mist, and noise all adds the authenticity of this exhibit. Some of the highlights of this area are the Parrots, Anaconda, and Piranhas. (read more . . . )
Portal:Louisiana/Selected article/12
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints are currently champions of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
Founded in 1967, the Saints have struggled throughout their history. They went more than a decade before they managed to finish a season with a .500 record and two decades before having a winning season. The teams first successful years were from 1987-1992, when the team made the playoffs four times and had winning records in the non-playoff seasons. In the 2000 season, the Saints defeated the then defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams for the team's first playoff win.
The Saints' home stadium is the Louisiana Superdome. The team has played its home games in the "dome" since 1975. However, due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to the New Orleans area, the Saints' 2005 home opener was played at Giants Stadium, the home stadium of their opponent, the New York Giants. The remainder of their 2005 home games were split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a $185 million renovation of the historic stadium, the team returned to the Superdome for the 2006 season. The team played its 2006 home opener in front of a sold-out crowd and national television audience on September 25, 2006, defeating its NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 23-3. The victory received a 2007 ESPY award for "Best Moment in Sports." read more . . . )
