The incredible imagery and music produced by Indian Mardi Gras gangs is both totally mind-blowing and, unfortunately, easy to miss. Lucky for us, Aquarium Drunkard’s done some work to correct the latter, publishing an interview with Jermaine Bossier, the Big Chief of the 7th Ward Creole Hunters in New Orleans. Other than being a major figure in the world of “Masking,” what Aquarium Drunkard describes as “the Indians’ act of stepping out on Mardi Gras Morning in vibrant, three-dimensional feathered and beaded suits,” Bossier is a musician who co-founded the 79rs Gang, and their debut album, Fire on the Bayou, has been re-released on Sinking City Records.
A mix of “Mardi Gras Indian standards and 79rs originals over sparse, traditional polyrhythms,” Fire on the Bayou is hypnotic. Read the full Aquarium Drunkard piece here, including an interview with Jermaine Bossier, and listen to the 79rs Gang’s song “Drama” after the jump.
