The Wild Tchoupitoulas -- a group of Mardi Gras Indians headed by George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry -- only released one album, but that one record caused a sensation upon its initial 1976 release. It was one of the first records of the album-oriented rock generation that captured the heady gumbo of New Orleans R&B and funk. Landry may have fronted the Wild Tchoupitoulas, but the key to the record's success was his nephews, Charles and Cyril Neville, who headed the rhythm section. They drafted in their brothers, Art and Aaron, to harmonize, and thereby unwittingly gave birth to the band that became the Neville Brothers. Still, the fact that The Wild Tchoupitoulas ranks among the great New Orleans albums isn't because of the Nevillles themselves, but the way the Wild Tchoupitoulas lock into an extraordinary hybrid that marries several indigenous New Orleans musics, with swampy, dirty funk taking its place in the forefront. There are only eight songs, and they are all strung together as if they're variations on the same themes and rhythms. That's a compliment, by the way, since the organic, flowing groove is the key to the album's success.
shortly before the Meters went their separate ways, they agreed to make an album fronted by Art Neville's uncle George Landry - "Big Chief Jolly" of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Nobody had ever recorded a full set of Mardi Gras chants before.In addition to the Meters, all four of the future Neville Brothers sang backing vocals on the LP, and all the key members of the tribe w...
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it's time to go back to the first full LP of Mardi Gras Indian music released, which was incidentally the first LP on which all four Neville Brothers performed together, along with the remaining members of the Meters. The songs were all credited to the writing skills of George Landry aka Big Chief Jolly (although in some cases this was a trifle generous, as many of the chants and melodies are u...
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"Meet the boys on the battlefront Meet the boys on the battlefront Meet the boys on the battlefront 'cause the Wild Tchoupitoulas gonna stomp some rump!"A reggae flavored battle song. Tchoupitoulas is pronounced "Chop-e-too-las".
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The Wild Tchoupitoulas is a New Orleans Indian tribe, a masqueing society, that works throughout the year on elaborate feathered costumes, and comes out for Mardi Gras to parade and perform. That's the genteel way to describe them.They're also a street gang that battles and sings, if you listen to their lyrics. "Brother John" laments the passing of one of the tribe members in battle and praises...
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"Indians are the rulers on the holiday," sings George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry on the lone album from The Wild Tchoupitoulas. Formed as a group of Mardi Gras Indians—ceremonial African-American Carnival revelers—The Wild Tchoupitoulas recorded in 1976 what was considered the first rock record to capture the funky New Orleans sound. It helped that the band was backed by legendary funk group The
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 "The Wild Tchoupitoulas")
