Musical Origins of New Orleans in Relation to Its Geography

The demographics of New Orleans reveal the obvious origins of its music, such as blues, jazz, and zydeco. However, these cultural aspects of the city amount to only pieces of the elaborate puzzle that is the music scene of New Orleans. The geography of the city, both physical and metaphysical, plays a significant role in the texture of New Orleans' music.

The city of New Orleans is a unique American fixture in the South. Founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company, the city began within the framework of a French colony. Nestled between lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River, and within close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans established itself as a port city in the 19th century. During this time, New Orleans played an integral part in the slave trade, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the American South. Due to the prosperity and utility of the city's economy and location, the Union forces of the American Civil War captured the city in 1862. Although a battle was seen, the city itself yielded to its invaders, sparing it from the destruction seen in many other captured cities. Thus the geographical port status of the city ultimately lead to the influx of both international and domestic inhabitants.

New Orleans' distinct geography also carries influence single-handedly. Located, at some points, ten feet below sea level, New Orleans lies within a constant state of aquatic peril. The city itself is considered "subtropical," including a humid atmosphere. The annual average temperature is a recorded 68.1° Fahrenheit. The area of the City (proper) spans 181 miles, partly surrounded by the Mississippi and lake Pontchartrain. Both natural and man-made levees are required in countering the waters that would otherwise flood the city. As seen from the national coverage of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans lies within the direct path of the most violent hurricanes from the Gulf of Mexico. The city accordingly is marked by the aura of danger.

The danger of New Orleans is manifested in its musical compositions of the Jazz and Blues genres. Zydeco (a genre not specifically indigenous to the New Orleans area) contains the elements of upbeat rhythms and consonant harmonies. In comparison to Zydeco, Jazz and Blues use drastically different techniques in both rhythm and tone. When listening to Jazz and Blues, the rhythms are accentuated in the form of syncopation, providing the feel of exoticism. Additionally, these genres contain elements of dissonance harmonies and minor tonal structure, highlighting the dark feel of both the music and the city itself. Additionally, current Jazz and Blues compositions include a specific feeling of sadness, being attributed much in part to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Thus, the geography of New Orleans and its subsequent weather influence musicians to compose works in the spirit of "dangerous exoticism."

Said "dangerous exoticism" has found world-wide acclaim throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Few cities are able to site a specific form of music founded within their limits. New Orleans, however, has provided a unique opportunity for musicians of the 20th century to compose works related to the unique cultural and geographical nature of the city.

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