Confetti Park Children's Workshop

Tag: dianne de las casas

  • Music Medley: Of Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs

    Music Medley: Of Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs

    Confetti Park: Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs!

    Hi kids! It’s Mardi Gras time in Louisiana! Confetti Park is a kids radio show out of New Orleans. In my city the kids are out of school while we celebrate the end of the Epiphany season with parades, lots of good food, and music. Brass bands, marching bands, Indian chants, and sweet rock n roll. I’d like to bring you along for the carnival ride today…

    Mardi Gras Indians
    Mardi Gras Indian in feathered glory on a Mardi Gras day, Central City, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016. KDHRay

    Every city that celebrates Mardi Gras has its own special customs, and in New Orleans, we have a few unique aspects… such as the Mardi Gras Indians. Neighborhood tribes wear fabulous towering costumes made up of colorful feathers and beads…. the Big Chiefs battle for who is the most beautiful on a Mardi Gras Day.

    One of the songs I play today is famous across the world, but what you might not know is that it came from the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tradition. This song “Iko Iko,” performed by the Dixie Cups, tells the story of two warring Indian tribes who have a confrontation in the street.

    I also play “My Indian Red,” a very famous Indian prayer, performed by the Baby Dodds Trio. On Fat Tuesday, we will hear that sung on the streets of New Orleans from sunup to sundown. And there are other songs sure to be played along the parade routes where families will be camped to catch beads.

    Songs included in this episode:

    Red White and Blue Got the Golden Band – Mardi Gras Indians
    Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups
    Joke of the Day – Ash Who?
    My Indian Red – Baby Dodds Trio
    Ooh Poo Pah Doo – Trombone Shorty
    Throw Me Something Mister – Johnette Downing & Jimmy LaRocca’s ODJB
    Aveine, Aveine, Aveine – Les Petits Amis
    Every Day is Mardi Gras – Schatzy
    3-6-9 (The Clapping Song) – Confetti Park Players
    Crawfish Fiesta – Professor Longhair
    Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Olympia Brass Band

    This episode also features The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne De Las Casas at Storytime.

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. It showcases songs that kids love, songs created for kids, and songs created by kids. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    Coming soon to KBOG 97.9 FM Bandon Community Radio in Bandon, OR. Stay tuned!

    SEE MAP

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Storytime: Brer Rabbit and the Peanut Patch by Dianne de Las Casas

    Storytime: Brer Rabbit and the Peanut Patch by Dianne de Las Casas

    Dianne de Las Casas
    Dianne de Las Casas

    Listen to the magical storytelling of Louisiana children’s author Dianne de Las Casas. Here is Dianne reading “Brer Rabbit and the Peanut Patch,” from her collection Jambalaya – Stories With Louisiana Flavor.

    Brer Rabbit is a favorite recurring character in Louisiana folklore—as in all regions with strong African-American and Native American cultural influences. Brer Rabbit is a “trickster” figure, who can get out of tough situations and win the day though cunning and quick thinking.

    Though Brer Rabbit is smaller and less physically capable than other animals (and really, just exactly what damage can a bunny rabbit do anything besides a vegetable garden?), he uses clever tricks and fast talking to outsmart his rivals.

    We celebrate the life of Dianne de Las Casas—masterful storyteller, prolific children’s author, champion of Louisiana children and Louisiana folklore, incredible mother, educator, entrepreneur, and creative soul.

    Read “Remembering Louisiana children’s author Dianne de Las Casas”

     

  • Remembering Louisiana children’s author Dianne de Las Casas

    Remembering Louisiana children’s author Dianne de Las Casas

    Sparkling DianneThe world lost a bright light this week with the passing of Louisiana children’s author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas.

    I first met Dianne at the studios of WHIV-FM in New Orleans, at a meet and greet of all the deejays. She, her daughter Eliana, and her boyfriend John Couret were all deejays with three back-to-back slots on Friday nights. It was great to finally meet this wonder team I’d heard of for so long. All of them were accomplished published authors, Dianne with over 20 credits to her name. She was the most prominent champion, along with her longtime friend Johnnette Downing, of Louisiana culture and folklore for children. And her daughter, Kid Chef Eliana, was already making a name for herself among culinary circles.

    My first takeaway about Dianne was of her generous support and obvious love and affection for Eliana and John Couret, whom she always called “my sweetie,” and for her daughter Soleil Casas, who was a talented artist. She wanted to talk about their accomplishments more than her own. Their lifelong artistic collaborations and entrepreneurial endeavors speak volumes about the deep affection, trust, and loyalty of the family members.

    Dianne’s generous spirit translated to Confetti Park. Though I wanted to interview her and Kid Chef Eliana, she wanted to interview me. She invited me to be on their Friday radio shows, and it was a pleasure participating in a very special three-hour episode celebrating Kid Chef Eliana’s recent glorious win on Chopped teen tournament. I was witness to their incredible enthusiasm, joy, and unbridled optimism about the future.

    Dianne at the radio station
    Dianne at the radio station

    Dianne believed in her loved ones’ capacities for greatness, and she gifted them with that view of themselves, too. The sky is the limit for a child whose parent believes in them, and nurtures their interests and talents. Dianne proved that. (Eliana and Soleil, we all believe in you, too.)

    Dianne was a friend to Confetti Park, always giving of her talent, time, and stories. She and John Couret were passionate about anti-bullying advocacy for children, and both talked openly about how they themselves were bullied as kids. They co-wrote a book called Captain Deadeye: The Bully Shark, a chapter book for young readers, and they regularly visited schools and libraries around the region to read and promote the story of little John with the lazy eye, who learned who to navigate school bullies. (The book was inspired by John Couret’s own experiences; he was teased as a child because of his lazy eyes and called “Deadeye John.”)

    I was so delighted when John and Dianne spent the day in Algiers Point at our Family Pyrate Day earlier this year. They gamely dressed as pirates, sold books, and read and sang pirate songs with the children.

    Dianne’s legacy will live on, through her beautiful canon of children’s books, and through the lives and accomplishments of her wonderful children. She certainly made the world a brighter and better place.

    Dianne was known to say, “Life is too short not to sparkle!” Dianne, you sparkled here on earth. Your spirit will continue to sparkle among the stars.

    – Katy Hobgood Ray