David Byrne on New Orleans

Bicycle Diaries

Bicycle Diaries

デヴィッド・バーンの『ちゃりんこ日記』*1から少しメモ。
ニュー・オーリンズを巡って;


New Orleans was, and I suspect still is, one of a few large cities across the U. S. A. with character and personality, with its own food, culture, language, and music. It never fails to inspire, though it has clearly flourished despite much neglect and years of abuse that were revealed to the world when the hurricane struck. (pp.32-33)

I would like to think that some of the positive aspects of this town might be due to its African American heritage, but then I think again of my former hometown―Baltimore--which is largely black, or of Washington DC, aka Chocolate City, which, when I was growing up, was 70 percent black. These places, their urban centers, are, outside the government buildings and white enclaves, depressing, sad, and dangerous. There must be other factors at work in this town that have stopped it from going down that same road. Maybe the French Roman Catholic attitude toward sin and pleasure that got mixed in helps make the African sensuality more acceptable down here. My guess is based on its similarities to Latin American cities like Havana, Lima, Cartagena, and Salvador, where the mix of Africa and Roman Catholicism have also produced vibrant music and culture. (p.33)