Festivals are a tribute to our music and culture. They remind us of our visceral connection to each other through the simple magic of music and food—art forms, if you will, that are derived from the unique community in which we live.
Jan Ramsey
It’s more than a community, it’s a true family. And, as in a family, we have our little disagreements and falling-outs, but we have to remember that we all depend on each other in a very deep, spiritual way.
Music is a manifestation of that spiritual connection, and when you’re out enjoying great festivals like French Quarter Fest and Festival International, if you’re local, stop a minute to think about how lucky you are to be able to live in a place like New Orleans. Please don’t take it for granted, because I can guarantee you, there is no other place like it. I would remind you to please continue to support all efforts to preserve and protect local culture and music. It’s precious; it defines us. It certainly defines OffBeat.
While certainly, “in the name of progress,” we must change and redefine our community goals and actions, the powers that be cannot be allowed to forget that the legacy of our music and culture is something that, once lost, can never be regained.
Obviously, new people move to the city because they are fascinated by it, and amazed at the community we’ve developed here. But before they can or should decide to bring New Orleans more into the twenty-first century, I’d recommend that they first try to truly understand why New Orleans is such a great place to live. Dig deeper. Peel back the layers of the onion. There’s so much more here than what you see on the surface.
This isn’t Brooklyn, or Austin, or San Francisco. We have a unique way of looking at the world that transcends hipsterism, technology and—dare I say it—rampant capitalism. New Orleans is more about soul and feeling, depth of connections, and preserving our history and culture and way of life.
I fear for our city’s cultural future as we see a lack of understanding of why we are who we are. I fear that the tenuous threads of our culture may be broken. I fear that if our kids and newcomers to the city aren’t educated and schooled in why we’re special, they will not be able to make sure that specialness continues.
It’s not to be taken lightly; care must be given. Be one of those who is a champion of this city’s legacy.
Finally, this month, I would like to mention that OffBeat in its entire life span has been a tribute to the legacy of my parents, and especially my mother, Patricia Vasterling, who died on March 20. Her love and care inspired me as a human being, as a businessperson and as someone who cares deeply about the cultural treasure I’ve chosen to preserve as my life’s work. Thank you, mama.
