The Essence Music Festival and Mardi Gras

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Culture is an important aspect to the society we live in today. With the economy so hard to live in, it’s making it harder for the individuals to meet their needs. There are many cultures that are around the world that is different in many ways. One way that many cultures come together is through the cultural events today. Cultural events are events pertaining to cultures, such as a feast or festivals. By attending cultural events, you experience firsthand the diverse offering of culture and artistic expression found in a community. The Essence Music Festival and the Mardi Gras are two of the festivals that many people attend for all over the world.
The Essence Music Festival is a festival, of many, that is held in New Orleans every year. This festival, which is scheduled during the 4th of July, draws many people from all over the world. “Essence Fest draws the best of both national and local acts, with a strong representation of both the commercial sounds of rap, hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and the local flavor of brass bands, jazz and blues” ("Essence music festival," 2013).
The Essence Fest began in 1995. The music festival was supposed to be a one-time event, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Essence magazine. The Essence magazine is aimed primarily towards the African American women. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, New Orleans has held this event that started in 1995, every year except for 2006. In 2006 Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans badly, that the festival was held in Houston, Texas. I have not personally been to the Essence fest, but have read up on it, and one day will attend. Over the years, Essence Fest has been the highlight of New Orleans. With all the partying going on in New Orleans, the ...

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...enjoy all the festivities. Louisiana has been the only state that legalized this festival as a holiday. “According to History, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well, including Alabama and Mississippi. Each region has its own events and traditions” (Mardi Gras, 2011).

Works Cited

History of essence music festival. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.diasporatravelers.com/EssenceMusicFestivalHistory.html
Essence music festival. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.experienceneworleans.com/essence-music-festival.html
Mardi gras. (2011). History.com, Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/mardi-gras
Mardi gras. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mardigras1.html
New Orleans Mardi gras guide. (1999). Retrieved from http://neworleanswebsites.com/cat/tr/mg/mg.html

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