Description of Figure/Doll

Handcrafted male figure from New Orleans. He is made with corn husks and is wearing a straw hat. He has a red bandana around his neck. He has a foil washboard or rub board on his chest. Washboards are traditional Cajun musical instruments. A small sign in front of the figure says “I heart Zydeco Music.” Zydeco music evolved in Louisiana from the French Creole. Zydeco blends Cajun music, blues and rhythm and blues. Tag: “Brunella Luke, 4415 Bayouside Drive, Chauvin LA 70344.”

Link to higher resolution images at ClipPix

USA: Louisiana

Location: Southern United States

Capital: New Orleans

Main language: English

Currency: US Dollar

Figure/Doll

Construction: corn husks, straw, aluminum

Height in Centimeters: 15

Height in Inches: 6

Hurricane Katrina: The Day the Music Died in New Orleans

Reading Level: 4.60

My name is Clifton, and I live in New Orleans. New Orleans is known for its jazz, Cajun, and Zydeco music. In fact, I play a washboard in a Zydeco band. We often perform for the tourists who come to Mardi Gras.

It was August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Yes, we knew it was coming. We also knew it might be a Category 5 storm (the strongest). The TV said everyone should leave town. But we had no money, no car, and no place to go. So we stayed home.

The winds started in the morning. Of course schools were cancelled and stores were closed. We watched TV until the electricity went out, then we lit candles and listened to the wind. It wasn’t as bad as we had feared. A couple trees blew down and the roof lost lots of shingles, but everything seemed like it would be OK.

We all went to bed, thinking we would clean the yard in the morning. When we woke up, we saw two feet of water in the streets. The water was coming into the house and we knew we had to leave. We waded and swam to the Superdome, where there was supposed to be shelter, food, and water. We were lucky because we got out before the water was too deep. We learned later that the storm had caused the levees to break. New Orleans is actually below sea level, and the levees keep it dry (unless they break)!

Staying at the Superdome was horrible! There was no electricity, no water, the bathrooms didn’t work, and there was almost no food. We were very hungry and thirsty. I actually saw dead people in the halls at the Superdome. I had never seen a dead person before, and it was scary!

Finally, after 4 days, buses came and took us to Texas. We learned later that our house was destroyed - not by the hurricane, but by the flood. Katrina flooded New Orleans and many people died. Someday I hope to go back to New Orleans and hear music playing again on Bourbon Street.


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