ZULU ON MARDI GRAS DAY. ABSOLUTELY, MORGAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND IT’S GOING TO BE A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR SEVERAL MEMBERS WHO WILL REIGN AS KINGS AND QUEENS TODAY. THE ZULU SOCIAL AID AND PLEASURE CLUB ANNOUNCED KREWE OF ZULU’S QUEEN SELECT FOR 2024 IS A ANGELIQUE ROCHER. SHE DESCENDS FROM ZULU ROYALTY AS HER MOTHER WAS ONCE QUEEN. SHE SERVED IN THE ROYAL COURT AT A YOUNG AGE. MELVIN LABAT WAS ELECTED AS THIS YEAR’S KING. HE DEVOTED HIMSELF TO ZULU’S PHILANTHROPIC AND COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES, GIVING BACK TO YOUNG MEN IN NEW ORLEANS, BOTH SAY THEY’RE READY TO ROLL THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE TO BE PART OF SUCH A LEGACY, SUCH A HISTORY, AND ALSO FOR MY FAMILY TO BE HERE AND ALSO, I MEAN, IT’S NEW ORLEANS, IT’S MARDI GRAS. IT COULDN’T BE MORE PERFECT AND MORE BEAUTIFUL. I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN ANY MORE IN A BETTER SITUATION THAN I AM NOW WITH THESE GUYS HERE. AND THE 800 MEMBERS OF ZULU FOR GIVING ME THIS HONOR. I MEAN, IT’S IT’S SOMETHING THAT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN A LIFETIME AND IT’S A DREAM. AND THEY SAY IT’S GOOD. GOOD TO BE KING. IT’S NOT TRUE. IT’S GREAT TO BE KING. AND A FUN FACT ABOUT THE KING. HE IS A PROUD MEMBER OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED. SO AGAIN, DAMON WAY, THE COUSHATTA. THAT’S ALL WE WANT TO KNOW. AL
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The history of the Zulu coconuts, the most coveted Mardi Gras throw
One thing that is synonymous with the Zulu parade is the Zulu coconut. The coveted Mardi Gras throw is something everyone wants to walk away with.Riders loaded hundreds of painted coconuts onto floats ahead of the parade Mardi Gras morning.Above video: 'It's great to be king': For Zulu royalty, nothing is better than Mardi GrasOf all the throws to rain down on Mardi Gras, the Zulu "golden coconut" is of highest demand. The coconut made its debut in 1910 in a dulled-down form, natural and hairy with no gold or glitter.LIVE COVERAGE FROM NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS."The coconut came because they couldn't afford to buy the beads, so a guy by the name of Lloyd Lucas, and some others, they went into the French Market and they purchased a sack of coconuts, and that was the throw," Zulu historian Emeritus Clarence Becknell said.That was all they threw in the beginning. The coconut eventually evolved to look more like those we see today, but they were much more labor-intensive to create."In past years, we used to use these coconuts in the raw form, the hairy form, and if you can notice they make like a little natural face, so we took like a sharp object, and we'd open the mouth out and we'd shake the milk out," said Thomas Price, a Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club member.Then, the hair was shaved off, and they were decorated. The coconut took a blow in 1987 after lawsuits from people claiming they were injured by thrown coconuts. Zulu couldn't get insured that year, thus the time-honored tradition went away.After the state legislature passed the "Coconut Bill" to clear the club from liability for alleged injuries, the coconut came back, but still more changes were needed to ensure safety."No coconuts were allowed on the top decks, and also instead of just draining them, now it's just a shell; all the meat has been taken out," Becknell said.Riders have come up with their own ingenious ways to make the decorating process more efficient. For instance, Price said, "I've got what I call assembly line coconuts. They kind of all take the same form, a little tweak here and there."Deciding who gets a "golden nugget" is the next big task. Price said, "When we get around Lee Circle, a lot of times, there’s some of the older people in wheelchairs, and I'll send some to those people, and you see their faces light up, and it makes all the work worth it."These days, the riders all buy sacks of coconuts from a vendor who shaves, cores and empties them, and then a coat of paint is added. Each rider typically gets between 100 and 200 coconuts to decorate and throw.
One thing that is synonymous with the Zulu parade is the Zulu coconut. The coveted Mardi Gras throw is something everyone wants to walk away with.
Riders loaded hundreds of painted coconuts onto floats ahead of the parade Mardi Gras morning.
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Above video: 'It's great to be king': For Zulu royalty, nothing is better than Mardi Gras
Of all the throws to rain down on Mardi Gras, the Zulu "golden coconut" is of highest demand. The coconut made its debut in 1910 in a dulled-down form, natural and hairy with no gold or glitter.
LIVE COVERAGE FROM NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS.
"The coconut came because they couldn't afford to buy the beads, so a guy by the name of Lloyd Lucas, and some others, they went into the French Market and they purchased a sack of coconuts, and that was the throw," Zulu historian Emeritus Clarence Becknell said.
That was all they threw in the beginning. The coconut eventually evolved to look more like those we see today, but they were much more labor-intensive to create.
"In past years, we used to use these coconuts in the raw form, the hairy form, and if you can notice they make like a little natural face, so we took like a sharp object, and we'd open the mouth out and we'd shake the milk out," said Thomas Price, a Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club member.
Then, the hair was shaved off, and they were decorated. The coconut took a blow in 1987 after lawsuits from people claiming they were injured by thrown coconuts. Zulu couldn't get insured that year, thus the time-honored tradition went away.
After the state legislature passed the "Coconut Bill" to clear the club from liability for alleged injuries, the coconut came back, but still more changes were needed to ensure safety.
"No coconuts were allowed on the top decks, and also instead of just draining them, now it's just a shell; all the meat has been taken out," Becknell said.
Riders have come up with their own ingenious ways to make the decorating process more efficient. For instance, Price said, "I've got what I call assembly line coconuts. They kind of all take the same form, a little tweak here and there."
Deciding who gets a "golden nugget" is the next big task. Price said, "When we get around Lee Circle, a lot of times, there’s some of the older people in wheelchairs, and I'll send some to those people, and you see their faces light up, and it makes all the work worth it."
These days, the riders all buy sacks of coconuts from a vendor who shaves, cores and empties them, and then a coat of paint is added. Each rider typically gets between 100 and 200 coconuts to decorate and throw.
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