“Unanae” (PDF) from the New Birth Brass Band album, New Orleans Second Line!

Many of the origins of the Mardi Gras Indians remain a mystery to outsiders, probably for the best, however the adoption of the language into modern New Orleans culture still carries the original intent. I don’t know what unanae means, but I have to assume that the war chant can’t mean anything good, especially if it’s chanted in your direction.

McClunky! - Ezekiel 25:17

But thanks to the peacekeepers and guardians of the flame, unanae, or “Ooh Nah Nay,” has become a common response to the call of some traditional New Orleans tunes, such as “Iko Iko” and “Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing,” and you can say so much by saying so little.

For instance, this trombone solo mostly stays within one octave, and despite repeating a few phrases, it makes a statement by relying on funk rhythms in a similar manner as Fred Wesley. And similar to the Mardi Gras Indians, the power and strength is in the grooves and rhythm, unrelenting and always driving forward until a blast of energetic expression stuns its intended target.

Here’s a YouTube video of Cha Wa performing “Ooh Na Nay” featuring Haruka Kikuchi on trombone:

Recommended reading: Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans by Matt Sakakeeny. Published by Duke University Press.