The name Mama Roux comes from a song by Dr. John from the 1968 Gris Gris album. Pat McDonald first used the name Mama Roux for a marching group she organized in Mama Roux left the Clones and joined the Krewe of Avant Garde. and marched with them for one year. After that Vivian and Richard were invited to a Krewe du Vieux meeting. They told their friends about it, and Mama Roux was founded in 1987, just one year after Krewe du Vieux started marching in 1986. It consisted of a group of fun-loving friends from the Faubourg St. John neighborhood, who had a long, colorful history of partying together, affectionately and correctly referring to themselves as “The Bad Girls and Boys”. Vivian & Richard Cahn introduced this group to the Krewe du Vieux, and they became the captains of Mama Roux. They have retained their positions ever since then, mostly because no one else wants to do it. Mama Roux has become known for themes that are pithy political statements of current local events. Although no one can recall what our themes were each year (and sometimes we can't remember the next day) some of the ones still in the archives are:
1991 – The year of Councilwoman Dorothy Taylor’s anti-discrimination ordinance KDV’s theme was “Lost Conventions”. Mama Roux went Egyptian for “Dorotiti, Queen of Denial”.
1992 – KDV theme “Krewe du Vieux Rights the News”. Mama Roux can’t find the folder for this one.
1993 – Posthumorously Yours. Mama Roux came as “Comus Interruptus”
1994 – The Ballot of New Orleans. M/R went as noble Romans for “Sidney Fiddles While Home Burns”.
1995 – Unnaturally New Orleans. Mama Roux moved Harrah’s to St. Louis Cathedral, thereby becoming the “Holy Rollers”
1996 – KDV Achieves Decade-ence. M/R were hunters for “Foster Doesn’t Give A Flying Duck”
1997 – KDV Goes Deep. “Mama Roux Scores” with a giant ovum achieving penetration.
1998 – KDV Gets Souled Down the River Mama Roux – Costumes Half Off.
1999 – Urban Myths. MR – Premature Evacuation.
2000 – The Idiot’s and the Oddities . Mama Roux - Harrah’s – The Golden Fleeced
2001 - A Space Fallacy. MR went very green as the Million Martian March.
2002 – Depraved New World. M.R. members went as Ernie K-Doe in Keep the Jive Alive: K-Doe for Mayor.
2003 – Krewe du Vieux Goes Off the Record. MR were brown cockroaches for Raid Nagin.
2004 – Krewe du Vieux’s Quest for Immorality. MR – Save Our Stools.
2005 – WWKdVD? This is the theme that would spark off radical Catholic religious protests in 2007. Mama Roux, appearing in saintly, haloed garb was more than happy to “Spank the Other Cheek”.
2006 – “C’est Levee” M/R went fashionably wrapped in blue for “Home is Where the Tarp Is”.
2007- Habitat For Insanity. King Chris Rose. Mama Roux was pretty in pink as the dawlin’ “Beautician’s Village”. King Robert & Queen Roxanne.
2008- KDV’s Magical Misery Tour. King Ronald Lewis. Mama Roux was vibrantly rainbow-hued in “We All Live In A Jello Shot Machine”. King Phil & Queen Karen.
2009 – KDV’s Stimulus Package. King Frankie Ford. We were alternately in the black and in the red---leather, that is, as “Mama Roux Invests In Stocks & Bondage”. King pRick & Queen domINAtrix.
2010- KDV Gets Fired Up. King Dr. John & Priestess Miriam Queen Mother. As a response to the Religious Wrong picketing our parade, we costumed as sinners to spoof their version of our fate in “Mama Roux Burns In Hell”. Kings Mark & Mike.
2011 – “25 Years Wasted”. King Don Marshall. Mama Roux went SteamPunk for the “Department of Wasted Management”. Queen Kim.
2012 – KDV commits “Crimes Against Nature”. Queen Deon Haywood. Mama Roux dons diaphanous Middle Eastern garb paired with shrimp boots as “Arabi Spring – The Chic of Arabi”. King Ken & Queen Linda.
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