Mardi Gras Indian’s 'Monkey Mosaic' suit is a smile-making machine

It’s not easy to stand out during a Mardi Gras Indian march. The procession of suits is like a feathery fireworks show, one loud explosion of color and sound after another.  But, as anybody along the curb during last week’s Uptown Super Sunday parade can tell you, Big Chief Shaka Zulu’s “Monkey Mosaic” suit was a showstopper.

Trimmed with thousands of turquoise and coral-colored glass beads and gems, the suit was stunningly beautiful to begin with, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. But what caused the crowd to gasp in delight was the troupe of beaded monkeys that seemed to cavort amid the suit’s chartreuse-green feathers.  

There were at least a dozen of the little sequined simians glinting from gaps in the suit. A few of them were suspended from springy wires, so that they seemed to be leaping in space, just like the real thing. Chief Zulu said he intended to capture “the vivacity and agility inherent in these creatures.”  

Just imagine how thrilling the sight was was for little kids. Zulu’s suit is a smile-making machine.

A pinnacle of fine art

The age-old Mardi Gras Indian tradition combines aspects of Native American ceremonial dress with African beading customs and other rituals into a uniquely New Orleans form of self-expression. Mardi Gras Indian suits are revered around the world as a pinnacle of fine art.  

Participants produce a new suit each year, which they wear on Mardi Gras, St. Joseph’s Day evening, during Super Sunday marches, and a few other select events. Suits are then retired and sometimes disassembled. In the old days, the suits were sometimes tossed on a fire or otherwise destroyed after having been seen publicly.

Some suit-makers prefer the term Black Masking Indians or just Black Indians to the phrase Mardi Gras Indians. Chief Zulu said that his favorite description of the custom is New Orleans Indigenous Masking Society Culture. He credits the precise term to his wife Naimah Zulu.

A unique culture

A 9th Ward native, Zulu has been surrounded by New Orleans’ particular brand of parading and music since he was a kid. He’s a master stilt dancer and drummer, and for the past 25 years has spent countless hours sewing intricate suits with the assistance of a community of friends. “Nobody can do this by themselves,” he said of suit-making.

Zulu, who is 55, began masking with the renowned Yellow Pocahontas, and is now leader of the Golden Feather Hunters. In 2022 he was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship for his cultural accomplishments. A North Carolina brewery decorates limited edition beer cans with pictures of his suits.

A sequined sea monster

Zulu said his annual theme usually has something to do with the natural world. A few years back he studded a suit with a flock of colorful toucans, then created a swarm of glittering bees.

Last year's suit may have been the most unusual. It was inspired by the discovery of a new species of prehistoric sea monster called a mosasaur — imagine a cross between a great white shark and a Komodo dragon, only much bigger than either.  

Fossils of the “new” type of mosasaur were excavated in the Republic of Angola in Central Africa, the historical homeland of many of the enslaved people who were brought to New Orleans. Zulu said his wife can trace her family’s origin to Angola. For Zulu, the fearsome ancient creature symbolized the cultural connections between the continents.

Wise, adaptable, and intelligent creatures

Which brings us back to the monkeys. Zulu has traveled all over Africa. On a trip to the Arusha National Park in Tanzania, he was delighted by the quantity and variety of the monkeys he encountered. They were the perfect theme for a future suit. As he explained, his 2024 suit is meant to embody “the wisdom, adaptability, and intelligence historically associated with monkeys in various cultures.”

Happily, if you missed the Uptown Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian march on March 24, you have another chance to catch Zulu’s “Monkey Mosaic” suit. Just find a good spot along the route of the Downtown Super Sunday parade that takes place at noon April 7 and await the Golden Feather Hunters.

After the spring parading season passes, you’ll be able to see Zulu’s 2024 masterpiece at Angela King art gallery in the French Quarter where he displays and sells his retired creations — the beehive and the mosasaur suits are currently on display among others. Zulu said that his past suits are priced in the “six-figure” range and individual parts of suits sell for thousands. Angela King gallery is located at 241 Royal St. For more information, visit angelakinggallery.com.