Janaury 2025

To the delight of many Jazz Museum visitors, the annual Baby Doll blessing of the streets took place on the last day of the New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival.

- photos by Ellis Anderson

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On Saturday, January 18, Baby Doll Queen Joycelyn Askew, founder of Olivia’s Bloodline Baby Doll, read the blessing of the streets and welcomed new members of the Baby Doll tradition. The blessing is followed by a Second Line, dancing, a call out of the different groups, a formal introduction of the new members and a retelling of the umbrella origins and tradition.

The New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival was also taking place at the Jazz Museum (January 16 - 18), “a three-day extravaganza that honors one of music’s most fascinating traditions.”