Of the events I look forward to attending in 2023, a concert at the Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall, in Mandeville, Louisiana, is at the top of  the list. Now that the spring line-up has been released, I hope life allows me to be there on April 1, when Arco Latino (La Orquesta Moderna) is scheduled to perform from 6:30 pm to 9 pm.

I haven’t seen this group before, but the description says that they are “a group of collaborative entertainers founded in 2016 by [Louisiana] locals Bremman Burgos and Raymond Florentino. Together, they uniquely use a string ensemble to challenge the usual interpretation of genres such as merengue, bachata, salsa & jazz. Arco Latino’s La Orquesta Moderna will wow audiences with a blend of new styles of music featuring a unique array of instruments and backgrounds combined” (dewdropjazzhall.com).

I’m keenly looking forward to this because of the history of this place. You can read it in detail here but, in a nutshell, this location was a cradle of jazz in the 1930s and 40s and “is now considered the world’s oldest virtually unaltered rural jazz dance hall.”

Concerts are held only in the spring and fall due to the weather, as the building has no heating or cooling systems. Tickets ($10, cash only) are not sold in advance; only at the door, but they are never sold out because when the hall is full, the audience sets up their own chairs outside, where space is plenty. I personally cannot wait to feel the spirits of the past in this place! Are you coming with me?

Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall is located at 430 Lamarque Street, in Old Mandeville, Louisiana. Find more information at dewdropjazzhall.com  

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