Thousands of people are on the streets to celebrate the 150th Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
On 29 August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
A battered but still battling city.
Six months on, the people of New Orleans have gathered to show their resilience and celebrate Carnival.
It's about a people and a city reaffirming its identity.
The identity of New Orleans is very much wrapped up in the music of the city. One act performing is the appropriately named Rebirth Brass Band. The Tipitina's Foundation has been helping musicians and acts, like the Rebirth Brass Band, return to the city. Many musicians from New Orleans had been scattered around the country, having been forced from their homes following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Bill Taylor, director of the Tipitina's Foundation, outlines the work undertaken to help these people find homes, as well as new instruments. The Rebirth Brass Band have played at Mardi Gras for the past twenty years and are part of the fabric of the city. Phil Frazier, who plays with the band, says that music is at the core of rebuilding the city, one beat at a time.
New Orleans still faces huge challenges. Only a third of the city's population have returned following the hurricane. Infrastructure was badly damaged and six months on, only half the city has electricity. Oliver J Thomas, president of the New Orleans City Council, points out that while progress has been made, there is still a lot of pain in the city.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 28 February 2006. The reporter is Robert Shortt.
