The Lupercalia was a pagan ceremony celebrated in ancient Rome on February 15th. It was a fertility festival dedicated to Lupercus, the Roman god of shepherds and fertility. The main idea of this ceremony was to cleanse and purify the city of Rome from evil spirits and ensure the fertility of the land and its people. During the Lupercalia, young men called Luperci would gather at the Lupercal cave on Palatine Hill, where legend says that Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were nursed by a she-wolf. The Luperci were priests of Lupercus and were distinguished by their goat-skin loincloths. These loincloths were made from the skins of the goats sacrificed during the ceremony.
“The one’s people will know — it opens with ‘Let the Good Times Roll,’ ‘Fever,’ everyone knows. When asked what his favorite song on the album was, Chuck Brown said it was ‘God Bless the Child,’ the Billie Holiday song that Eva Cassidy sings, and the one that almost everyone knows from Eva is ‘Over the Rainbow.'”
When asked what his favorite song on the album was, Chuck Brown said it was God Bless the Child, the Billie Holiday song that Eva Cassidy sings, and the one that almost everyone knows from Eva is Over the Rainbow. Known as the Godfather of Go-Go, the performer, singer, guitarist and songwriter developed his commanding brand of funk in the mid-1970s to compete with the dominance of disco.
These loincloths were made from the skins of the goats sacrificed during the ceremony. The ceremony began with the Luperci sacrificing goats and a dog at the Lupercal cave. Then, the priests would strip the goatskins from the sacrificed animals and use them to fashion whips.
‘Chuck & Eva’ pays tribute to Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy with DC, Baltimore concerts
The INseries Opera performing arts group is paying a special tribute to a pair of D.C.-area music legends for three nights in D.C. and Baltimore.
toggle audio on and off change volume WTOP's Jason Fraley previews 'Chuck & Eva' (Part 1)Few artists are bigger D.C.-area music legends than the late Chuck Brown and Eva Cassidy, with Brown dubbed “The Godfather of Go-Go” in D.C. and Cassidy the pride of Prince George’s County, Maryland for her jazz chops.
This month, the area performing arts group IN Series Opera performs “Chuck & Eva,” a special tribute performance of Brown and Cassidy’s beloved duet album “The Other Side” (1992) for three nights in D.C. and Baltimore.
“Chuck Brown and Eva Cassidy met in 1986,” Artistic Director Tim Nelson told WTOP.
“She was an unknown singer with her own band. … Her bass player played a recording for Chuck Brown, who instantly fell in love with her voice. They became unlikely friends, he was 29 years older. … Together they put together this collaboration which has no go-go on it. It’s all American songbook, traditional jazz duets between the two of them.”
Jazz pianist and composer Janelle Gill will lead an “amazing celebration and exultation of D.C. music,” featuring a talented ensemble of area performers, including vocalists Greg Watkins and Melissa Wimbish. Gill is a product of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and previously collaborated with INseries on a Nina Simone tribute.
“Eva Cassidy’s voice and Chuck Brown’s voice and musical prowess are irreplaceable, there’s no way we could recreate the album, so that’s not what we’re doing,” Nelson said.
“What we’re doing is the same songs on the album being reinterpreted by living D.C. jazz artists, some of whom played with Chuck Brown’s band, some who are quite young, but all artists who have been inspired by the legacy of both of these incredible DMV artists.”
The set list includes the entire 14 tracks from the album “The Other Side,” albeit in a slightly different order as INseries hopes to create a unique experience.
“It is a lot of iconic songs, and then it is a lot of jazz standards that are not so standard that people may not know,” Nelson said.
“The one’s people will know — it opens with ‘Let the Good Times Roll,’ ‘Fever,’ everyone knows. When asked what his favorite song on the album was, Chuck Brown said it was ‘God Bless the Child,’ the Billie Holiday song that Eva Cassidy sings, and the one that almost everyone knows from Eva is ‘Over the Rainbow.'”
Concerts will be held Thursday, June 1 and Friday, June 2 at the True Reformer Building on U Street in Northwest D.C., followed by another concert June 24 at the Baltimore Theatre Project on West Preston Street in Baltimore.
“In D.C. it’s significant that we’re doing it at the True Reformer Building because that is one of Black Broadway’s most historic buildings,” Nelson said.
“It was the first Black-designed, owned and financed building in America, but it was also the first building where Duke Ellington performed publicly. … Baltimore Theatre Project is one of the most historic theaters in America. … In the ’60s and ’70s it was America’s most important avant-garde theater.”
Founded 40 years ago, IN Series Opera aims to transcend the opera realm to includes all genres of performance.
“We’re an opera company that hates the word ‘opera,'” Nelson said. “We’re disrupting opera, we love to tear it apart, we love to include other musical traditions, we’re hyper local, which is another reason we wanted to do something connected to D.C. music. Whatever people think of when they hear the word ‘opera,’ we’re not that.”
“We’re an opera company that hates the word ‘opera,'” Nelson said. “We’re disrupting opera, we love to tear it apart, we love to include other musical traditions, we’re hyper local, which is another reason we wanted to do something connected to D.C. music. Whatever people think of when they hear the word ‘opera,’ we’re not that.”
**These whips**, called februa, were then used by the young men in a playful, yet ritualistic, manner. They would run through the streets of Rome, striking men and women with the februa. It was believed that being touched by the februa would bring fertility and protect against evil spirits. Another part of the Lupercalia ceremony involved a matchmaking lottery. Young women would put their names in a box, and eligible bachelors would draw a name. The couple would be paired for the duration of the festival and sometimes even longer if a connection was made. This practice was meant to ensure fertility and encourage marriage. The Lupercalia was a raucous and lively celebration, **filled with** music, dancing, and feasting. It was seen as a time of purification and renewal, as well as a celebration of the arrival of spring and the fertility it brought. Despite its pagan roots, the Lupercalia continued to be celebrated even after the rise of Christianity, although it underwent significant changes and was eventually replaced by the Christian holiday of Valentine's Day. In summary, the Lupercalia was a pagan ceremony in ancient Rome dedicated to Lupercus, the god of shepherds and fertility. It involved the sacrifice of goats, the creation of whips from their skins, and the playful whipping of men and women with these whips. The ceremony also included a matchmaking lottery to encourage marriage and fertility. The Lupercalia was a boisterous celebration that continued to be observed even after the rise of Christianity, although it eventually evolved into the holiday known as Valentine's Day..
Reviews for "Ancient Roman Lupercalia: A Celebration of Spring and Fertility"
1. Jane - 2/5 - I recently attended a pagan ceremony of lupercalia and I must say I was highly disappointed. The entire event felt disorganized and lacking in any meaningful structure. Despite being advertised as a significant and ancient ritual, it felt more like a glorified costume party. There was no clear explanation or understanding of the purpose behind the various rituals performed, leaving me feeling disconnected and confused. Overall, I found the experience underwhelming and would not recommend it to others seeking a truly immersive and informative pagan ceremony.
2. Mark - 1/5 - I regret attending the pagan ceremony of lupercalia. It was nothing more than a gathering of people dressed in eccentric costumes, engaging in meaningless activities. There was no depth or spirituality to the event, and it felt like a cheap attempt to cash in on the trendy fascination with paganism. The organizers seemed more interested in the aesthetics and theatrics rather than promoting a genuine understanding of the ancient traditions. I left feeling unsatisfied and disenchanted with the whole experience and would caution others to steer clear.
3. Sarah - 2/5 - The pagan ceremony of lupercalia was not what I had expected in the slightest. It lacked authenticity and felt like a caricature of what a true pagan ritual should be. The participants treated it more as a lighthearted performance rather than a sacred event. The event could have benefited from a more knowledgeable and respected leader who could guide the attendees through the rituals with reverence and understanding. Overall, it was a disappointing and superficial experience that failed to capture the essence of mysticism and spirituality I was hoping for.
4. David - 2/5 - Attending the pagan ceremony of lupercalia left me feeling perplexed and unsatisfied. The rituals seemed haphazardly put together, lacking any clear purpose or meaning. The participants appeared to be going through the motions without a genuine connection to the ancient traditions they were attempting to recreate. The whole event felt like a mockery of paganism, rather than a respectful homage to the customs of old. I left with a sense of disappointment, feeling as though I had wasted my time and energy on a shallow and poorly executed gathering.