Mardi Gras 2009 is a New Orleans-style festival to promote and celebrate some of the major and influential streams of Perth's musical heritage-musical streams that have taken artists such as Dave Hole, The Waifs, John Butler and others to the world stage. In fact, John Butler played on the main stage at this year's Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.

As Perth grew up during the '60s and '70s and into the early '80s, it was the sound of live blues, bluegrass, jugband and jazz that filled the pubs and clubs to overflowing. This music was the soundtrack to the youth culture of Perth's baby-boomers, a culture that revolved around summer, the beach, motorbikes, Sunday sessions and music.

Perth has always been a hotbed of blues- and jazz-related activity, perhaps more so than any other capital city in Australia. Although the music may have been replaced in the mainstream by the newer generations' beat focused, pre-recorded dance music and indie pop, the musicians who pioneered the live music scene are still playing to their dedicated fans and regenerating live music as the baby boomers gleefully face empty nest syndrome. Do not deny today's youth though, as Jazz students stream through WAAPA and a new generation of ‘blues and roots' artists practice their interpretation of the old blues masters.

Live music should be encouraged at every opportunity as it is a vital ingredient in creating and defining the worth of any culture. This is the soundtrack to our lives, and what a magnificent soundtrack the Perth one has been!

There are many good reasons to celebrate this unique musical heritage and, given the many similarities that can be drawn between Perth and New Orleans cultures, it seems pertinent to celebrate in the form of a Mardi Gras-summer weather, good music, good friends, good food and good cheer.

The focus of this event is community-the local community, the musical community, the Perth community. This is a celebration of Perth's musical heritage and the musicians who created it. A local, boutique event enriching the local culture at a grass roots level.
The event has the potential to become an anticipated annual event on Perth's entertainment calendar, and would help to promote Perth as a vibrant musical city, while also providing further employment for local musicians. To have Perth as the sister city to New Orleans is a concept State and local government could promote as part of their "anti-Dullsville" campaign.

While the genesis of the event is New Orleans Mardi Gras, the flavour and unique characteristics of this event will be Western Australian. If the spirit in which an event is conceived is part of the final success, our own Mardi Gras is sure to be a day to look forward to.

The event is funded and promoted by non-profit entities, all retained profits will go back to the musicians and to the Perth Blues Club to continue its work in promoting local, blues and related musical genres.