Celestin was born in Napoleonville, Louisiana, to a Creole family, son of a sugar-cane cutter. In his youth worked on rural Louisiana plantations. Eager for a better life, he worked as a cook for the Texas & Pacific Railroad, saved up money and bought used musical instruments. He played guitar and trombone before deciding on cornet as his main instrument. He took music lessons from Claiborne Williams, who traveled down the Bayou Lafourche from Donaldsonville. He played with the Algiers Brass Band by the early 1900s, and with various small town bands before moving to New Orleans in 1904, at age 20.
In New Orleans he played with the Imperial, Indiana, Henry Allen senior's Olympia Brass Bands, and Jack Carey's dance band; early in his career he was sometimes known as "Sonny" Celestin. About 1910 he landed a job as leader of the house band at the Tuxedo Dance Hall on North Franklin St. at the edge of Storyville. He kept the name "Tuxedo" for the name of the band after the Dance Hall closed. Dressing the band in tuxedos, the Tuxedo became one of the most popular bands hired for society functions, both black and white. For years Celestin co-led the Tuxedo Band with trombonist William Ridgely. They made their first recordings with the band during the Okeh Records field trip to New Orleans in 1925. Shortly after Ridgely and Celestin had a falling out and for about 5 years led competing "Tuxedo" bands. Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra made an additional series of recordings for Columbia Records through the rest of the 1920s. In addition to the Tuxedo Orchestra, Celestin led the Tuxedo Brass Band, one of the top brass bands in the city. Such notables through the years were trombonist Bill Mathews, pianist Octave Crosby, drummer Christopher Goldston, cornetist Joe Oliver, trumpeter Mutt Carey, clarinetist Alphonse Picou, bassist Ricard Alexis and trumpeter Louis Armstrong played in the Original Tuxedo Orchestra with Celestin.
In 1932 Celestin was forced out of the business by depression economics, working in a shipyard until he got another band together after the World War II. The new Tuxedo Brass Band proved tremendously popular and was hailed as a key New Orleans tourist attraction. In 1953, Papa Celestin appeared leading his band in the big-budget travelogue Cinerama Holiday. His band became a regular feature at the Paddock Lounge on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, and made regular radio broadcasts, television appearance, and more recordings. In 1953 Celestin gave a command performance for President Eisenhower at the White House. His last recording singing, "Marie LaVeau" (1954).
In view of the tremendous contribution Celestin made in jazz throughout his lifetime, the Jazz Foundation of New Orleans had a bust made and donated to the Delgado Museum in New Orleans. Near the end of his life, he was honored as one of the greats of New Orleans music, 4000 people marched in his funeral parade when he died in 1954.[5] After his death Tuxedo Brass Band leadership was briefly taken over by trombonest Eddie Pierson until his death in 1958. The leadership of the band fell to banjo player Albert "Papa" French.
Tiger Rag
Oscar "Papa" Celestin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
The lyrics to Oscar "Papa" Celestin's song "Tiger Rag" are a playful call-and-response between the singer and the audience, with a repeated refrain of "Where's that tiger?" and "Hold that tiger!" punctuating the verses. The lyrics are a reference to the popular music of the time, which often featured animal-themed songs and dances, as well as a nod to the nickname "Tigers" given to the Louisiana State University football team.
The lines "Choke him, poke him, kick him, and soak him!" are a nod to the raucous atmosphere of the jazz clubs where the song would have been performed, and to the physicality of the dance that accompanied it. The final lines, "Low or highbrow, they all cry now 'Please play that Tiger Rag for me'" reflect the universal popularity of the song, which became a jazz standard and has been covered by countless artists in the decades since it was first recorded.
Overall, the lyrics to "Tiger Rag" capture the frenzied energy and enthusiasm of the early jazz era, as well as the enduring appeal of a catchy tune and a memorable dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where is the excitement? Where is the energy?
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Keep the energy and excitement high!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Let's give it our all! Let's push ourselves to the limit!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where is the thrill and excitement that we crave?
Where oh where can he be?
Where is the source of the excitement that we seek?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
Regardless of social class, everyone is craving the excitement
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
We want to hear that lively and captivating song that gets our blood pumping
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY TIERNEY, JOSEPH JOE MC CARTHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind