One of the first things you learn about the history of New Orleans is that the city was founded and settled by waves of people from both France and Spain. The relationship between these two European nations on the banks of the Mississippi was anything but simple and clear-cut. For one telling example, the architecture of New Orleans’ French Quarter is actually Spanish.

The governance of New Orleans swung from one nation to the other over the years, till eventually we became part of the United States. But the influences of French and LatinX people and culture continue to this very day.

Valeria Ali is co-founder of a local Spanish language news service called Al Dia, which in English translates to “The Daily.” Al Dia texts the latest relevant local and national news to subscribers, in Spanish.

Al Dia is a new project that’s part of a larger Spanish language news operation, called Jambalaya News. Jambalaya is the predominant Spanish language news reporting and translation service in the state – around 30% of all Latinx people in Louisiana subscribe to Jambalaya’s social media news platforms.

Valeria came up with the idea for the text-message-based Al Dia news service and pitched it to a division of Google called Google News Initiative. Google said “yes” and gave Valeria the funds to launch Al Dia in July of 2021.

The French influence came to Louisiana from two different directions. French settlers came to New Orleans from France. And French Acadians, who came to be called “Cajuns,” moved to South West Louisiana from Canada.

The French from France and the Cajuns – who were originally also from France - spoke two different dialects of French. Today, Cajun French and regular French are more different from each other than ever. But here in New Orleans, a company called New Niveau is dedicated to encouraging the regular use of both dialects.

Officially, New Niveau is a digital media agency and production house specializing in content creation, social media management, and live broadcasting. But New Niveau is most passionate about its work in French. They produce around five news stories in French a week, as well as two ongoing video series. One of them is “Le Tac Tac” – in English, “The Popcorn” – a local gossip show – and the other is “Les Nouvelles-Orléans” – which doesn’t require translation - a daily news show.

Both of these French language shows are hosted by co-founder of New Niveau, Sam Craft.

It can be hard to put your finger on exactly what’s so great about New Orleans. You can easily make a list of things that are challenging - from potholes to humidity - but it’s harder to precisely enumerate what it feels like to walk around the French Quarter, ride the streetcar, eat a muffuletta, catch Zulu on Mardi Gras morning, strike up a conversation with a complete stranger in the grocery store, or hear music.

A part of this indescribable spirit is the combination of cultures that built New Orleans. It’s the way people here have always embraced difference, and incorporated it into daily life. It’s how we got jazz. It’s how we got our signature cuisine. And it’s how we’re continuing, to this day, to build our present and future culture.

Valeria Ali and Sam Craft are both working every day to build bridges between people, between lives, and between languages.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this how by Jill Lafleur at our website. And find out more about Louisiana LatinX business in this conversation with ElCentro's Lindsey Navarro. 

 

One of the first things you learn about the history of New Orleans is that the city was founded and settled by waves of people from both France and Spain.&nbsp;The relationship between these two European nations on the banks of the Mississippi was anything but simple and clear-cut. For one telling example, the architecture of New Orleans&rsquo; French Quarter is actually Spanish.
The governance of New Orleans swung from one nation to the other over the years, till eventually we became part of the United States. But the influences of French and LatinX people and culture continue to this very day.
Valeria Ali is co-founder of a local Spanish language news service called <a href="https://sms.jambalayanews.com/suscripciones/">Al Dia</a>, which in English translates to &ldquo;The Daily.&rdquo; Al Dia texts the latest relevant local and national news to subscribers, in Spanish.
Al Dia is a new project that&rsquo;s part of a larger Spanish language news operation, called <a href="https://www.jambalayanews.com/">Jambalaya News</a>. Jambalaya is the predominant Spanish language news reporting and translation service in the state &ndash; around 30% of all Latinx people in Louisiana subscribe to Jambalaya&rsquo;s social media news platforms.
Valeria came up with the idea for the text-message-based Al Dia news service and pitched it to a division of Google called Google News Initiative. Google said &ldquo;yes&rdquo; and gave Valeria the funds to launch Al Dia in July of 2021.
The French influence came to Louisiana from two different directions.&nbsp;French settlers came to New Orleans from France. And French Acadians, who came to be called &ldquo;Cajuns,&rdquo; moved to South West Louisiana from Canada.
The French from France and the Cajuns &ndash; who were originally also from France - spoke two different dialects of French.&nbsp;Today, Cajun French and regular French are more different from each other than ever. But here in New Orleans, a company called <a href="https://www.newniveau.com/">New Niveau</a> is dedicated to encouraging the regular use of both dialects.
Officially, New Niveau is a digital media agency and production house specializing in content creation, social media management, and live broadcasting. But New Niveau is most passionate about its work in French.&nbsp;They produce around five news stories in French a week, as well as two ongoing video series.&nbsp;One of them is &ldquo;<a href="https://www.newniveau.com/tac-tac">Le Tac Tac</a>&rdquo; &ndash; in English, &ldquo;The Popcorn&rdquo; &ndash; a local gossip show &ndash; and the other is &ldquo;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/les-nouvelles-orl%C3%A9ans/id1527002754">Les Nouvelles-Orl&eacute;ans</a>&rdquo; &ndash; which doesn&rsquo;t require translation - a daily news show.
Both of these French language shows are hosted by co-founder of New Niveau, Sam Craft.
It can be hard to put your finger on exactly what&rsquo;s so great about New Orleans.&nbsp;You can easily make a list of things that are challenging - from potholes to humidity - but it&rsquo;s harder to precisely enumerate what it feels like to walk around the French Quarter, ride the streetcar, eat a muffuletta, catch Zulu on Mardi Gras morning, strike up a conversation with a complete stranger in the grocery store, or hear music.
A part of this indescribable spirit is the combination of cultures that built New Orleans. It&rsquo;s the way people here have always embraced difference, and incorporated it into daily life.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s how we got jazz. It&rsquo;s how we got our signature cuisine. And it&rsquo;s how we&rsquo;re continuing, to this day, to build our present and future culture.
Valeria Ali and Sam Craft are both working every day to build bridges between people, between lives, and between languages.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://nolapizzaco.com/">NOLA Pizza </a>in the <a href="https://www.nolabrewing.com/">NOLA Brewing Taproom</a>. You can find photos from this how by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2021/11/17/nouvelle-dia/">our website</a>. And find out more about Louisiana LatinX business in <a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2020/06/30/latinx-hub-city-pang-wangle/">this conversation with ElCentro's Lindsey Navarro</a>.&nbsp;
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OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander’s Palace restaurant. In his 9th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander&rsquo;s Palace restaurant. In his 9th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him, sometimes for fine dining others for pizza. From CEO's to startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, Silicon Bayou success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and the talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him, sometimes for fine dining others for pizza. From CEO's to startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, Silicon Bayou success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and the talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.

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