Stuff from Neville Bros site:

"I did a little research on Iko Iko and hear is something I pulled off of Cindy Lauper's web site...it has some more details about the version of Iko Iko that BTR mentioned: ''Following is the "Iko Iko" story, as told by Dr. John in the liner notes to his 1972 album, "Gumbo," in which he covers New Orleans R&B classics. Cyndi was probably a huge fan of this album when it came out: the song was written and recorded back in the early 1950s by a New Orleans singer named James Crawford who worked under the name of Sugar Boy & the Cane Cutters. It was recorded in the 1960s by the Dixie Cups for Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller's Red Bird label, but the format we're following here is Sugar Boy's original. Also in the group were Professor Longhair on piano, Jake Myles, Big Boy Myles, Irv Bannister on guitar, and Eugene 'Bones' Jones on drums. The group was also known as the Chipaka Shaweez. The song was originally called 'Jockamo,' and it has a lot of Creole patois in it. Jockamo means 'jester' in the old myth. It is Mardi Gras music, and the Shaweez was one of many Mardi Gras groups who dressed up in far out Indian costumes and came on as Indian tribes. The tribes used to hang out on Claiborne Avenue and used to get juiced up there getting ready to perform and 'second line' in their own special style during Mardi Gras. That's dead and gone because there's a freeway where those grounds used to be. The tribes were like social clubs who lived all year for Mardi Gras, getting their costumes together. Many of them were musicians, gamblers, hustlers and pimps.''

and:

"think IKO IKO was first done as jockamo-by sugar boy crawford way way back in the day-mid fifties-his grandson davell crawford is an excellent keyboard /organ player around nola at the moment- i also have a version of jockamo by a different title chocko me feendo hey by danny barker and crew in the mid forties-the early version is currently availible on a swinging cd called Jazz ala Creole by the baby dodds trio(the danny barker and krewe stuff is added to the end of the BDT cd)-not sure of language derivation but think it comes from new orleans black injun chants/creole cajun etc.-theres a ripping version of indian red and corrine died on the battlefield which became the wild magnolias wonderful COREY died on the battle field-also a version of tootie ma(is a big fine thing)-now i know where mac rebbenack got all them injun ideas.........peace"

more info as gathered...~J