A Visit with Cuz + New Orleans Beat

Although today might be officially the first day of Fall, we are still in summer mode in Cajun Country, with temps. around 90, for highs and 70, for lows. It's a lovely time of year, warm, but not hot, and mornings and evenings are nice. I am thankful for this extra month of summer and all it embraces, including being able to wear flip flops, swim, and go boating. I would love to live somewhere, where it would be summer all year long. That somewhere would have to have Cajun cuisine, music, and people, of course.


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I dropped by my dear cousin's house for a little visit the other day, and as usual, Cuz was busy working in her beautiful yard. It is one of her passions and she was definitely born with a green thumb. The patio was a bit too sunny, so we retreated to her lovely, shady porch for a few glasses of wine and a little music. I brought my cd's, so I picked one of my faves,"La Toussaint".


I was in the mood for some Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Their La Toussaint album is fabulous and has several of my favorite songs on it. Since Cuz has music piped out to the yard, it was a most enjoyable afternoon. Here is a shot of her pond that she built herself, complete with 12'' long goldfish under those lily pads.

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Here is a clip of my favorite song on the La Toussaint CD, "New Orleans Beat" Crank it up for this one. Enjoy! Happy Fall , Ya'll !!!

Time for Cajun Music Awards & Festival !

Time to put on your dancing shoes for the 21st annual Le Cajun Music Awards and Festival, to be held on Friday, August 21st-22nd, at Blackham Coliseum, in Lafayette. The awards ceremony will be held on Friday evening and is sponsored by the Cajun French Music Association, (CFMA), followed by 12 hours of non- stop Cajun music, on Saturday, beginning at 9 am!


Two days of great Cajun fun, food, and music, and get this, all in an air conditioned environment, with a huge wooden dance floor, (woo- hoo) ! This event is an absolute blast, with Cajun Country's finest bands and musicians being honored, as well as playing at the festival. The CFMA was founded in 1984, with a goal of preserving and promoting traditional Cajun music, with the artists spanning several generations. Come on out and celebrate our heritage and immerse yourself in what promises to be a weekend of fantastic music that you will long remember.

 And one of my favorite bands to dance to, Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys, (my pick) will play from 12:45-2:45 pm. and have been nominated this year for the "People's Choice Award". This band is hotter than hot and injects traditional Cajun with a little Swamp Pop and Zydeco.

  
One of this year's nominees for "Band of the Year", is Feufollet, (my pick) who with their youthful experimentation have managed to bring the traditional sounds of Cajun music to a new level, ushering in a whole new generation of fans. They started playing together, locally, in their teen years, and now as twenty-somethings, are touring the country and the world .




And sometimes experience is the best teacher and one of Acadiana's legendary, traditional Cajun bands, Paul Daigle and Cajun Gold, will take the stage at 5:15 pm on Saturday. (my pick) Paul Daigle is nominated this year for "Accordionist of the Year". For more info., call (337-344-2494)

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You can see what I mean by HOT, here, with Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys!
Mixing it up for a crowd in Saulieu. Let the Good times roll, cher!


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And here is a little sample of le musique de Feufollet, (playing at the 2009' Albequrque Folk Festival). Their incredible, captivating tunes are loved by all who know them and help to keep the Cajun music culture going! Lassiez les temps bon rouler, cher!


Which one is your favorite?

Live from Lafayette- It's Marcia Ball !

Parc International in downtown Lafayette was the scene for tonight's incredible concert, with the fabulous Marci Ball and her fantastic band. Hot! Talented pianist, vocalist,and songwriter, Marcia brings her swamp blues, honky tonk,  boogie-woogie style to the stage, making her a favorite of music fans around the world. She was recently nominated for the 2009' Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year award and is currently working on a new studio album, entitled "Peace, Love and BBQ." She electrified the crowd, as they went into nitty-gritty dance mode with a whole lot of jitter bugging going on. I have many fond memories of seeing Marcia play at Grant Street Dancehall and Jazz Fest. If you missed Marcia tonight, you can catch her at the upcoming New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on May 2nd. For a complete schedule of Jazz Fest,
click here. Guaranteed to be a blow out, as always.
Let the good times roll, cher!
Marcia Ball

Almost Time for Festival International!

Five days of music, food and fun, coming right up! On April 22-26, downtown Lafayette will be filled with the best bands from Acadiana, the United States, Canada, and 17 countries from all over the world. With over 100 performances scheduled, this year's festival is expected to bring in a record number of festival goers. If you have never been to this festival, you need to mark your calendar as one that you don't want to miss. For those of you who have, need I say more?

In addition to all of the fabulous music, there will be lots of delicious Cajun and Creole cusine at the LUS Pavillon De Cuisine, featuring my favorite food booths, Bon Creole Seafood, ( best crawfish poboys) and Broussard's Cajun Cooking. New this year is the Cirque de la Rue, with street performers from around the world on April 23-26. From Dwyer's Cafe on Jefferson Street towards the Natural History Museum, on Vine St., this new venue will highlight groups such as New Orleans Zulu Connection and Brazil's "Ile Aiye". Also new this year is the new location for Scene Heritage which will be located next to The Filling Station Pub and Grille on Jefferson Street. A favorite part of the Festival International for me is the Marche Du Monde and the Marche Des Arts, which has an excellent display of southern and international arts and crafts.

And there is no admission charge, for this wonderful festival, but you may want to purchase a festival pin, to keep the festival free. This year's musical line up, alone, will assure you of one of the best times that you've ever had. Marc Broussard, Zachary Richard, (Louisiana) Bertrand Laurence, (France), Les Chevres a Pull, (Belgium), and Locos Por Juana, (Argentina) just to name a few of my favorites. For a complete schedule and festival map for the 23rd annual Festival International, click here. Come on out and enjoy the beautiful weather and everything that one of the finest festivals in Louisiana has to offer. Festival International de Louisiane! Let the Good Times Roll, Cher!

Another Great Weekend

Well, hopefully ya'll have recouped from the Festival Acadiens and are ready to go again. There is a great festival, this coming weekend in Lafayette, at Acadian Village, on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25. Louisiana's hottest folk roots bands, along with a variety of groups from all over the country will entertain the crowds. Cajun music legend, D.L. Menard and The Terry Huval Band will kick things off on Friday, at 6:30 p.m. With Fall temperatures predicted and sunny skies, it will be a pure pleasure to be outdoors and take in all of what the area has to offer. Get out and enjoy the wonderful festival atmosphere at the 3rd Annual Blackpot Festival and Cookoff, in Lafayette, at Acadian Village

 A few of the 19 regional bands slated to perform at the Blackpot Festival are The Racines, Feufollet, Balfa Toujours, and The Pine Leaf Boys, with the Red Stick Ramblers closing out the festival on Saturday night. And don't forget about the food. The Blackpot Festival celebrates the old fashioned Cajun way of cooking with black cast ironed pots, without electricity. This cook-off challenges chefs to make their best recipe and then share it with the lucky crowd. Tent camping will be offered, again this year, for those who enjoy camping. For a complete schedule and more details, check out: www.blackpotfestival.com