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03/02/2006 - More in March!
Hello Everyone,
March is the month for workshops here at Louisiana Folk Roots, and we've
got some more truly unique ones coming up. Get your calendars out for
this!
On Saturday, March 11, you can take A FIELD TRIP TO A NATIVE GARDEN with
our very popular local naturalist, columnist, and speaker Bill Fontenot.
Bill will show you how to use an array of beautiful native Louisiana
plants in designing and planting your gardens and landscaping. When it
comes to native Louisiana flora, if it grows, Bill knows! The workshop
will take place at Bill's personal garden and nursery, from 10:00 am -
11:30 am. The cost is $6 for non-Louisiana Folk Roots members, $4 for
members. And there will be plants available for purchase, too! To get
to Bill's home and nursery: from I-49, head east on Gloria Switch Road,
cross Bayou Vermilion, turn left on Wilderness Trail, go 2.3 miles, turn
right on Fidelus St. Drive slowly, and the road will dead end at Bill's
place, 217 Fidelus.
Then, on Thursday, March 16, right here at Louisiana Folk Roots, you can
meet and hear the one and only THERESA ANDERSSON of New Orleans. She'll
be in Lafayette for the kick-off of Downtown Alive on Friday, so, in
partnership with Project HEAL, and with funding provided by the SOS
Musiciens Fund of France, we've invited her to perform some of her
fiddle magic for us beforehand. We'll get back to you soon with the
time for this great Thursday evening presentation!
Friday, March 17, will be the day, and the Eunice campus of LSU will be
the setting for LA MUSIQUE CREOLE with four outstanding Creole musicians
you know and love: Jeffery Broussard, D'Jalma Garnier, Ed Poullard, and
Preston Frank. The musical traditions that these great artists strive
to preserve are the very foundations of today's Zydeco music. Folk
Roots presents this exciting evening along with LSUE as part of LSUE's
Performing Arts Series. It will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Health
Technology Building auditorium. Tickets are $4 general admission, $3
for students, and will be available at the door and one week before the
event through the LSUE business office, 337-457-1510. And what's more,
music writer and radio host Herman Fuselier be there as facilitator,
adding his usual superb commentary to the presentation. How to get
there:
>From I-10 take exit 80 to Crowley/Eunice,
Go North on Hwy 13 for 17 miles,
Turn left at LSUE sign,
The road dead ends at LSUE,
Turn right, the building is on the left.
>From Hwy 190, go into Eunice,
Turn left on Hwy 13,
At the next light turn, right on Maple,
At the next light turn left on LSUE drive,
The campus is about a mile down on the right,
Turn right into the campus, the building is on the left.
There's more! On Thursday, March 23, Folk Roots in partnership once
again with Project HEAL and with funding generously provided by the SOS
Musiciens Fund of France, will present an evening with the renowned
REBIRTH BRASS BAND of New Orleans. Several members of this wildly
popular group will demonstrate why this venerable musical tradition is
still going strong today. We'll have details on the time for this
Thursday evening performance soon, so stay tuned!
We at Louisiana Folk Roots are very proud to be able to bring you all of
this wonderful programming, and we sincerely hope you'll be able to join
us at these one-of-a-kind workshops! Check our website at
www.folkroots.org for more information, or call us at 337-234-8360 or
email info@lafolkroots.org.
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the
Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, Lafayette Consolidated Government, and
through the generous support of the community. If you have received this
message in error, contact info@lafolkroots.org.
12/29/2005 - Happy New Year
Greetings everyone!
2005 has been a memorable year in so many ways for us here in Louisiana, and
for us at Louisiana Folk Roots as well. We do have many things to be
thankful for, among them our Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at
Chicot State Park in April which was a success. We were able to bring you a
wonderful series of Routes to Roots workshops at our office, at Festival
International, at Festivals Acadiens, and at the Zydeco Festival in
Plaisance. We were able to partner with Project HEAL (Helping Employ
Artists Locally) in assisting musicians displaced by the hurricanes, and
throughout the year we've had the pleasure of seeing many of our old friends
and meeting new friends at all of our programs and events.
Speaking of friends, Louisiana Folk Roots has lost two very good friends
recently. Long-time Folk Roots volunteer Jane Hebert died December 26 in an
automobile accident in Lafayette. We will miss very much Jane's friendly,
out-going nature, her wonderful sense of humor, and her willingness to help
in any way she could. We'll miss our friend Jerod Angelle, too, who died
in a separate automobile accident on December 26. Jerod is the son of Terry
Angelle of Angelle's Whiskey River Landing, which many of you know and love.
The Angelle's have been extremely helpful and supportive of Louisiana Folk
Roots through the years, for which we are very grateful. Our deepest
sympathy goes out to the families of these good friends.
We'd like to share some good news with you to close out the year, news of
good things we're looking forward to for 2006. Our first Routes to Roots
workshop for the new year has been scheduled for January 21, and it will
definitely be a good one! It's "Prairie Mardi Gras Mask-making" with
costume-maker extraordinaire Jackie Miller. Hard to believe, but Mardi Gras
is just around the corner, February 28, and Jackie is just the person to
show you how to make that special mask for the courir de Mardi Gras! Get
your creative side in gear and join us on Saturday, January 21, from 2-3:30
p.m. for this great workshop.
More good news is that classes have been assigned for our full-time
instructors at the up-coming Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week,
April 21-27, at Chicot State Park. We're very pleased to announce the
line-up:
Dirk Powell - beginning accordion
Steve Riley - intermediate/advanced Cajun accordion
Jeffery Broussard - intermediate/advanced Creole accordion
Jonno Frishberg - fiddle from scratch
Joel Savoy - beginning fiddle
David Greely - intermediate/advanced Cajun fiddle
Ed Poullard - intermediate/advanced Creole fiddle
Jane Vidrine - beginning guitar
Al Berard - intermediate/advanced guitar
Kenny Alleman - drums
Lisa Reed - bass
Ann Savoy - cultural history, vocals, language through song
Chef Terryl Jackson - foodways
We know you'll agree that both these awesome events are worth looking
forward to! Stay tuned for updates, and don't hesitate to contact us at
337-234-8360 or email info@lafolkroots.org if you have any questions.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year, and we hope to see you soon!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Clerk
The Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week is co-hosted by the Louisiana
Office of State Parks. Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded
through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the
Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, Lafayette
Consolidated Government, and through the generous support of the community.
If you have received this message in error, please contact
info@lafolkroots.org.
12/01/2005 - The 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week Update
Hello Everyone,
The new year is just around the corner, and our 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park will be here before we know it!
We at Louisiana Folk Roots are pleased to announce our Scholarship Program for the 2006 Balfa Heritage Week, which takes place April 21-27.
We are seeking people who are genuinely interested in and capable of contributing to the passing on of a particular Cajun or Creole cultural tradition. The traditions we will consider are those which we present during the week, including music (an instrument or vocals), Louisiana foodways, a native craft, cultural history, Louisiana natural history, and language. Scholarship applicants must be seriously committed to their area of study.
Individual scholarships covering the full cost for the week-long camp are available. Applicants must be legal residents of Louisiana who have lived in the state for at least 24 consecutive months prior to the first day of camp. Scholarship recipients will be chosen by committee review. A letter will be mailed no later than 6 weeks prior to the start of the 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week to notify all applicants of the scholarship recipients.
For an application form, or if you have any questions on this program, please contact us at 337-234-8360 or email us at info@lafolkroots.org.
We are pleased to be able once again to offer this exciting opportunity, and we sincerely look forward to hearing from you.
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
11/16/2005 - Thanks and more
Hello Everyone,
As we near the end of 2005, we'd like to extend our sincere thanks to all of you who have helped support Louisiana Folk Roots through your generous donations this year. With your help, our organization is able to expand its programming and events, and we appreciate your efforts in supporting the traditions that support Louisiana. This is especially true this year, in light of the recent hurricanes which have put so many of the unique cultural traditions of our beloved state in peril. You can be sure that Louisiana Folk Roots will continue to do its part to preserve and nurture these traditions and help see to it that they are not forever lost.
If you have already made a donation to Louisiana Folk Roots this year, you will be receiving a receipt for your tax records.
And for those of you who would still like to make a donation to Folk Roots, it's not too late! Remember, Louisiana Folk Roots is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so all donations are tax deductible. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 337-234-8360.
Now, for an update on the 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park -- As you know, most of the activities at the camp take place outdoors. For any of you who may be concerned about this, given that this is Louisiana and it does rain (sometimes!), please rest assured that we do have a rain plan, a "Plan B," and our camp activities will go on as scheduled. We're working closely with the folks at the Louisiana Office of State Parks to be able to bring you the best Balfa Heritage Week ever, rain or no rain!
So, get that guitar some new strings, blow the dust off that fiddle, put on your dancing boots -- whichever way you choose to get in on the great times -- and join us at Chicot for the Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week, April 21-27, 2006. See our website at www.lafolkroots.org for complete details, or give us a call at 337-234-8360 or email us at info@lafolkroots.org.
Bien merci, nos chers amis!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
11/03/2005 - More Staff announced for the 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week!
Hello everyone!
The good news keeps coming...
JANE VIDRINE of the popular Lafayette band The Magnolia Sisters has recently been added to our awesome list of full-time instructors for the 2006 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week, April 21-27, at Chicot State Park. Multi-talented Jane will be one of our guitar instructors.
There's more...
Award-winning Chef Terryl Jackson, formerly the Executive Chef at Prejean's Restaurant in Lafayette, is our caterer for the Balfa Heritage Week, and he's working with us to develop our Foodways program at the camp. We'll have a new and improved full-time curriculum that will feature classes ranging from the basics of Louisiana cooking through more advanced aspects of Louisiana cuisine, including the evolution of Louisiana cuisine through the years. This program is sure to be one deliciously exciting experience with our star chef!
Here's the complete roster of full-time instructors:
Kenny Alleman - drums
Al Berard - guitar
Jeffery Broussard - accordion
Jonno Frishberg - fiddle
David Greely - fiddle
Ed Poullard - fiddle
Dirk Powell - accordion
Lisa Reed - bass
Steve Riley - accordion
Ann Savoy - Cultural History, and Language Through Song
Joel Savoy - fiddle
Jane Vidrine - guitar
Terryl Jackson - foodways
Peter Schwarz - Programming Director
Click here for more info on staff.
In case you aren't familiar with how the Balfa Heritage Week works, our full-time instructors are accessible to camp participants in a variety of other class and workshop settings besides the various instruments and classes listed above. So, for example, even if you don't take guitar lessons from Jane, you may still have the opportunity to participate in one of our afternoon lagniappe classes with her. How cool is that!? And remember, you don't have to be an advanced player to attend the Balfa Heritage Week. If you're a beginner, we'll have classes for you. And if you don't play an instrument, it's never too late to get started! We'll have just the teachers you need to make it all happen. And of course, you don't have to play an instrument at all to attend and enjoy the Balfa Heritage Week. Along with a great program in Louisiana cooking and cuisine, we'll have classes in native crafts, language, dance, cultural history, Louisiana natural history, and more during this truly amazing week. For complete details, see our website at www.lafolkroots.org. You can also contact us at info@lafolkroots.org or call us at 337-234-8360.
We're looking forward to seeing you there!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
09/21/2005 - Project HEAL event
Hello Everyone,
Get set for an evening of incredible music this coming Monday, September 26, at Grant Street Dancehall in Lafayette. Lucinda Williams along with C.C. Adcock and the Lafayette Marquis will take the stage in a fantastic concert to benefit Project HEAL (Helping Employ Artists Locally). Louisiana Folk Roots is one of the partners in this important new project that offers displaced artists employment opportunities in local communities. Doors will open at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. You can charge tickets by phone by calling the Acadiana Arts Council at 337-233-7060. Grant Street Dancehall is located at 113 W. Grant St. in downtown Lafayette. Get your tickets now for the best of both worlds -- hearing some great music, and knowing that you're helping our Louisiana artists and musicians who have been displaced by the hurricane. Thank you!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Assistant
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
09/15/2005 - Project HEAL and Louisiana Folk Roots
Hello Everyone,
Louisiana Folk Roots is one of the partners in the Acadiana Arts Council's new and vitally important Project HEAL (Helping Employ Artists Locally). We would like to share with you the recent press release from Project HEAL Director Matthew Goldman which explains the project's goals. The text of that press release is included below.
As most of you know, Louisiana Folk Roots' mission is to nurture Louisiana cultural traditions, with an emphasis on the Cajun and Creole cultures. However, Louisiana is rich with many diverse cultures, and Louisiana Folk Roots feels that our association with Project HEAL is an exciting opportunity to expand our involvement in Louisiana's vast cultural heritage. Folk Roots is not going to replace or reduce what we are already doing; rather, this partnership will allow us to expand our programming and be able to offer new and unique events.
Please take a few moments to read the following message, and you will see why Louisiana Folk Roots is proud to be associated with Project HEAL.
Sincerely,
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Assistant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Matthew Goldman, Project HEAL Director
(337) 233-7060, matthew@AcadianaArtsCouncil.org
THE ACADIANA ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES
Project HEAL
TO ASSIST ARTISTS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
Lafayette, La. – The Acadiana Arts Council announces the creation of Project HEAL to assist artists impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Project HEAL (Helping Employ Artists Locally) offers displaced artists employment opportunities in local communities. Artists working in a wide range of disciplines including dance, design arts, folklife, literature, media, music, theatre and visual arts are now being recruited for programs designed in partnership with local arts organizations and venues. Seamlessly integrating artists impacted by Hurricane Katrina into existing Acadiana Arts Council programs will quickly and directly assist those artists in immediate need of financial assistance. “Though homes, businesses and lives have been lost and profoundly damaged, our culture and many of its bearers are still intact,” says Buddy Palmer, Executive Director of the Acadiana Arts Council. “Our artistic community has deep ties to New Orleans and with our partners we are expanding job opportunities regionally to offer our guests the ability to contribute to our communities in creative and meaningful ways.” Project HEAL was announced locally at “Band Together,” an all-star multi-artist benefit concert in downtown Lafayette coinciding with similar events in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Nashville. Fans of Cajun music ambassadors BeauSoleil have provided a cornerstone gift to launch Project HEAL, and the organizers of Louisiana’s premiere celebration of Cajun culture, Festivals Acadiens, will lend their support to Project HEAL onsite in Lafayette’s Girard Park on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17-18. This innovative new effort will be led by Project HEAL Director Matthew Goldman, a New Orleans resident currently displaced by the hurricane. “The Acadiana Arts Council immediately identified the pressing need to assist artists impacted by the hurricane and we wanted to extend the benefits to not just the artists, but the entire Acadiana region,” Goldman says. “Employing artists in schools, workshops and temporary shelters will benefit the artists while enriching our community.” Project HEAL partners include Louisiana Crossroads, Louisiana Folk Roots, Festival International de Louisiane, Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission and Lafayette Economic Development Authority.
To make a tax-deductible donation to Project HEAL, register as an artist or inquire about volunteer opportunities, please contact:
Acadiana Arts Council
P.O. Box 53762
Lafayette, LA 70505
(337) 233-7060, (337) 233-7062 fax
info@AcadianaArtsCouncil.org
A 501(c)3 Non-profit organization
EIN: 51-0138288
Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted
Thank you for your support of this vital community project.
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Acadiana Arts Council, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
09/01/2005 - Hurricane Announcement
Hello Everyone,
In case any of you are wondering, we at Louisiana Folk Roots would like to let you know that our organization was safely out of harm's way from the hurricane, unlike so many other organizations in other areas of Louisiana that suffered such tremendous loss. We feel very fortunate indeed to be able to say that our events and activities will continue as scheduled.
If you have recently mailed us a registration and/or fees for any of our events, and those materials might have been routed through the New Orleans post office, please contact us to be sure that we have received them.
Please contact us if you have any other questions or concerns regarding our events. We thank you for your support and we sincerely look forward to seeing you soon.
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Doré, Administrative Assistant
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please contact info@lafolkroots.org.
07/28/2005 - Workshop updates
Hello again, everyone!
We've got the schedules finalized for our three Routes to Roots MUSIC INSTRUCTION/MASTERS PRESENTATION workshops. Please note: These workshops will have two components: music lessons and a Masters Presentation. If you do not play an instrument, please feel free to attend just the Masters Presentations. They will most definitely be enriching and entertaining experiences! Here is the complete information:
GUITAR GROOVES -- Saturday, August 6, 2005
Instructors Sam Broussard and Jane Vidrine, Masters Presentation by D.L. Menard SCHEDULE
1:30pm - 2:00pm Check-in
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Beginning Guitar - Jane Vidrine
Intermediate/Advanced Guitar - Sam Broussard
3:15pm - 3:30pm break
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Beginning Guitar - Sam Broussard
Intermediate/Advanced Guitar - Jane Vidrine
4:45pm - 5:00pm break
5:00pm - 6:00pm Masters Presentation by D.L. Menard
FIDDLE FARE -- Saturday, August 20, 2005
Instructors David Greely and Ed Poullard
Masters Presentation by Hadley Castille and Louis Michot presenting Harry Choates Fiddle Style SCHEDULE
1:30pm - 2:00pm Check-in
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Beginning Fiddle - David Greely
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle - Ed Poullard
3:15pm - 3:30pm break
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Beginning Fiddle - Ed Poullard
Intermediate/Advanced Fiddle - David Greely
4:45pm - 5:00pm break
5:00pm - 6:15pm Masters Presentation by Hadley Castille and Louis Michot
ACCORDION ACCENTS -- Saturday, September 10, 2005
Instructors Ray Abshire and Dexter Ardoin, Masters Presentation by Nolton Simien SCHEDULE
9:30am - 10:15am Check-in
10:15am - 11:30am
Beginning Accordion - Ray Abshire
Intermediate/Advanced Accordion - Dexter Ardoin
11:30am - 11:45am break
11:45am - 1:00pm
Beginning Accordion - Dexter Ardoin
Intermediate/Advanced Accordion - Ray Abshire
1:00pm - 1:30pm lunch break
1:30pm - 2:30pm Masters Presentation by Nolton Simien
All of these workshops will take place at the Louisiana Folk Roots office at 118 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette. Fee for all activities:
$20.00 ($15.00 for Friends of LFR)
(for ACCORDION ACCENTS, please add $6.00 if you want to purchase lunch)
Fee for Masters Presentations ONLY:
$6.00 ($4.00 for Friends of LFR)
PLEASE NOTE: The instructional classes will be taught using acoustic instruments; students must provide their own instruments. WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO PREREGISTER for these and all of our workshops. It helps us with planning and there is the possibility that a session will become full. Please visit the Folk Roots website at www.lafolkroots.org for a printable registration form, or call us at 337-234-8360.
We also want to let you know about a CHANGE IN THE DATE and name of the great workshop Bill Fontenot will present in September. The workshop is called "GARDENING WITH LOUISIANA NATIVE PLANTS" and will take place on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 from 6:30 - 8 p.m. And, Marce Lacouture's workshop on Thursday, Sept. 22, which we called "SONGS" is actually more appropriately titled "HOME MUSIC."
That should do it for our workshop updates.
Now, we have a request, if you please. We in the Louisiana Folk Roots office desperately need to upgrade and expand our computer equipment so that we can upgrade our software. After careful consideration, these are the items of used computer equipment we are seeking: RECENT pc desktops, printers, and monitors. We will need computers with at least Pentium 4 or Celeron processors running Windows XP. If you have any of these items that you would like to donate to Folk Roots, or if you know someone who would like to donate any of these, then please contact us at 337-234-8360 or info@lafolkroots.org. Bien merci -- thank you very much!
Stay tuned for information on more terrific Routes to Roots workshops coming up in the very near future, and don't forget our Arrête pas la Musique fundraiser dance at Whiskey River on August 7. Hope to see you there, cher!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Dore', Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please notify info@lafolkroots.org.
07/26/2005 - Updates and More
Hello everyone!
We promised you updates on some of our up-coming events, so...grab your calendars and here we go!
First, our Folk Roots fundraiser dance at Whiskey River in Henderson on Sunday, August 7, will feature a great line-up of music. Members of Balfa Toujours and T-Sale' will get things started at 4 p.m., then the Creole Cowboys will keep things jumping until 8 p.m. or so. Come on down to the River!
We've got eight awesome Routes to Roots workshops coming up in August and September, too. All of these workshops will be held at the Folk Roots office at 118 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette.
The first three workshops we'll mention are a series of MUSIC INSTRUCTION/MASTER MUSICIAN sessions. The first portion of each of these sessions will be an instruction period. The second portion will feature a master musician and moderator -- this portion of the workshop will be open to everyone, whether you play an instrument or not. The fees for each of these three workshops are as follows: $20 for non-members, $15 for LFR members. If you would like to attend just the master musician presentation, the fee is $6 for non-members, $4 for members. This is a tremendous amount of wonderful music and musical heritage for the money! The workshops are:
Saturday, Aug. 6 -- GUITAR GROOVES with instructors Sam Broussard and Jane Vidrine, master musician D.L. Menard, and moderator Ray Brassieur. Time TBA (available soon)
Saturday, Aug. 20 -- FIDDLE FARE with instructors David Greely and Ed Poullard, master musician Hadley Castille along with Louis Michot, and moderator Herman Fuselier. Time TBA (available soon)
Saturday, Sept. 10 -- ACCORDION ACCENTS with instructors Ray Abshire and Dexter Ardoin, master musician Nolton Simien, and moderator Ray Brassieur. Time TBA (available soon)
The other five great workshops are:
Wednesday, Aug. 17 -- BALFA FIDDLE STYLES with Kevin Wimmer, and moderator Christine Balfa Powell Fee is 6$ for non-members, $4 for members. Time: 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 14 -- OLD STYLE ACCORDION with Dirk Powell. Fee is $6 for non-members, $4 for members. Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 15 -- WOMEN IN CAJUN AND CREOLE MUSIC OF YESTERYEAR with Ann Savoy. Fee is $6 for non-members, $4 for members. Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 22 -- SONGS with Marce Lacouture. Fee is $6 for non-members, $4 for members. Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 30 -- LA NATURE with Bill Fontenot. Fee is $6 for non-members, $4 for members. Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
There's more...
This Saturday, July 30, Folk Roots is presenting LA MUSIQUE CREOLE as part of the City of New Iberia's Saturday Night on the Teche series. This event will feature CREOLE MUSIC with Preston Frank, Ed Poullard, D'Jalma Garnier, and Jeffery Broussard, and an authentic JURE' presentation with Ceclie Broussard, Virgie Mayon, Jeffery Broussard, and Virgina Bellard. Herman Fuselier will moderate this exciting event, which takes place at the Sliman Theater for the Performing Arts at 129 E. Main Street in New Iberia. Admission is $10. Time: 7 - 9 p.m.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the Zydeco Festival in Plaisance on Saturday, Sept. 3. Folk Roots will have some great workshops there on the Heritage Stage. And, Festivals Acadiens is coming up soon -- Sept. 17 & 18 -- Folk Roots will have its immensely popular jam tent and workshops there, too! We'll have more information on this in the near future.
Now, for all of our NON-LOUISIANA FRIENDS, please note that this is the type of up-date we send out to Louisiana residents concerning our local programs and events. We do not normally send out this type of up-date to our out-of-state friends. However, if you would like to receive these up-dates, please let us know at info@lafolkroot.org and we'll add you to the "resident" list.
And one more item of note: Our friends at LOUISIANA CROSSROADS recently received the prestigious LT. GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD for their excellent program series. Folk Roots frequently collaborates with Crossroads, and we ask you to join us in congratulating them on achieving this honor.
As you can see, Folk Roots has been busy preparing this terrific line-up of events. We sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to enjoy as many of them as you can! As always, we are here to answer any questions or comments you may have. Please feel free to contact us at info@lafolkroots.org. or call 337-234-8360.
See you soon!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeannette Dore', Administrative Clerk
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please notify info@lafolkroots.org.
07/21/2005 - A Message from the LFR Board
Hello everyone!
These are dynamic and exciting times for us Louisiana Folk Roots, and you may have noticed some changes in our organization during this period of growth and transition.
We are very pleased to announce the addition of several members to our staff. Marsha Engelbrecht, a professional writer and previous Folk Roots volunteer, is our new Publicity Coordinator. Monica Jeanpierre, a student in Arts Administration at ULL, is one of our new Programming Assistants. Michelle Leder, who has helped coordinate programs at many local events, will also assist in our programming activities.
We’ve also had a very versatile and energetic summer intern, Jessica Dubois, helping out with the administrative duties; and Jeannette Dore’, who has been with us almost since our beginning, is still capably performing a variety of administrative tasks for the Folk Roots office.
Our Executive Director, Jodi Hebert, has been with Folk Roots since its inception. She is always available to handle your questions, comments, and concerns. You can reach her at jhebert@lafolkroots.org. or at our office at 337-234-8360.
The skills and expertise of each of these staff members contribute significantly to our mission of preserving the cultural treasures that are so important to our lives here in Louisiana. We will continue to bring you more of the same quality programs and events that you’ve been enjoying. Our calendar is filling up with events in the next couple of months, such as our Routes to Roots workshops, our “La Musique Creole” presentation in New Iberia, our workshops at the Zydeco Festival in Plaisance, our popular jam tent at Festivals Acadiens, and, of course, another great “Arrête Pas La Musique” at Whiskey River on August 7.
On behalf of all of us at Louisiana Folk Roots, we thank you for your enthusiastic support. We look forward to bringing you these and other wonderful opportunities to celebrate our rich and unique Louisiana cultural heritage.
Sincerely,
The Louisiana Folk Roots Board of Directors
Gilbert “Winky” Aucoin, President
Jody Leblanc, Vice-President
Christine Balfa Powell, Founding Director
Jean-Jacques Aucoin
Alan Broussard
Paul Scott
John Vidrine
Louisiana Folk Roots and its programs are funded through grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council, and through the generous support of the community. If you have received this message in error, please notify info@lafolkroots.org.
07/18/2005 - 2006 Dewey Balfa Camp
Great News, everyone!
Registration for our much-anticipated Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week 2006 will be opening on AUGUST 1, 2005.
The DBCCHW will take place from Friday, April 21, through Thursday, April 27, 2006, and will once again be held at beautiful Chicot Lake State Park near Ville Platte, Louisiana.
The Fee Schedule remains the same as it was for our last camp. Fees include lodging, meals and all activities. Lodging and meals are through Friday morning, April 28.
FEE SCHEDULE
$795.00 Cabin – Shared Rooms (2 people per room in single beds, bed linen supplied)
$795.00 Cabin – Private Room in shared cabin (double bed, bed linen supplied)
$695.00 Dormitory (8-15 people, some have separate bathhouse, bed linen NOT supplied)
$675.00 Offsite
$745.00 Campsite (electricity, water, bathhouse, dump station)
There will be deductions offered as in the past:
Deduct $40 if postmark date is on or before September 30, 2005.
Deduct $40 if you have been living in Louisiana full time for the past 24 months.
Deduct $40 if you are part of a group (8 or more) OR a band (5 or more).
Cabins and dorms at our last camp filled up quickly, so we urge you to register as soon as possible after August 1 to reserve your cabin or dorm space.
The Staff for this DBCCHW will be announced in the near future. Our website is in the process of being up-dated for this event, so please check back often for additional information.
And please remember, Lafayette’s world-renowned Festival International de Louisiane takes place from Wednesday, April 26, through Sunday, April 30, 2005, immediately following our DBCCHW. We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy this amazing festival, too.
Registration forms will be available soon at our website, www.lafolkroots.org, or call the Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360 and we will be happy to mail one to you.
We’re looking forward to another wonderful camp, and we sincerely hope to see you there!
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Michelle Leder, Programming Assistant
Jeanette Dore’, Administrative Clerk
07/07/2005 - July's jam and then some!
Greetings from the Folk Roots staff!
Do you need to squeeze some life back into that accordion of yours? Is your fiddle a little dusty lately? Feel like joining in on some good music-making in a friendly, intimate setting? Then come on down to Louisiana Folk Roots' Jam des Amis this Saturday, July 9, from 6-8 p.m., in conjunction with downtown Lafayette's ArtWalk. Heading this month's jam will be renowned fiddle player D'Jalma Garnier, who is currently with the Creole Cowboys and also Lucky Playboys. The jam is open to everyone, so bring your favorite musical instrument to the Folk Roots office at 118 W. Vermilion, across from the new Acadiana Center for the Arts, and get those strings humming again! As always, even if you don't play an instrument, you're welcome to drop in and listen.
And, in keeping with the spirit of ArtWalk, Folk Roots is proud to have Thad Morgan's spectacular painting on display at our office. This original work of art was custom-painted for Louisiana Folk Roots. You've seen it featured on several of our current publications, and it is also available for purchase.
So come by, see Thad's painting, and enjoy the jam! Complimentary refreshments, courtesy of Schilling Distributing, will be provided.
There's more...
Folk Roots has some great "Routes to Roots" (formerly "Fait a la Main") workshops coming up in the very near future. In these workshops, there will be instruction sessions, taught by accomplished local musicians, for beginners and for more advanced students. Following the instruction will be presentations by master musicians. The masters' presentations will be open to everyone, not just to the students.
The first workshop, GUITAR GROOVES, will be on Saturday, August 6. Sam Broussard and Jane Vidrine will be the instructors. The second workshop, FIDDLE FARE, will take place on Saturday, August 20, and will feature David Greely and Ed Poullard as instructors. On Saturday, September 10, the third workshop, ACCORDION ACCENTS, features Ray Abshire and Chris Ardoin. Mark your calendars for these terrific workshops, and stay tuned for more information on times, fees, master musicians, and more.
Another workshop to take special note of is our "BALFA STYLE OF FIDDLING" presentation on Wednesday, August 17, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the Folk Roots office. This slice of cultural history will feature Kevin Wimmer demonstrating the Balfa fiddle style and contrasting this style with other fiddle styles. Christine Balfa Powell will moderate this event, which is open to everyone.
And if you haven't already done so, be sure to make plans to attend our "Arrête pas la Musique" fundraiser dance at Whiskey River on Sunday, August 7. More details on this will follow soon, but you can be sure it'll be one great time!
We hope you'll join us at these events for plenty of good music, good times, and good company!
Just so you'll know, if you have any questions or comments on programming, registration, membership, or other similar matters, please contact Monica here at Folk Roots at info@lafolkroots.org. Questions or comments regarding publicity matters should be directed to Marsha at press@lafolkroots.org. And if you are receiving this email in error, please let us know at info@lafolkroots.org. Thanks!
Sincerely,
The Louisiana Folk Roots Staff
Jodi Hebert, Executive Director
Marsha Engelbrecht, Publicity Coordinator
Monica Jeanpierre, Programming Assistant
Jeanette Dore, Administrative Clerk
337-234-8360
06/22/2005 - Louisiana Folk Roots news
Hello everyone!
We have a lot of great news to share with you -- things are rolling right along at Folk Roots these days.
But before we get to that, please allow me a moment to introduce myself. My name is Marsha Engelbrecht, and I've just come aboard to handle the publicity functions here at Louisiana Folk Roots. I'm originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but I've lived in Louisiana for the past 8 years. I've been a volunteer at Folk Roots for several of those years, so I'm sure some of you have seen me doing this, that, or the other at some of our events.
Speaking of events, our Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park this past April was a huge success. We're already looking forward to our next camp, back at Chicot, on Friday, April 21, through Thursday, April 27, 2006. We'll begin the week with the day-long Heritage Festival on Saturday, April 22. Although the format of this next camp will change a little, we will still have 5 full days of classes and evening activities. If you can't join us for the entire week, we hope you'll consider attending some of the afternoon or evening workshops and, of course, the wildly popular nightly dances.
And if you just don't want all that excitement to end, mark your calendars as well for Wednesday, April 26, through Sunday, April 30, 2006, when Lafayette's renowned Festival International de Louisiane takes place. Talk about some lagniappe!
Folk Roots has several events on tap for later this summer, too. On July 30, at the Sliman Theater in New Iberia, we will present "La Musique Creole" as part of New Iberia's Saturday Night on the Teche series. This event will feature Creole music performed by Preston Frank, Ed Poullard, D'Jalma Garnier, and Jeffery Broussard. In addition, an authentic jure' presentation by Cecile Broussard, Jeffery Broussard, Virginia Bellard, and Vergie Mayo will be featured.
We also have an impressive line-up of workshops scheduled for this year's Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival in Plaisance, which takes place on September 3. One of the workshops, featuring Chris Ardoin and moderated by Herman Fuselier, will be "Zydeco Dancehall Music Styles." Music and dance styles through the years will be discussed and demonstrated. Another workshop, "Where Has the Music Been and Where is the Music Going?", will look at zydeco music of yesterday and today and offer some insight as to what direction today's music may take. This workshop will be moderated by Herbert Wiltz, who had the very first zydeco radio show, and Herman Fuselier. Another workshop will offer authentic jure' with Jeffery Broussard and his aunt and sister. Yet another workshop will focus on Storytelling with Pat Cravins, and will be moderated by ULL's John Laudun. In addition to the artists just mentioned, Curley Taylor will participate in some of the above sessions. Stay tuned for more information on these g eat workshops.
And there's more on our workshops. Our popular series, previously known as "Fait a' la Main," is now called "Routes to Roots," and will continue later this year in Opelousas at the Old City Market Building. "Routes to Roots" will also travel to Eunice and St. Martinville for one-night workshops in each of those cities as well.
Festivals Acadiens is just around the corner, and we'll have our jam tent there once again for your playing and listening enjoyment. Coming in August will be our annual Arrête pas la Musique fundraiser dance at Whiskey River in Henderson. We'll let you know as soon as possible the date and musical line-up for this great event at the River!
We hope you'll make plans to join us at these exciting events. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at 337-234-8360, or email me at press@lafolkroots.org. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you already, and I look forward to meeting and hearing from many more of you!
Enjoy!
Marsha Engelbrecht
Louisiana Folk Roots
03/09/2005 - Louisiana Folk Roots Jam des Amis and Upcoming Workshop
Hello Everyone,
Louisiana Folk Roots Jam des Amis
Join us on Saturday, March 12th for our monthly Cajun and Creole Jam des
Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. Bring
your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night
of great music, great company and take time to enjoy everything that is
going on in downtown Lafayette!
This month we have Courtney Granger returning as our jam host. Most people
know Courtney from his history of playing with Balfa Toujours and Ray
Abshire. Come on out and play a few with Courtney!
When: Saturday, March 12th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette
Contact Information: 337-234-8360
Complimentary beverages provided by Schilling Distributors.
**And to let all of you know, we will not be hosting our monthly Jam des
Amis in April due to the fact that we will be out at Chicot State Park,
right outside of Ville Platte, getting ready for the start of our 2005 Dewey
Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week in beautiful Evangeline Parish. But
come on out and join us April 10 - 16th for workshops, nightly dances and
our Saturday, April 16th Roots Heritage Festival. See our website for
additional information, www.lafolkroots.org or contact our office at
337-234-8360.
A reminder for our upcoming workshop next week:
Cajun Folk Plants
presented by Bill Fontenot
When: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots Office, 118 W. Vermilion, Downtown Lafayette
Cost: $6.00, $4.00 for Members of Louisiana Folk Roots
To pre-register contact the Louisiana Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360.
Bill Fontenot, a Naturalist at the Acadiana Park Nature Center, is an expert
regarding the native plant movement in Southwest Louisiana. He has been able
to combine traditionally acquired knowledge of folkways associated with
native plants with a formal education in Biology, and today lectures
extensively throughout Louisiana and the United States on Louisiana Native
and Folk Plants. During this workshop, he will teach identification of
different native plants and their everyday practical use for medicinal,
dietary and functional purposes.
If you have never taken a class with Bill, you really need to check out this
one! We are continually amazed at how much information that man holds up in
his head......
See you soon!
These programs are made possible by grants through the State of Louisiana
Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council and the Louisiana
Endowment for the Humanities.
02/25/2005 - Louisiana Folk Roots Upcoming Workshops and 2005 Heritage Week
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to send a reminder about our upcoming workshops and to let
people know that our full-time registration for the 2005 Dewey Balfa Cajun
and Creole Heritage Week, April 10-16, 2005 is still open however we are now
currently over 80% full. Do not wait too much longer to register if you
would like to attend full-time. Lodging onsite is becoming limited. Please
see our website www.lafolkroots.org for additional information on our
full-time program and contact us about our part-time options, 337-234-8360.
Have a great weekend!
The Process of Songwriting
Presented by David Greely and Sam Broussard
Moderated by Todd Mouton
When: Wednesday, March 2, 2005 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots Office, 118 W. Vermilion, Downtown Lafayette
Cost: $6.00, $4.00 for Members of Louisiana Folk Roots
To pre-register contact the Louisiana Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360.
Together David and Sam play in the band "Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys"
and are responsible for many of the original songs that the band performs
and has recorded. Sam Broussard's inventive playing has evolved into an
original approach to playing and writing Cajun music. While writing songs
for the bands current Grammy nominated release, "Bon Reve", Sam took McGee
fiddle tunes and adapted them to a finger style played on guitar and then
continued to write songs in that manner. David Greely, a self-taught
fiddler, has played Cajun music since 1985 and has become known for the
extensive historical research he completes when writing a song that is
reflective of a particular era or custom. Besides talking about their
writing process, they will also shed light on writing styles of other time
periods and past legendary musicians.
Cajun Folk Plants
presented by Bill Fontenot
When: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots Office, 118 W. Vermilion, Downtown Lafayette
Cost: $6.00, $4.00 for Members of Louisiana Folk Roots
To pre-register contact the Louisiana Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360.
Bill Fontenot, a Naturalist at the Acadiana Park Nature Center, is an expert
regarding the native plant movement in Southwest Louisiana. He has been able
to combine traditionally acquired knowledge of folkways associated with
native plants with a formal education in Biology, and today lectures
extensively throughout Louisiana and the United States on Louisiana Native
and Folk Plants. During this workshop, he will teach identification of
different native plants and their everyday practical use for medicinal,
dietary and functional purposes.
These programs are made possible by grants through the State of Louisiana
Division of the Arts, the Acadiana Arts Council and the Louisiana Endowment
for the Humanities.
And here is another interesting event sponsored by the Lagniappe Dulcimer
Society, that many of you may wish to attend:
Fourth Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete
When:March 11-13, 2005
Where:Community Center, Port Allen, Louisiana
For additional information and registration contact:
Lagniappe Dulcimer Society at 225-753-9717 or 225-749-5705
or see their website at www.lagniappedulcimer.com
02/02/2005 - Upcoming Workshops and Heritage Week Bands
A lot of news to share with all of you. First off, thank you so much to everyone who came out to our Arrête Pas La Musique fundraiser at the Ville Platte Civic Center on Saturday, January 22nd! It was a great success. Between the bands and the jam sessions, there was wonderful music for all to enjoy and it was the perfect kickoff in Ville Platte for our April 2005 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park.
Hats off to all of the musicians and volunteers who gave of their time!! We especially want to say thank you to Jesse Legé, David Greely, Lisa Reed and the remainder of Jesse's band; J.J. Callier and the Zydeco Knockouts; The Magnolia Sisters, The Creole Cowboys, featuring Jeffery Broussard, D'Jalma Garnier and Cedric Watson; T-Salé; Mr. Allen Ardoin, Blake Miller and Mr. Goldman Thibodeaux. Your music made the day!!!!!! And a big thanks to our food people, Miss Wilda Clark of Ville Platte and Landris Roberie of Washington, LA.
That evening, right before T-Salé started, we drew the winner of our 2005 Heritage Week Giveaway at Chicot State Park, which is allowing an individual who registered for our April 2005 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week by October 31, 2004 the opportunity to come for free. Congratulations goes out to the winner, Linda Olson of St. Paul, Minnesota. Linda, we'll see you in April!
Some great news for us: Louisiana Folk Roots recently received grants through the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission (LCVC) and the Evangeline Parish Tourist Commission. These grants, along with grants that we received through the Louisiana Division of the Arts and the Acadiana Arts Council, will allow us to enhance and expand our programs and advertising. We're very excited about the programs we have scheduled, so anytime you have a chance to talk to your state and legislative representatives please talk about the importance that the Arts play in your life!!
Registration is still open for full-time attendance to the Heritage Week, however we are currently over 75% full so don't wait too long if you are planning on registering. We will soon be posting our part-time class schedules on our website.
Our bands have been booked for our nightly dances and the Roots Heritage Festival at our 2005 Heritage Week. All dances are open to the public and will take place at Chicot State Park right outside of Ville Platte, LA. Cost is $5.00 or free for members of Louisiana Folk Roots. Come out and join us for some great music and dancing!!!!!!!
Heritage Week Dance Schedule
Click here to see the list
Upcoming Louisiana Folk Roots Workshops
Click here to see the list
That's it for now. Have a great Mardi Gras!
01/04/2005 - Jam des Amis
Join us on Saturday, January 8th for our monthly Cajun and Creole Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. Our jam host this month will be Fiddler, Hadley J. Castille.
When: Saturday, January 8th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company and jam a little with Hadley!
Complimentary beverages donated by Schilling Distributors...
12/08/2004 - Jam des Amis for Artwalk
Join us for a little pre-holiday cheer on Saturday, December 11th for our monthly Cajun and Creole Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music, great company and take time to enjoy all of the wonderful holiday decorations in the downtown area!
We are so excited to have as our jam host this Saturday, Jean-Jacques Aucoin, accordion player and lead vocals with that great traditional band, T-Salé. Come on out and play a few with Jean-Jacques! And I don't know about you folks, but I'm coming just to hear him sing...
When: Saturday, December 11th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact Information: 337-234-8360
Complimentary beverages provided by Schilling Distributors.
11/08/2004 - Jam des Amis and Info on a PASA Event
Join us on Saturday, November 13th for our monthly Cajun and Creole Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. Our jam host this month will be John Buckelew, fiddler and vocalist with the Nouveau String Band.
When: Saturday, November 13th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company and jam a little with Buck!
Complimentary beverages donated by Schilling Distributors...
Also, many of you (especially the fiddlers) may be interested in attending the following performance put on by the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana
(PASA):
PASA presents Bowfire at the Heymann Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. Bowfire features the world's critically acclaimed violinists and fiddlers on one stage, in one spectacular concert event. Musical theatre meets classical virtuosity in an unforgettable performance that includes Celtic, Jazz, Bluegrass, Rock, Classical, Old-Time fiddle, Gypsy, Electric and other styles on violin, fiddle and erhu - with cello, piano, bass and percussion accompaniment.
For additional information on the performance and tickets, go to the PASA website at www.pasa-online.org
10/25/2004 - 2005 Heritage Week
Hello Everyone!
Just a reminder that Early Registration for the Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park on April 10 -16, 2005 ends on this Sunday, October 31st at 11:59 pm CST. Early Registration provides you with a discount as well as entry into our 2005 Heritage Week giveaway!! The winner for the free attendance to the 2005 Heritage Week will be drawn on Saturday, January 22, 2005 at the Folk Roots fundraiser in Ville Platte, LA. Only those who register early are eligible for the giveaway. You need not be present to win but if you're in the area on that date it will be a great day of music!
Our camp is already at 1/3 full with our housing policy being first come, first serve for the cabin and dormitory housing. You can register online this year at our website at www.lafolkroots.org or you still have the option of mailing in your registration.
A piece of exciting news for all of us here at Folk Roots, is that local artist, Thad Matthew Morgan, will be creating the artwork for the poster for this year's Heritage Week! His works have been featured in numerous publications and have been exhibited in galleries in Florida, Texas, Westminster Maryland, New York, and New Orleans. Recently his art has been featured locally at Guamas Restaurant on Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette. Many of Thad's paintings have focused on the culture of Louisiana with his musician grandfather as one of his inspirations. His unique style is immediately recognizable with his bold colors creating paintings rich with emotion and feeling. His compositions have attracted national and international clientele alike, including commissions done for Prince Albert of Monaco and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark as gifts. The original piece of artwork for this year's poster will be auctioned off during the 2005 Heritage Week. Farvus Design Company of Lafayette will be donating their services for the design of the poster.
Farvus will also be using Thad's artwork to create a great flyer for the Heritage Week that we will be distributing. If you have any suggestions for us on ideas of where to circulate flyers inside and outside of Louisiana we would really appreciate your input. We do know that we are not always aware of all of the different venues, jam sessions, newsletters, etc. that would be appropriate places for us to send our material.
Thanks to everyone for a great year!!
10/01/2004 - Jam des Amis
Hello Everyone,
Bring your instruments on Saturday, October 9th for our monthly Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. This month our jam host will be Joel Breaux. For those of you who might not know Joel(but probably know his parents, Nelda and Karl), he has recently moved back home to Louisiana after living in California for a number of years. He played accordion and sang with the San Diego Cajun Playboys as well as playing a bit of fiddle. We're excited to have him join us for the evening.
What: Jam des Amis
When: Saturday, October 9th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office, 118 W. Vermilion, in downtown Lafayette Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company!
Complimentary beverages donated by Schilling Distributors.
09/08/2004 - Jam des Amis, Guitar Raffle and Heritage Week Giveaway
Hello Everyone,
Bring your instruments this Saturday, September 11th for our monthly Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk. We do however have a change this month. This Saturday is also our Cajun Music Day Workshop being held at the new Acadiana Center for the Arts so our jam session will be held at the Art Center location from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. It will coincide with our workshop ending jam session. If you are interested in the all day workshop you can still call us at the Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360.
What: Jam des Amis
When: Saturday, September 11th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: the new Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion, Lafayette, downtown Lafayette at the corner of Jefferson St. and W. Vermilion St. Across the street from the Folk Roots office. Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company!
Complimentary beverages from Schilling Distributors.
And we just wanted to remind everyone to make sure to buy a raffle ticket at any of our upcoming events to win a custom made CA Guitar, www.caguitars.com to be given away at our 2005 Heritage Week at Chicot State Park. Early Registration is open and if you register by October 31, 2004 you will be in the running for the giveaway of a free attendance to the 2005 Heritage Week. So get your registration in! The winner (who need not be present) will be drawn at our January 22, 2005 fundraiser in Ville Platte.
And speaking of CA Guitars, which is located right here in Lafayette, LA; they once again are featured in a national publication. In the just out October 2004 edition of Guitar Player Magazine, Senior Editor, Andy Ellis takes you on a tour of CA Guitars, pg. 30. Andy was down here visiting with the folks at CA during the last Festival International. As long as we're talking about their mentions in national publications, CA also got a mention in the September 2004 edition of Acoustic Guitar during an interview with bluegrass guitarist, Tim Stafford, who plays their "Bluegrass Performer" model, pg. 54. Way to go CA Guitars!
Finally, a big thanks goes out to all who have helped us promote our events! We know we couldn't do it without you.
Louisiana Division of the Arts www.crt.state.la.us/arts/
Acadiana Arts Council www.acadianaartscouncil.org
Lafayette Consolidated Government www.lafayettegov.org
Paul Marx and KBON Radio, 101.5 FM www.kbon.com
Todd Ortego's Swamp n' Roll Show, KBON Radio, 101.5 FM www.kbon.com, stop and see Todd at
The Music Machine in Eunice
KRVS, Radio Acadie, 88.7 FM www.krvs.org
KANE Radio, 1240 AM www.kane1240.com
KOCZ Radio, 103.7, Opelousas Community Radio
The Daily Advertiser www.theadvertiser.com
The Times of Acadiana www.timesofacadiana.com
The Independent www.theind.com
The Patsy Report http://users.erols.com/ghayman/thepatsyreport.htm
The Daily World www.dailyworld.com
The Advocate www.2theadvocate.com
The Town Talk www.thetowntalk.com
Sing Out Magazine www.singout.org
KATC, Ch. 3, Lafayette www.katc.com
KLFY, C. 10, Lafayette www.klfy.com
CA Guitars, www.caguitars.com
Schilling Distributors
Mello Joy Coffee, www.mellojoy.com
Kentwood Water
Our Friends at the Blue Moon Saloon and Hostel www.bluemoonhostel.com
and Mitch and Lisa Reed at Louisiana Heritage and Gifts www.laheritageandgifts.com
Until next time.....
09/06/2004 - Roots News and Upcoming Events
Hello Everyone,
It's time again for more Roots News. We've all been pretty busy around here the last month. August saw quite a few events. First off, thanks so much to all of you who attended and volunteered at our Fundraiser on August 7th at Whiskey River. And thank you also to those who were not able to attend but still contributed. It's because of all of you that the event was a success and that our organization continues to grow! Balfa Toujours www.balfatoujours.com, and Corey "Lil Pop" Ledet, www.lilpop.com provided a great day of music and dancing for everyone in attendance. We certainly could not have put on this event without them or the generosity of Terry and Martha and everyone that works with them at Angelles Whiskey River Landing, www.angelleswhiskeyriver.com. It is such a great place to go and dance, listen to music, take a swamp tour and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the surrounding Atchafalaya Basin. When you're in the area make sure you stop by. And don't forget their Fais-do-do every Sunday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Our Fait a la Main classes and workshops this month were also very successful! At the Creole Music Day workshop it was such a wonderful experience to witness five Creole fiddle players (Morris Ardoin, Jeffery Broussard, D'Jalma Garnier, Ed Poullard, and Cedric Watson) all playing together at the same time. These individuals are certainly working hard to make sure that Creole Fiddling does not become a lost art. I didn't think we would ever get the smile wiped off of D'Jalma's face. The Evolution of Cajun and Creole Music Classes taught by Ann Savoy were also very interesting. She utilized a combination of her own cassette and video recordings and slides that she had made during her research projects in the 1980's. Her video recordings of musicians such as Canray Fontenot and Dennis McGee especially had an impact on those in attendance. If you've never had a chance to take part in a class like this with Ann, she will be doing an expanded version at our next Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week in April 2005.
And speaking of Heritage Week, Early Registration has now opened up for the April 10 - 16, 2005 camp. You can check out the details on our website at www.lafolkroots.org. We are now set up so that you can register and submit payment online. There are discounts for early registration as well as group discounts and a discount if you attend with your entire band. And something new for this year... Folk Roots is doing a giveaway for a free attendance to the Heritage Week chosen from those who register early. So get your registration in! The winner (who need not be present) will be drawn at our January 22, 2005 fundraiser in Ville Platte.
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS:
In celebration of Acadian Heritage Week, www.acadianheritage.org, Louisiana Folk Roots presents the following special events:
Cajun Music Day
A full day workshop consisting of instruction in Cajun accordion and Cajun fiddle.
Instructors:
Cajun Accordion: Jason Frey and Paul Daigle
Cajun Fiddle: Al Berard and Travis Matte
Classes to be followed by a Masters Presentation, featuring Walter Mouton and U.J. Meaux. They did such a great presentation at our last Heritage Camp that we really wanted to give more people in the area a chance to see them.
The ending jam session, will take place in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk and will allow individuals the opportunity to practice what they learned throughout the day.
When: Saturday, September 11, 2004
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: The new Acadiana Center for the Arts, www.acadianaartscouncil.org
101 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette, at the corner of Jefferson St. & W. Vermilion St. Contact Information and Registration: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Fee for all activities:
$25.00 ($20.00 for Friends of LFR)
dinner will be provided
Fee for Masters Presentation ONLY:
$6.00 ($4.00 for Friends of LFR)
4:00pm - 5:15pm
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The Acadians: A Musical Journey
When: Wednesday, September 15, 2004
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: The new Acadiana Center for the Arts
101 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette, at the corner of Jefferson St. & W. Vermilion St. Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8350 Fee for the Evening: $8.00 ($6.00 for Friends of LFR)
Zachary Richard and David Greely will take audience members on a musical journey of the Acadian people, tracing the evolution of the music from France to Nova Scotia to present day Louisiana.
This is really going to be a wonderful night.....
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LOUISIANA FOLK ROOTS TENT AT FESTIVALS ACADIENS
Louisiana Folk Roots and the Lafayette Jaycees presents community Cajun and Creole jam sessions and educational workshops focusing on the music of the Cajun and Creole people:
Saturday, September 18
12:00 - 1:30 pm Jam Session hosted by Corey Ledet
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm Jam Session hosted by Jean-Jacques Aucoin 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Cajun Fiddle Styles with Mitch Reed and Kevin Wimmer 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm Cajun Accordion Styles with Belton Richard and Steve Riley
Sunday, September 19
12:00 - 1:30 pm Jam Session hosted by Courtney Granger
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm Jam Session hosted by D'Jalma Garnier
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Cajun Guitar Styles with Al Berard and Blake Castille 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm Cajun and Creole Fiddle Styles with Louis Michot and Cedric Watson
See Festivals Acadiens full schedule at www.lafayettetravel.com.
08/12/2005 - Jam des Amis
Mark your calendars and your instruments for this Saturday, August 14th for our monthly Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk.
This month's jam will be hosted by fiddler Cedric Watson, who many of you may have seen playing with Corey Ledet and Balfa Toujours and at numerous Folk Roots events.
When: Saturday, August 14th; 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots office at 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact Information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company!
Complimentary beverages provided by Schilling Distributors!
07/27/2004 - Fundraiser at Whiskey River Landing
Hello,
In case you will be in the area, it is time for our annual fundraiser at Whiskey River Landing! Come on out and enjoy a day of great music with Balfa Toujours and Corey "Lil Pop" Ledet and do I even need to mention the dancing...
WHAT: Arrête Pas La Musique Fundraiser to benefit Louisiana Folk Roots
WHEN: Sunday, August 1, 2004, 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
WHERE: Whiskey River Landing on the beautiful Atchafalaya Basin in Henderson, LA.
www.angelleswhiskeyriver.com
COST: $10.00
MUSIC PROVIDED BY: Balfa Toujours and Corey "Lil Pop" Ledet
We will also kick off our yearly CA Guitar raffle! The folks over at CA Guitars are once again creating a beautiful customized guitar for Louisiana Folk Roots. It will be given away at our 2005 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park, April 10 - 16, 2005. Find out more about CA Guitars at their website,
www.caguitars.com
And for those of you who receive CINEMAX, check out the premiere of the film STEVIE, from the award-winning director of HOOP DREAMS. Dirk Powell composed as well as performed the music for the film! His talent is endless....
That's it for now.
07/20/2004 - Fait à la Main classes and Heritage Week 2005
Hello Everyone,
All kinds of information for you today including announcements for our full-time instructors at the 2005 Heritage Week! And one apology. These emails are done on a Mac and certain punctuation marks do not come through as they should on certain PC's. Hope everything still makes sense.
Our latest Fait à la Main Workshops are as follows: (read on below for more
information) You can see our website www.lafolkroots.org for additional information and registration forms.
The Evolution of Cajun Music with Ann Savoy
Tuesday, August 3, 2004 from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
AND
The Evolution of Creole Music with Ann Savoy
Tuesday, August 10, 2004 from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Creole Music Day - all day intensive workshops
Saturday, August 7, 2004
2005 DEWEY BALFA CAJUN AND CREOLE HERITAGE WEEK
Check our website soon to find out about fee schedules, registration and early registration and group discounts. www.lafolkroots.org We are going to have a great camp this year!! Don't miss out...
2005 DBCCHW Fulltime Staff are as follows: (Read on below for more information)
Instructor Coordinator: Peter Schwarz
Fiddle Instructors: Kevin Wimmer, Faren Serrette, Jonno Frishberg, D'Jalma Garnier Accordion Instructors: Dirk Powell, Kevin Naquin, Jeffery Broussard Guitar Instructors: Al Berard, Blake Castille Bass Instructor: Kyle Hebert Culture and Language: Ann Savoy Louisiana Cuisine: Paul Scott, Pat Mould
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FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT MORE DETAILS AND INFORMATION ON CLASSES AND HERITAGE WEEK INSTRUCTORS - READ ON....
Tuesday, August 3, 2004
The Evolution of Cajun Music
through Historical Media and Song-Teaching
Instructor: Ann Savoy
Cost: $6.00 non-members; $4.00 members of Louisiana Folk Roots
Time: 6:30 pm 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots Office, 118 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
The Evolution of Creole Music
through Historical Media and Song-Teaching
Instructor: Ann Savoy
Cost: $6.00 non-members; $4.00 members of Louisiana Folk Roots
Time: 6:30 pm 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots Office, 118 W. Vermilion in downtown Lafayette.
These will both be interesting classes! Using her own personal video and cassette recordings of artists from over the years, Ann will have the participants examine specific music styles and then a song representative of that style will be taught vocally during the class.
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Creole Music Day:
The day will have three components to it:
Creole Fiddle Presentation
Two levels of Creole Accordion and Creole Fiddle Lessons
(Students will take two classes each with a different instructor.)
Jam Session
If you do not play an instrument, please feel free to attend just the Creole Fiddle Presentation. It promises to be an enriching and entertaining experience!
When: Saturday, August 7, 2004
Where: Acadiana Arts Council Art House
704 Lee Ave., in downtown Lafayette
Instructors:
Creole Accordion: Jeffrey Broussard and Corey Ledet
Creole Fiddle: D'Jalma Garnier and Mitch Reed
with Cedric Watson as apprentice instructor Creole Fiddle Presentation by:
D'Jalma Garnier, Ed Poullard, Jeffrey Broussard,
Morris Ardoin, Cedric Watson and Mitch Reed
Fee for all activities:
$25.00 ($20.00 for Friends of LFR)
lunch will be provided
Fee for Fiddle Presentation ONLY:
$6.00 ($4.00 for Friends of LFR)
1:30pm - 2:45pm
Don't miss out on some great classes! Contact us if you have any questions.
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Our recent Native Crafts for Kids class was a great success! Thanks to Mary Martha Pierre for her work with the Bean Mosaics and Kathy Richard for teaching the young people and their family members all about the alligator. Everyone went home with some pretty cool craft projects. And I just have to mention that it was so great having many of the kids ask to make a craft item for their siblings. Thoughtfulness was very strong that morning!
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2005 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week
It is time to announce our staff for our upcoming Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week! It will take place April 10 - 16, 2005 at Chicot State Park right outside of Ville Platte, LA.
Check our website soon to find out about fee schedules, registration and early registration and group discounts. www.lafolkroots.org We are going to have a great camp this year!! Don't miss out...
Following is a list of our full-time instructors. Please take a moment to read about each of them at the end of this email. You will be able to find information on some instructors you may not be familiar with and possibly some new information about those you have known for years. We are very excited this year to have Peter Schwarz as our Instructor Coordinator! He will be working with all of the instructors at the camp and prior to the camp, assisting them with their class preparation. We have some individuals teaching at our camp for the first time and Peter will be on board to assist them along with the other instructors. As our programs continue to grow, we also believe that it is important for the young musicians to learn how to teach in order to continue to assist in preserving the culture. We want to ensure that our instructors and participants have the best experience possible so we are really looking forward to Peter helping us out.
And one additional note: Although we won't be offering a full-time dance program this year, we are going to expand our evening program in which dance and other classes will be taught. Our part-time instructors for dance and other classes will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
Instructor Coordinator: Peter Schwarz
Fiddle Instructors: Kevin Wimmer, Faren Serrette, Jonno Frishberg, D'Jalma Garnier
Accordion Instructors: Dirk Powell, Kevin Naquin, Jeffery Broussard
Guitar Instructors: Al Berard, Blake Castille
Bass Instructor: Kyle Hebert
Culture and Language: Ann Savoy
Louisiana Cuisine: Paul Scott, Pat Mould
Instructor Coordinator:
1. PETER SCWARZ - At age 15, Peter apprenticed under Dewey Balfa courtesy of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and thereafter enjoyed many opportunities to perform and record with Dewey. By 1992 it was only natural that he join up with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Peter provided the solid bass guitar foundation and switched to fiddle for those memorable twin fiddle and three fiddle performances with David and Steve. Also notable were his soaring high harmony vocals and songwriting.
Peter's band management interests led him in 1999 to retire from performance to pursue further education. Today, he lives in Austin, TX and is the business manager for Asleep at the Wheel. Peter has taught at Folk Roots previously, eagerly sharing the philosophy and methods he learned in the 80's and 90's as Dewey's teaching assistant at other music camps.
Fulltime Instructors
Fiddle:
1. KEVIN WIMMER - Kevin plays with Balfa Toujours, Ray Abshire, the Frank Family Band, Red Stick Ramblers, and many many more... Kevin has been playing music since the tender age of three when he began violin lessons with his mother. His background in classical violin gave him a strong foundation as a young musician, but he found that rural American styles, which tend to be more improvisatory and less formal, spoke to him on a deeper level. His natural leanings in this direction were solidified when he first heard Dewey Balfa in 1984. He fell in love with Cajun fiddle and, through his extended stays with Dewey, he quickly became a master of it. Kevin has since gone on to teach Cajun fiddle at workshops all around the country and in Europe. With Balfa Toujours he has released some of the most important Cajun records in the last decade. His skill on the fiddle has led him to record with some of the most successful groups in the United States in the Bluegrass and Swing genres as well. He is internationally recognized as one of the finest traditional fiddlers America has produced in recent years.
2. FAREN SERRETTE - Faren has been a quiet but strong influence on the traditional music and folkways scene of southwest Louisiana. Besides being a highly respected musician in both the fiddle and guitar, Faren is also a well-known native craftsman as he is one of the top traditional bateau (wooden boat) builders in the area. He plays music with The Basin Brothers and in the past with the Mamou Prairie Band (who can forget those great twin fiddle songs with he and Mitch Reed!!), Octa Clark and Hector Duhon, Filé, and Hadley J. Castille and the Sharecroppers.
3. JONNO FRISHBERG - Jonno Frishberg has been playing the music of southwest Louisiana for over 20 years. Classical training combined with heavy honkey tonk dues in South Louisiana nightclubs has made Jonno versatile, playing everything from traditional Cajun to jukebox hits. During the mid '80x's, he was the regular fiddler in several Cajun groups, as well as freelancing with the Acadiana Symphony as a violist. 1990 found Jonno touring and recording (on fiddle and accordion) with the ground breaking Cajun folk-rock band Mamou, and collaborating with composer Richard Peaslee to develop the music and lead the band for the critically acclaimed modern ballet, Feu Follet (Elisa Monte Dance, NY). Since 2000, his original compositions and recordings have been incorporated into ballet works in New Orleans and documentaries for the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
His love for traditional Cajun music has inspired him to form two acoustic groups and produce several CDs in the genre since the mid-80's. He has also been active as a teacher, workshop presenter, and school classroom and assembly performer for over ten years. Currently, he plays accordion and fiddle with the band, Charivari. His unique style as well as his devotion to, and respect for, the roots of Cajun music make him a perfect fit for this traditional Cajun band. Jonno has taught at numerous camps throughout the United States.
4. D'JALMA GARNIER - D'Jalma currently plays with The Lucky Playboys and Dexter Ardoin, and throughout the years with Filé; Poullard, Poullard, and Garnier; Goldman Thibodeaux; and Canray Fontenot. He has also recorded with Terrance Simien and Chubby Carrier. D'Jalma studied composition, arranging, and orchestration with master arranger/composer Lyle "Spud' Murphy and Creole fiddle, under a grant from Texas Folk Life Resources, with N.E.A. National Heritage Award winner Canray Fontenot. It just doesn't get any better than D'Jalma playing one of his Creole originals like La Vie Maron.
Accordion:
1. DIRK POWELL - Dirk is one of the finest traditional musicians in America today, having recently worked as the music consultant on the Academy Award nominated film, Cold Mountain. His own roots are in Kentucky, where he learned fiddle and banjo from his grandfather, J.C. Hay, but his musical connection with Dewey Balfa and his eventual marriage to Dewey¹s daughter Christine led him to Louisiana, where he is now considered to be one of the best accordionists in the traditional Cajun style. Dirk has played professionally since his teenage years and has released several recordings, on Rounder and other labels, to critical acclaim. He founded Balfa Toujours, along with Christine, in 1992. Together, they have performed Cajun music around the world and taught at many events in several countries. Dirk has a reputation as a thoughtful and patient teacher, who can combine intuitive and analytical approaches to learning. His set of Cajun accordion instruction videos has received rave reviews and his classes are often sold out. In addition to his teaching and performing skills, Dirk is also highly regarded as a record producer, having produced releases on the Rounder label for Alphonse ³Bois Sec² Ardoin and Courtney Granger as well as recent recordings done in his Cypress Swamp Studio for T-Sale, Corey Ledet and numerous other bands...
2. KEVIN NAQUIN - Leads the award-winning band, Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys. Kevin Naquin began his musical education at a very early age. When he was three or four years old, his babysitter was the wife of the legendary accordion player Don Montoucet, who, when he was present, would play the accordion while young Kevin sat on his lap. Naquin learned to play using a Horner accordion that belonged to his great grandfather, Hadley Fontenot. His other great grandfather was fiddler Edius Naquin. Kevin was only 20 years old when his third recording, Pour la première fois, was released by Swallow Records in 1999. He is now an assured, accomplished musician who plays his own versions of traditional Cajun song but also writes originals. Naquin and his band dominated the 2000 and 2002 Le Cajun Awards given by the Cajun French Music Association. Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys were named Band of the Year, Pour la première fois was named Album of the Year. Kevin was also given the Accordionist of the Year award.
3. JEFFERY BROUSSARD - Jeffery is a founding member of the legendary zydeco band, Zydeco Force. The son of well known Creole musician, Delton Broussard, Jeffery began playing drums in his father¹s band and throughout the years played with Terrance Simien and Roy Carrier before starting his own band. Jeffery's playing styles range from the old-time creole that he grew up with to a more modern sound of zydeco. And something we here at Folk Roots are so excited about is that now Jeffery is playing the fiddle!! Talk about a talent....
Guitar:
1. AL BERARD - Many do not know that Al is one of the top guitar players out of this area and he is coming out with a guitar release this next year. In fact, guitar was Al¹s first instrument when he started the band The Basin Brothers, which was a country band at the beginning. And then on one fated day, Hadley Castille asked Al to take his son, Blake's place, playing guitar on a trip to Canada. It was the first time Al went to tour with a Cajun band and on that same trip, he also received his first fiddle lesson from Hadley. Al was so taken by the positive and generous response all of the Cajun musicians received up in Canada that the rest as they say is history... Al plays with his band The Basin Brothers and The Traiteurs, and in the past years with T-Mamou, File and the Clickin' Chickens. He is also one of the most respected Cajun fiddle instructors at folk music camps throughout the United States.
2. BLAKE CASTILLE - As the son of Cajun fiddler Hadley J. Castille, Blake Castille has been surrounded by French music since childhood. Although he pursued other styles of music when he was younger, he began playing in his father¹s band when he was 19 years old. An accomplished guitar player, Blake has also been responsible for writing many of the story songs that his father plays today. He was recognized by the Cajun French Music Association, when they gave him their Heritage Award for a song that he co-wrote with his father about an old sharecropper¹s cabin. Besides playing at festivals throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, Blake has been a presenter at numerous cultural events and workshops on the Evolution of Cajun Music. He currently plays with Hadley J. Castille and the Sharecroppers, The Lucky Playboys and Dexter Ardoin, and throughout the years with Sheryl Cormier and Horace Trahan. He has also recently recorded with The Lucky Playboys, Hadley J. Castille, Dexter Ardoin and Doug Kershaw. And as we mentioned above I guess you can kind of thank Blake for Al Berard being such a force in Cajun Music. You never know what can happen when you take a weekend off of work....
Bass:
1. KYLE HEBERT - Kyle can currently be seen playing with Roddie Romero and the Hub City Allstars and some of the up and coming Creole Bands such as Corey Ledet and his Zydeco Band. Throughout the years he has also played with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Balfa Toujours, Le Bande Feu Follet, and many, many others. He is a multi-instrumentalist excelling at the fiddle, accordion, and bass. Kyle is a strong and consistent musician with what seems to be, neverending talent...
Culture and Language:
1. ANN SAVOY - A Grammy nominated record producer for her release, Evangeline Made, Ann also co-founded the band, The Magnolia Sisters. She was raised in Richmond, Va., but learned to speak French while still a child. Ann also plays music with her husband, Marc Savoy and their children in the Savoy Family Band as well as the Savoy-Doucet Band. A talented musician, she has not only played Cajun music but has also engaged in extensive research, leading to the publication of her superb collection of songs, interviews, and photographs, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Ann has been a presenter and performer at numerous cultural events throughout the world and once again has jumped into the world of record producing with the recent 2004 release of Creole Bred: A Tribute to Creole and Zydeco
Louisiana Foodways:
1. PAUL SCOTT - Most people know Paul as one of the organizers of the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, a board and committee member with Festival International and for his involvement in hiring bands and promotion for numerous other local musical events and festivals. But who knew he could cook!! Paul's love of cooking came from his family as well as many of the Creole people he has worked with for years through the Southern Development Foundation. He has presented cooking demonstrations for the past several years at the Zatarain¹s Stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as well as local Creole and other cultural events throughout southwest Louisiana. At the 2004 weekend camp at Lake Fausse Pointe, Paul's classes were a hit! And I should know, he did the classes in our cabin and we got to enjoy the leftover fruits of his labor......
2. PAT MOULD - Chef Patrick Mould has expanded on the culinary roots he absorbed as a child in Crowley, Louisiana to become one of the South¹s most highly regarded and innovative chefs. Since his stint as executive chef at Lafayette¹s famous Café Vermilionville in the early 1980¹s, he has developed an approach to cooking that has solidified Cajun traditions as it expanded them, never innovation for the sake of change alone, but rather in the pursuit of the richness that he knew lay within the heart of his culinary heritage. His expertise led him to win the Best of Show in the 1984 Acadiana Culinary Classic for his ³Redfish Louisiane.² Continuing to expand on this success, Pat became President of the Acadiana Chapter of American Culinary Federation from 1985 until 1987, when he was also awarded that organization¹s ³Chef of the Year² award. Since that time he has gone on to work extensively for the promotion of Cajun cuisine, through television and other media. He has developed Creative Cajun Cooking classes for the Continuing Education Program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and his cookbook entitled, ³Recipes from a Chef,² received rave reviews. Pat also runs the respected ³Pat Mould¹s Louisiana School of Cooking². Born into the Cajun tradition of great chefs, he has followed his dream and brought true Cajun cuisine to people around the globe.
Until next time....
07/06/2004 - Jam des Amis
Mark your calendars and your instruments for this Saturday, July 10th for our monthly Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk.
This month our jam will be led by D'Jalma Garnier.
Jam des Amis
When: Saturday, July 10th, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company!
See you at the jam...
Complimentary beverages from Schilling Distributing!
06/03/2004 - Fait à la Main Workshops and more
Time for some more news!
Our first Birds and Botany class with Bill Fontenot took place last Saturday at Lake Martin and it was great! The weather was beautiful, we had a good turnout and of course Bill is such a wealth of information. I continue to be amazed at how tuned in his ears are to the different species of birds. We have one more class with Bill this Saturday, June 5th at Lake Martin. Participants should meet at the Boat Landing at 8:45 am. The class runs from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The cost is $6.00 for non-members and $4.00 for members of Louisiana Folk Roots. Come out if you can. It was really fun! And please feel free to contact us at the office if you have any questions or just to let us know that you will be attending. 337-234-8360
We have more Fait à la Main workshops scheduled for this summer. The website will be updated later this week with the new information. Here is a preview for all of you so you can plan ahead.
Tuesday, August 3, 2004
The Evolution of Cajun Music
through Historical Media and Song-Teaching
Instructor: Ann Savoy
Cost: $6.00 non-members; $4.00 members of Louisiana Folk Roots
Time: 6:30 pm 8:00 pm
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
The Evolution of Creole Music
through Historical Media and Song-Teaching
Instructor: Ann Savoy
Cost: $6.00 non-members; $4.00 members of Louisiana Folk Roots
Time: 6:30 pm 8:00 pm
These will both be interesting classes! Using her own personal video and cassette recordings of artists from over the years, Ann will have the participants examine specific music styles and then a song representative of that style will be taught vocally during the class.
Saturday, August 7, 2004
Workshop: Creole Music Day
A full day workshop consisting of instruction in Creole accordion and Creole Fiddle.
Instructors:
Accordion: Jeffrey Broussard and Corey Ledet
Fiddle: D¹Jalma Garnier and Mitch Reed with Cedric Watson
The instruction classes will be followed by a wonderful Master¹s Presentation focusing on Creole Fiddling. Musicians involved in this presentation will be D¹Jalma Garnier, Ed Poullard, Jeffrey Broussard, Morris Ardoin, Cedric Watson and Mitch Reed
The day ends with a jam session so everyone can try out what they have learned.
Cost (includes lunch):
$25.00 for non-members;
$20.00 for members of Louisiana Folk Roots
For Masters presentation only:$6.00 non-members; $4.00 members
We will keep you updated on any changes and additional classes we will be offering.
And finally, congratulations to one of our corporate sponsors, CA Guitars! In the current June, 2004 edition of Acoustic Guitar magazine, the article (The News from Gearville) cited CA Guitar¹s X Standard model in the collection of what Acoustic Guitar Magazine considered to be some of the most important introductions this year. For more information on CA Guitars, check out their website at www.caguitars.com.
We hope everyone has a great start to their summer!
06/28/2004 - Fait à la Main Workshop Series - Native Crafts for Kids
What: Native Crafts for Kids
When: Saturday, July 10, 2004, 10: 00 am - 11:00 am
Where: Art House at the Acadiana Arts Council, 704 Lee Ave., Lafayette
Contact: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
www.lafolkroots.org
Louisiana Folk Roots will present classes for two different age groups of children. Pre-registration is required. Please contact the Louisiana Folk Roots office at 337-234-8360. Classes are free to the public.
"Bean Mosaics" with Mary Martha Pierre
Ages 5 to 8 yrs. old
"Alligator Native Crafts" with Kathy Richard
Ages 9 to 12 yrs. Old
06/08/2004 - Jam des Amis
Mark your calendars and your instruments for this Saturday, June 12th for our monthly Jam des Amis in conjunction with the Downtown Lafayette 2nd Saturday Artwalk.
This month our jam will be hosted by Courtney Granger, fiddle player with Balfa Toujours and Ray Abshire.
Jam des Amis
When: Saturday, June 12th, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Where: Louisiana Folk Roots, 118 W. Vermilion, Lafayette Contact information: Louisiana Folk Roots, 337-234-8360
Bring your instruments, your voice, or just bring yourself and join us for a night of great music and great company!
See you at the jam....
Complimentary beverages donated by Schilling Distributing.
04/30/2004 - Louisiana Folk Roots at Festival International
At this year's Festival International de Louisiane, Louisiana Folk Roots hosted several Master artists at the Begnaud Scène Héritage as well as a Cajun and Creole jam pavilion. The jam was held in a large covered space, which really came in handy when the rain started. At any one time there were as many as 20 musicians playing and 200 people listening and dancing. Thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a special event, and all of the musicians who contributed their talent and the volunteers who gave of their time. It was so enjoyable seeing visiting musicians joining the jam and adapting the playing style of their instruments such as the flute, African drums and the spoons to the Cajun and Creole tunes being played. And we really want to give a big hand to those musicians who hauled in their upright basses. They are always such a great addition and we know how difficult it can be to carry them to a jam!
The Master presentations also went well. From Rebecca Henry's storytelling to D.L. Menard and Ray Abshire playing together for the first time in 30 years, there were truly some memorable moments. And hats off to the musicians who jumped in and gave the festival-goers in the Heritage tent a wonderful acoustic performance once the festival had to be shut down due to the rain. Dexter Ardoin, Dennis Stroughmatt, D'Jalma Garnier, Blake Castille, Cedric Watson, James Adams, and Corey Ledet all grabbed their instruments and gave an acoustic performance that allowed the crowds to keep dancing for 45 more minutes.
As a member of the downtown Lafayette community, Louisiana Folk Roots will continue our support of Festival International in upcoming years. Events like these are a great opportunity for us to further our mission by presenting living Cajun and Creole traditions as the centerpiece of our rich cultural history.
One more item. Since a member of our Board of Directors doesn't always toot his own horn, we decided we're going to toot it for him. Dirk Powell will be appearing on The David Letterman show this Monday, May 3rd playing with Loretta Lynn and Jack White. He will also be performing with them on "CBS This Morning" Tuesday, May 4th. Watch if you can.
That's all for now. Thanks again for everyone's support!