Louisiana Folk Roots
at The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival

Listed below are the workshops that Louisiana Folk Roots will be hosting during the Zydeco Festival. To see the rest of the festival schedule, click here.

All of the following workshops are free with admission to the festival and will be located at the Festival's Heritage Stage

Saturday, September 3, 2005

Juré
12:30 - 1:30pm
featuring Cecile Broussard, Virginia Bellard and Virgie Mayon
facilitated by Herman Fuselier
      Juré is an African-American/Afro-Caribbean vocal tradition, sung in Creole French and English, accompanied only by hand-clapping and foot stomping for rhythmic reinforcement. Jeffery Broussard, along with his aunt Cecile Broussard and his sister Virginia Bellard, will perform their family’s style of juré which they call “Juré My Lord.” This is a call and response style of singing, consisting of religious and secular shouts, and was practiced most often during the Lenten season when musical instruments and dancing were not allowed.

Zydeco Dance Hall Music and Dance Styles
2:00 - 3:00pm
featuring Curley Taylor and Chris Ardoin
facilitated by Herman Fuselier
      This workshop will focus on two areas: the changing sound of Zydeco dancehall music through the years, and the various styles of Zydeco dance throughout those years as well. The featured musicians will demonstrate the different sounds of zydeco dancehall music. Dancers will demonstrate different styles of zydeco dance.

Storytelling
3:30 - 4:30pm
featuring Pat Cravins
facilitated by John Laudun
      Using a combination of traditional storytelling and modern theatrical methods, this workshop will focus on the teaching of traditional folkways through storytelling, and how this art form has been passed down among families through the years. The workshop will feature Pat Cravins, who learned the storytelling art in the French language from her grandmother. Ms. Cravins majored in theater in college and currently teaches high school speech. John Laudun, Assistant Professor of Folklore and Literature at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will serve as interviewer/moderator.

Zydeco Music - Yesterday and Today
5:00 - 6:00pm
featuring Preston Frank and J. Paul Jr.
      This workshop will take a look at Zydeco music of yesterday and today, and offer some insight into how today’s music has evolved. The workshop will be co-moderated by Herman Fuselier and Herbert Wiltz. Mr. Wiltz hosted the very first Zydeco radio show, and he will discuss the types of music that people wanted to hear back when he was on the air. Featured artist Preston Frank will discuss the factors that influenced him through the years as Zydeco music was evolving, noting that what we consider “traditional” music today was, in fact, new music years ago. J. Paul, Jr., a member of the younger generation of Zydeco musicians, will discuss the factors that currently influence him.

THIS PROJECT IS MADE POSSIBLE
THROUGH A GRANT FROM
THE LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
STATE AFFILIATE OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES