NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole traditions will take center stage this weekend at Festival Acadien et Creole, celebrating half a century of honoring and celebrating culture through music, art, food and community. will be done.
What began as a one-day concert in 1974 to entertain 150 French-speaking journalists gathered in Lafayette, the capital of Cajun country, has grown into a three-day event and is perhaps the world’s largest. Organizers say it will be one of the largest Cajun and zydeco festivals ever held. . And they note that the entire event is free.
Barry Jean Ancere, one of the event’s organizers, said when the idea was born 50 years ago, no one knew if anyone would come to hear this music.
“Cajun music at the time was primarily thought of as ‘old man’s music,'” he says. “Remember, we were in the middle of rock and roll back then. People here loved this music from the time they discovered it in the dance halls, but this concert was a different way to approach the music. It was designed to attract attention and point out its value. They had to sit and pay attention instead of dancing. And they ended up hearing it in a different way. It was so successful that we ended up making it an annual event that brings positive attention to this important asset and gets people thinking about it.”
Now held annually at Lafayette’s Girard Park, the festival brings together multi-generational musicians and artists who strive each year to preserve an ever-evolving culture.
“We have always worked to celebrate the past and carry it into the future,” Ansele said. “If you value and respect evolution, that culture will produce things that continue to amaze you. It all comes out in the wash. The good stuff stays, the bad stuff doesn’t.”
Festival co-founder Pat Mold said the festival is “a self-celebration of who we are, how we live, what we eat, our music, and how we speak. ”.
“If you know nothing and want to learn about the culture, you can learn it all this once a year weekend. Everything you want to know is represented at the festival. Cajun and Creole life made easy. “I researched it,” he said.
The Friday through Sunday event will feature musical acts such as Steve Riley and the Mamoo Playboys, Wayne Toops, CJ Chenier, Nathan and the Zadeco Cha Chaz, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, and The Liberators. There will be performances by 60 musicians. All are homegrown talents. , Beausoleil Abec Michael Doucet and the Lost Bayou Ramblers.
On Friday, contemporary artists will include zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier, Cajun accordion maker Mark Savoy, the Cajun Music Ensemble, a group of five brothers, the Balfa Brothers, and Cajun accordionist Nathan. A tribute to the 1974 concert house band that included Abshire and Blackie Forester and Jimmy. C. Newman is a country music and Cajun singer-songwriter and longtime star of the Grand Ole Opry.
“Get ready for pure Louisiana fun,” Carrier said. He is scheduled to play with the band on Sunday. “Get ready to eat really delicious food and have the time of your life.”
“People all over the world have these dates circled on their calendars. This is an event that helps younger generations carry on the tradition. I’m a third generation Zydeco musician. This is a family event that brings people together. “It’s a festival for people,” he continued. of all ages. ”
Riley, who has performed at the festival since 1988, said he keeps coming back for several reasons, not least because it helps preserve culture.
“It’s important to see us singing and speaking in French on stage. It influences people who come to see us and helps them fall in love with the culture,” he said. Ta.
“We have a ton of events leading up to the weekend that focus on the importance of language, culture, food, and of course music. Nothing celebrates it like this. This is the biggest celebration of all things Cajun. I think it includes bands from different generations and pedigrees. That’s the key,” he said.
Riley, now 55, said she is very proud that all three of her children play music.
“This is great for my family and great for people like me,” he said. “It’s great to let kids play. Most kids don’t want to have anything to do with what their parents do. Hey, think what I’m doing is fun, and it’s fun. ”
Riley said when he first started, there weren’t many young bands playing Cajun music.
“I was really worried that music would die out and become extinct, just like language. But the opposite has happened. More young people than ever before are preserving this music and playing it. “The zydeco scene here is full of young people,” he recalled. It’s very vibrant and so is the Cajun scene. ”
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