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In Memoriam: Andrew Cormier (1936 – 2019)

During his 60 years on stage, Cajun music legend Jo-El Sonnier enjoyed rare crossover success, with two top ten country hits, and performances at the Grand Ole Opry. Sonnier’s career […]

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In Memoriam: Nolton Semien (1939-2019)

Joe Hall is a happy anomaly. In zydeco’s homeland of southwest Louisiana, Hall swims in a sea of zydeco players who mix their sounds with R&B, rap, and other mainstream […]

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In Memoriam: Paul Marx (1947-2019)

In 2005, a new band called Travis Matte and the Zydeco Kingpins was having to turn down gigs. The band’s mix of zydeco, rock and pop on suggestive hip shakers, […]

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Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week

Once upon a time, the best way to learn Cajun music and zydeco was to leave Cajun and zydeco country. Master musicians from the homeland, meaning southwest Louisiana cities like […]

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Man in the Mirror: Kevin Naquin is staying true

“Man in the Mirror” is more than a song title for Cajun musician Kevin Naquin. When Naquin looks in the mirror, he sees reflections of his father Jessie, who died […]

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Going to Get Me Some Dirt: Jourdan Thibodeaux gets everybody’s attention

Barry Ancelet has heard more Cajun musicians than he can remember. A retired professor of French and folklore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Ancelet hosted “Rendez-Vous des Cajuns,” […]

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Soundcheck: Five Questions with Sean Ardoin

A fourth-generation musician, Sean Ardoin traces his lineage to Amédé Ardoin, an accordion genius and ’20s and ’30s recording artist who many believe laid the foundation for zydeco and Cajun music. […]

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Music Is Freedom: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys celebrate 30 years

There was barely room to breathe November 3 at Fred’s Lounge in Mamou, a hole-in-the-wall world-famous for beer drinking and Cajun dancing at 8 a.m. (yes, 8 a.m.), Saturdays. A […]

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Hitting His Prime: Meet the crawfish-catching opera star André Courville

André Courville lives two minutes from the Atchafalaya Basin, America’s largest river swamp. At nearly one million acres, the Basin is a wildlife wonderland, home to 65 species of reptiles […]

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SOUNDCHECK: Five Questions with Corey Ledet

Corey Ledet grew up in his native Houston, listening to Clifton Chenier, John Delafose and other zydeco heroes. But Ledet was also watching Bruce Lee and Kung Fu movies in […]

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