In New Orleans the Sunday before Mardi Gras, while Thoth and Bacchus rolled down St. Charles Avenue, a different celebration was taking place in Church Point, Louisiana, 25 miles Northwest of Lafayette. This year marked the town’s 51st official Courir de Mardi Gras, first organized in 1961, although informal celebrations had been taking place since [...]
Tag Archives: cajun
Gina Forsyth, Promised Land (Waterbug Records)
February 1, 2012 – 12:54 am
Attention musicians: For those thinking they need to rush their product out with sub-par material and inferior packaging for that nifty festival gig, take note of Gina Forsyth. The New Orleans singer-songwriter/roots musician never releases anything before it’s damn good and ready—and then some—thanks to Katrina and other life interruptions. Her solo sophomore effort is [...]
Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Devil on a String (Independent)
February 1, 2012 – 12:53 am
Despite the personnel changes over its eight-year existence, the Lafayette Rhythm Devils still manage to find new grooves to mount its formidable dancehall attack. As evidenced on its first disc in five years, credit newest member Blake Miller for part of the spark. Besides his loose, innovative attitude in the studio, the talented accordionist never [...]
John and Jane Vidrine, Recollections (Independent)
February 1, 2012 – 12:50 am
What most people don’t realize about Cajun music is that it was a family tradition long before it was played professionally. Such is the case here with John and Jane Vidrine (of Magnolia Sisters fame), whose charming collection of traditional Cajun fare and three originals resemble a sonic family photo album. The tradition that the [...]
Various Artists, The Rough Guide to Cajun and Zydeco (World Music Network)
February 1, 2012 – 12:46 am
Though there aren’t as many various artist Cajun-zydeco compilations being released these days, The Rough Guide to Cajun & Zydeco is one of the few that actually makes sense. Instead of featuring randomly selected tracks or historically based selections showing where the genre has been, music journalist/OffBeat contributor Herman Fuselier selected 15 tracks showing where [...]
Some Rhode Island Lagniappe for Mamou Playboy Kevin Dugas
February 1, 2012 – 12:04 am
Rhode Island celebrates Mardi Gras this month by coming to the rescue of a veteran Cajun musician. The Friends of Kevin Dugas Krewe, a new Carnival group based in Cranston, Rhode Island, carries the name of the drummer for Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys for the past 21 years. In late October 2011, Dugas [...]
Vin Bruce, Dans La Louisianne (Bear Family Records)
January 1, 2012 – 12:56 am
Columbia Records signed Vin Bruce in 1952, making the 19-year-old the first Cajun to ever sign a contract with a major label. It was his beautiful French originals that attracted the record company, who recognized the potential of a Cajun country artist after Harry Choates garnered national acclaim with “Jole Blon” in 1946. Between 1952 [...]
Ryan Foret and Foret Tradition, Let the Groove Move Ya (CSP Records)
January 1, 2012 – 12:51 am
When I was coming of age along the Northeast shoreline during the 1970s, my favorite local band was Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, a horn-laden R&B outfit spawned by the fertile music scene in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The Jukes’ first album, I Don’t Want to Go Home remains a blue-eyed-soul masterpiece to this [...]
The Grammy Awards: Everything vs. Everything Else
January 1, 2012 – 12:06 am
“And the Grammy in the Category of Contradiction and Confusion goes to ….” That announcement would be made at next month’s Grammys if zydeco music veteran Terrance Simien had his way. Simien is still steaming that the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album was one of 31 categories the Recording Academy cut last year in [...]
Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, Le Soleil Est Levé (Independent)
December 1, 2011 – 12:57 am
Cedric Watson helped make the Pine Leaf Boys stars in the emerging Cajun/Creole “new wave,” recording a CD with the band, Blues de Musicien, which was quickly nominated for a Grammy award. Following that, Watson recorded three of his own Grammy-nominated CDs for Valcour Records (Cedric Watson, L’Esprit Creole and Live at the Blue Moon), [...]
