8 Days in August
(8-9-04) Rumor has it that things slow down in Louisiana
during the summer time, but here is how I spent my last 8
days in Lafayette:
Tonight I just got home from a 2 hour lecture on the
history of Creole and zydeco music presented by Ann Savoy
which included some of the source material she collected
while writing her encyclopedic and authoritative book on
the history of Cajun and Creole Music entitled: Cajun
Music: A Reflection of a People. A week ago, I attended the
1st lecture in the series, which was on Cajun music. The
series was sponsored by Louisiana Folk Roots with funding
by the Acadiana Arts Council. In slides and homemade
research videos, Ann illustrated the history of Louisiana
French music, taught us to sing several traditional songs,
and showed us pictures and tapes of some of the legendary
musicians that created and passed down this unique
music..., including: fiddler extraordinaire Dennis McGee,
the charismatic Canray Fontenot, and Bebe Carriere (playing
Bluerunner, with roosters crowing in the background). It
was interesting to listen the lecture in a room mostly
filled with local residents. Some of these folks had
personal stories to add about the musicians Ann was talking
about.
This formal lecture was a contrast to my activities from
Monday night, when I attending a house party and jam.
Refreshments included gumbo, cornbread and homemade fig
wine (it was excellent!). Among the attendees was Ray
Abshire (who played with the Balfa Brothers) and Dennis
McGee's son. It was a great house warming for the host
couple who had just moved to Lafayette from Santa Fe a few
months ago. I'd say over 30 people attended on a Monday
night... Lafayette is a very easy place to make friends and
feel welcome.
Last Saturday, just another typical day in paradise, I
attended the afternoon session of Creole Day sponsored by
Louisiana Folk Roots. There was a Creole fiddle
presentation (with Morris Ardoin - Bois Sec's son, Edward
Poullard (Danny's younger brother), Jeffrey Broussard (of
Zydeco Force), D'Jalma Garnier (formerly with File), Mitch
Reed (of Charivari), Cedric Watson, a very talented young
Creole fiddler from Texas who is creating a sensation here,
and James Allen & Blake Castille on guitar. After the
demonstration was a rip-roaring jam session, and
afterwards, I attended another house party in Lawtell with
great food. The guests included most of the above
musicians.
Last Wednesday and Thursday were jam sessions at the Blue
Moon Saloon and the Louisiana Folk Roots office,
respectively. I also found time to have dinner with friends
visiting from San Francisco and Portland, and fit in some
unpacking and getting settled into my new house (still a
partial construction zone, but at least I finally moved in
the last week of July). Plus there were at least a half
dozen other dance things I wanted to do, but didn't have
the time or energy for: Curley Taylor at Hamilton's Club,
Lil Pop Ledet at the Blue Moon, Chris Ardoin at Wrangers,
Leroy Thomas at both the zydeco breakfast at Cafe des Amis,
and El-Sido's.
This is life in Lafayette in August, when you would think
everything would be shut down. The closest concession to a
summer slowdown is that the some select restaurants are
participating the Tourist Office's 20 for 20 Promotion: 20
of the best restaurants in town have 3 course dinner
specials for $20 during the month of August.... so I've
been got a nice list of places to return to or check out as
guests come into town this month: Zea's Rotisserie and
Grill, Cafe des Amis, Prejean's, Cafe Vermillionville,
& Don's Seafood Hut, among them. Allons a Lafayette!!