Welcome to Issue #53
of FloridaCajunZydeco.com Update!
for June 2017
This newsletter showcases dance events from the FloridaCajunZydeco.com website and publishes articles not on the website pages. Join us on Cajun Zydeco Tuesdays
(First and Third Tuesdays), June 6 and June 20 at Caddy's in downtown St. Petersburg for a Cajun Zydeco Dance 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. If there are enough dancers, we can go later. At both dances I will be featuring music by our featured artists this month: Jeffery Broussard and the Cajun Roosters, with a healthy helping of Rusty Metoyer, Chris Ardoin, Keith Frank, Beau Jocque, Kevin Naquin, Steve Riley and more. Jeffery Broussard will be at Ace's on Friday, June 23 and at Skipper's in Tampa on Sunday June 25. The cover charges for both of these performances is phenomenally affordable. You can't miss this band while it's in Florida! I have feature stories on both Jeffery Broussard
and Europe's Cajun Roosters. We're on Facebook in Groups (Florida Cajun Zydeco Dancers) and with our own Facebook Page (Florida Cajun Zydeco). Check us out and "Like" us to see the posts and reminders throughout the week. This is a good way to get your Cajun and zydeco fix between newsletters. FloridaCajunZydeco.com loves to travel — in your pocket on your smart phone. Check the website for dance information wherever your travels take you. Regards, Jim Hance
Publisher, FloridaCajunZydeco.com
First + Third Tuesdays --- Cajun Zydeco Dance at Caddy's on Central (St. Petersburg)
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays (June 6 and June 20) at Caddy's on Central, 4217 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33705. No cover charge!
Website: caddysoncentral.com June 6: Instant Happiness on the Dance Floor Good mix of danceable music by Cajun and zydeco artists that give you that instant lift as soon as the music starts to play. We're in the lounge with a wood dance floor at Caddy's. It's around the corner from Ringside Cafe and Jannus Landing. Parking on the street is free after 6 p.m. and there is plenty of parking a block and a half away in the Sundial Parking Structure for just a $1 for the evening. No cover charge and drink specials the first hour. Great food. I can recommend the fish tacos and shrimp appetizer and the key lime pie. Stop by and let your hair down. Share this Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/422656871440563
Sun. June 18, 2017 --- Gumbo Boogie (Bradenton)
5:00 p.m. at Ace's Live Music 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., Bradenton, Fl. 34209, 941-795-3886. No cover.
Creole Cowboys in Florida June 23 & 25
At Ace's Live in Bradenton on Friday, June 23; at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa on Sunday, June 25It’s a family trade and there are few families more closely associated with zydeco than the Broussards. Jeffery Broussard (born March 10, 1967) was just 8 years old when he debuted on drums in his father’s band, Delton Broussard and the Lawtell Playboys. In the decades since, Jeffery Broussard has been a torchbearer for zydeco, influencing young musicians with a traditional Creole music he learned decades ago. “Back when I was growing up, that’s how it was,”
Jeffery Broussard said. “There were a bunch of family bands that would play at different venues. It’s not like that today. A lot of the musicians back home came from the same background as myself. Their daddies played and they wanted to do the same.” For the Broussards, music came easy, but not much else did. The youngest of 11 children, Jeffery Broussard dropped out of school in seventh grade to help work with his father, who sharecropped land in Frilot Cove, Louisiana. It was a lifestyle that was common among some of the top zydeco musicians of the era. “A lot of the older guys were sharecroppers,” Broussard said. “They had pigs or chickens, all different kinds of farm work. When they’d get off work, they would sit on their porch and play their accordions.” The son of esteemed accordionist Delton Broussard, young Jeffery began his musical journey at the age of 8, on the drums in his father’s legendary band, the Lawtell Playboys. During this time, Jeffery was exposed to some of the great Creole fiddle players, including the king of the zydeco fiddle, Calvin Carrere. He has retained those precious melodies and songs he heard at home, playing them at social gatherings and on the bandstand.
At the Forefront of Nouveau ZydecoJeffery Broussard and Robbie "Mann" Robinson founded Zydeco Force in the late 1980s, a band that became an icon on the zydeco scene at the forefront of the nouveau zydeco movement. The group was featured regularly on the TV show, “Zydeco Extravaganza”, and was a top draw at clubs and trail rides. The band provided a template for a new generation of artists, and Broussard said a number of the group’s songs have been covered by other artists. “We were one of the first [zydeco] bands to have a big group of people singing harmonies,” he
said. “A lot of the young bands, they copy a lot of stuff from Zydeco Force.” But Broussard has come full circle in his career. He grew up in traditional zydeco, brought in a new sound in the '80s and has now returned to his roots. And he’s not a fan of the recent influence of hip-hop on zydeco. “There are only a few people playing the traditional stuff,” he said.
Reviving Traditional Zydeco"I like all the guys playing zydeco today and I respect them, but what they're playing isn't the zydeco I grew up with. If we keep changing it, we're going to lose it."
With the Creole Cowboys, Broussard has reverted to traditional Creole music with French lyrics, continuing a career in which he has tried to honor his family and the music’s history. “One of the main reasons why I wanted my own band was to play traditional music. I love my music and I love my culture. I am proud and honored to be a part of it. By playing traditional music, that is my way of giving back to my community, to my culture, and to get others interested in the music, in other parts of the country, and to fulfill my daddy’s dream. I do it to keep our traditions going because the music being played today is not traditional music. I want to continue doing what I’m doing because really there are not very many traditional musicians left. I am the only one besides Geno Delafose who is playing traditional zydeco
music. There are only five Creole fiddlers left. That’s what gave me the interest to pick up the fiddle and start playing, because I felt that it was needed.” Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys deliver great, pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics. Early Creole music, as played by legends Canray Fontenot on fiddle and Jeffery’s father, Delton Broussard on accordion, is experiencing a well-deserved resurgence of interest in Louisiana and the world today. Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys create incredible music and outstanding performances, cultivating and inspiring new generations of Creole Zydeco fans.
Fuselier's 'King of Zydeco'Columnist for the Lafayette “Advertiser” and weekly host of the KRVS radio program “Zydeco Stomp”, Herman Fuselier has reviewed Cajun and zydeco music for years. In 2008, Herman wrote, “If the crown [for King of Zydeco] was resurrected, my top candidate would be Jeffery Broussard. My idea of king is not the guy with the hottest band, most popular song or most women around the bandstand. I think of a musician who can command the accordion like no other. That's easily Jeffery Broussard, who is pound for pound, the best zydeco accordion player around.
If you don't believe me, believe Boozoo, who most young players imitate today. Years ago, I asked Chavis who he thought was the best player. His first answer was Jeffery Broussard. Some of the top band leaders today — J. Paul Jr., Leon Chavis, Guyland Leday, Step Rideau and Lil Pookie — all took lessons from Broussard.”
Many AwardsJeffery’s wife Millie says, ”Over the years Jeffery has mastered the accordion as well as the fiddle and many other instruments. He has won many awards throughout the years, and most recently in July 2014 he was inducted into Louisiana Folk life Center Hall of Master Folk Artists, and in December 2015 he received the Zydeco Blues Trailride Centurion Award."
The Reviews
“Jeffery Broussard may have once spearheaded the most influential band of modern zydeco with Zydeco Force, but these days he‘s on a different mission: to present the Creole cultural music prior to its adulteration of floor-rattling, urbanized sounds. Granted, Broussard operates within a traditional framework, but he does so with uncanny ingenuity.” — Dan Willging,
“Offbeat”
“Jeffery Broussard certainly, at this point in time — the dean of the zydeco accordion. I don‘t think there‘s anyone out there who can touch him on the accordion. Jeffery Broussard is the king.” — Peter Rost, Host of “Pine Grove Blues” “Mr. Broussard and his Cowboys are fabulous: You start moving in your seat as soon as their rhythmic, rich melodies, both joyous and mournful, flood the theater.” —
“New York Times” "Jeffery Broussard has long been respected as one of the greatest accordion players to ever grace our beautiful Creole culture and for that matter the world." — Don Cravins, Sr., Mayor of Opelousas, LA (Zydeco Capital of the World)
Jeffery Broussard RecordingsShaggy Dog Two-Step (Zydeco Force, 1992)
The Zydeco Push (Zydeco Force, 1994)
“It’s La La Time” (Zydeco Force with Joe KK, 1995)
We’re Back (Zydeco Force, 2000)
You Mean The World To Me (Zydeco Force, 2001)
Rock Awhile! Z-Force Style (Zydeco Force, 2003)
Louisiana Chicken Shack (Zydeco Force with Lil Guyland, 2005)
Keeping The Tradition Alive (Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, 2007)
Return of the Creole (Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, 2011)
It’s a
Euro-Cajun Thing
The Cajun Roosters are a truly European band bringing together some of the finest Cajun and Zydeco musicians from the UK and Germany. They have rapidly gained a reputation as one of the most authentic Cajun and Zydeco bands in Europe which has put them in the forefront of the scene, and this is already earning them headline festival appearances not only in Germany but also in France, Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, and Belgium. The Cajun Roosters were formed when Chris Hall, accordion player from England, joined forces with former members of The Cajun Pioneers. Using his considerable experience and knowledge of Louisiana music, Chris honed the band into a tighter, leaner and more authentic
machine, generating a groove that is quite representative of the music heard today in Louisiana dance halls. Over a couple of decades the Cajun Roosters have built up a large following throughout Europe which has kept the band busy with concert and festival appearances. Their repertoire includes not just Cajun and zydeco but also swamp blues, Louisiana rock ‘n roll, Creole and New Orleans favorites. The band has also been associated with a Cajun-zydeco music festival known as American Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival which travels to various towns in Germany over about five weekends in October and November. Established in 2001, the American Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival is in its 17th year.
Introducing: The Cajun RoostersEach member of the five-piece band hails from a different country. Accordion player Chris Hall is from the UK. Fiddle player David Buyle is from Belgium. Guitar player Hazel Scott is from Scotland. Bass player Michael Bentele
is from Germany. And drummer Antoine Fève is from France. Their love of Cajun and zydeco music brings them all together. The band plays music from New Orleans and the swamps and bayous of Louisiana — good time dancin’ music, Cajun, zydeco, blues and swamp rock. They form one of the best European bands in this fascinating musical genre. Chris Hall is a 30-year musical veteran on vocals, accordion, guitar, and harmonica. He has played with and learned from the best Louisiana musicians, honing his distinctive punchy accordion style. His reputation has led to collaborations with pop royalty — Paul McCartney, Dave Gilmour, Bill Wyman and Whitesnake’s Bernie Marsden. As well as a being a contributor on Paul McCartney’s Run Devil Run
album, he has also appears with Kate Bush for her comeback album which wowed the critics and public alike. Chris is a skilled sideman and showman with a flair for the Cajun spirit! Hazel Scott holds down the rhythm section with guitar, vocals and percussion. Hazel has also played and toured internationally with some of the biggest Louisiana artists (Mitch Reed, Steve Riley, Kevin Wimmer) and this year appeared with the legendary Tom Paxton in Skagen festival in Denmark. Hazel is known for her driving guitar rhythms and blasting Cajun down-home vocals as well as a quieter vocal styling and guitar picking — things to drive the feet or warm the heart. Although rooted in that back-porch sound of Louisiana, the Cajun Roosters mix their Cajun blues sounds with a little touch of
Scots-Celtic soul and a large dose of sunny favorites ranging from Bob Dylan and Van Morrison to Johnny Cash — all with a touch of Cajun hot sauce attitude sure to surprise and definitely delight. They list as their inspirations a long list of Louisiana artists: Nathan Abshire, The Balfa Brothers, Johnnie Allan, Balfa Toujours, John Delafose, Zydeco Force, Iry Lejeune, Boozoo Chavis, Steve Riley, Canray Fontenot, Slim Harpo, and Amadee Ardoin. They play with energy, intensity and passion, infusing life into old standards and new compositions. It is broadly speaking Cajun and Zydeco with a modern edge played with attitude but with a deep heartfelt respect for the old masters of the tradition. In all, the band sounds a lot like Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. "Every gig is a celebration of the richness of a Louisiana
musical culture that all the members of this band love and understand. Every gig is a non-stop Louisiana party. Laissez les bon rouler as they say in Louisiana. Let the good times roll. It is a music which instantly grabs an audience and infuses them with a feeling of bonhomie and good times. Instant happiness as the fiddle and accordion weave their magic spell over unsuspecting audiences. Cajun and zydeco is the main course mixed with a healthy side order of bayou blues and swamped up rock n roll."
Transatlantic Sessions Reviewed by Dan Willging in 2011, Dan wrote, "Transatlantic Sessions
is probably one of the most unusual recordings in Cajun music; but then again, the Cajun Roosters aren’t your ordinary chank-a-chankers either. The award-winning Roosters aren’t from the heart of Cajun country but are actually a pan-European band consisting of Britain’s Chris Hall (accordion/rubboard) and Sam Murray (percussion/lapsteel); Scotland’s (now British resident) Hazel Scott (rhythm guitar); and Germany’s Hartmut Hegewald (fiddle), Michael Bentele (bass), and former Rooster Klaus Warler (guitar). On these 14 tracks recorded between 2009 and 2011, the Roosters break bread with American counterparts Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Cedric Watson, Dwayne Dopsie, Corey Ledet, and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, among others, playing alongside them in different configurations whenever they toured Europe. Since time
was of the essence, amazingly, many tracks were done in one take." The album features sessions with twenty-five American and European artists doing superb renditions of familiar Louisiana tunes ("Watch That Dog," "Le Sud de la Louisiana," "J'ai Fait Mon Idée"). Even longtime Louisiana French music listeners will likely find treasures in the unusual. Watson slows down Lawrence Walker's "Evangeline Waltz" to deliver a haunting vocal performance. Sarah Savoy takes an overlooked novelty gem and twangs it up swing-style. One of my personal favorites may surprise you: "Don't Mess with My Toot-Toot" performed with double accordions — Chris Hall and Dwayne Dopsie. I have edited this 11-minute cut at 142 beats per minute down to three-and-a-half minutes for dances, and I get
no complaints from the dancers. Steve Riley is featured on an an excellent bluesy zydeco "Morning Train." All in all, Transatlantic Sessions is a must-have in your Louisiana music collection. As Dan Willging concludes his review, "Recommended."
Cajun French Music Association AwardIn 2014, the Cajun Roosters were awarded the coveted Prix d’Hors award from the Cajun French Music Association for their 2013 album
Hell Yeah!, marking the first time a non-American band has won in that category. “The CFMA always gives one award, the Prix d’Hors, to a band not from Louisiana or East Texas,” said Michael Bentele, bass player and manager of the Cajun Roosters. “We’ve been nominated almost every year with our previous CDs as first runner up, but now finally with our latest album
Hell Yeah!, we’ve won the award, which is for us a great, great honor.” For Bentele, earning recognition from the CFMA has been a high point for the band, and it shows that their dedication to Cajun music and culture transcends all borders. “We listen to Cajun zydeco daily, but there is no club around where there is always a band playing, like there is in the Lafayette area,” he said. “We’re sort of missionaries trying to get the music we love to Europe.” Bentele travelled from Germany to Lafayette to accept the award in person and to rub shoulders with fellow Cajun and zydeco artists he has met and played with over the years.
Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival in EuropeSince 2001, the Cajun Roosters has been hosting a traveling festival called the American Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival featuring Louisiana musicians, now in its 17th year. With 17 stops across Germany, 2017's festival will help spread the gospel of Cajun music more than ever before, with a dose of blues to help attract crowds unfamiliar with zydeco music. The American Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival is recruiting fans throughout Europe with the authentic music of
Louisiana. "The festival honors these particular genres from Louisiana with artists from the U.S. and Europe. In 2017 we present Grammy-nominee Yvette Landry & Friends, The Papa Mali Blues Connection from New Orleans, and the annual host and CFMA winners for Best CD, Cajun Roosters." According to the festival website, "Over the last few years a new sound has been gaining momentum here in Europe. More and more bands have been visiting these shores bringing a new sound from over the Atlantic Ocean. This music is using familiar instruments like guitars, accordions and fiddles played in a way that is fresh and vibrant. Its home is in swamps and prairies of southwest Louisiana but bands from over the seas are finding a warm welcome in clubs and festivals 3000 miles away from their roots. The music isn’t new, of
course. Its traditions are centuries old but to many people here in Europe it comes like a breath of fresh air. With its driving beat, heartfelt emotions, and trance-like melodies, it strikes a chord with 21st century ears." Since 2001, featured artists have included: Magnolia Sisters, Lil Buck Sinegal, Steve Riley & Racines Trio, T'Monde, Jeffery Broussard, Cedric Watson, Leon Chavis, Corey Ledet, Bobby Michot, Randy Vidrine, Mitch Reed, Cajun Roosters, Downtown Cajun Band, River Zydeco Band, Blue Bayou, Pain d’Mais, Mousse Espagnole, Zydecomotion, Zyderythmics, Cajun Pioneers, Des Fais Do-Do, ZigaZag, Zydeco Alligators, Zydeco Fever, Ludwig Seuss Band, Cajun Company, Breaux, Lil Jim and Deepzone Zydeco, Pete Contino Band, Sarah Savoy and The Francadians, ZydeGoNutz, Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Mama Rosin, Lynn August, Brother Dege and Buddy Flett. Laissez les bon rouler as they say in Louisiana. Let the good times roll!"
The website for American Cajun Blues and Zydeco Festival is: http://www.americancajunfestival.com/cms/index.php/en/bands
Cajun Roosters RecordingsCrank it up (2006)
Double Shot (2008)
Cajun Roosters 3: From the Swamps and Bayous of Louisiana (2008)
Transatlantic Sessions: Songs of Death, Divorce, Drinking and Dancing (2011)
Okra and a Pepper (2011)
Hell Yeah! (2013)
Cajun and Zydeco From Europe Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 / Vol. 3
Your Festival Planner: FloridaCajunZydeco.com/festivals.html
June 23-25, 2017 — Muddy Roots Europe Festival (Waardamme, Belgium)
Website: http://muddyrootsrecords.com/mr_events/mr_europe/ June 24-25, 2017 — 31st Long Beach Bayou Festival (Long Beach, CA) Pine Leaf Boys, Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers, T Broussard, Mark St. Mary, Dennis G and the Zydeco Trail Riders, and Bonne Musique Zydeco. Two-day family festival, food, music, dance lessons. http://www.longbeachbayou.com
There are plenty more festivals featuring Cajun and zydeco bands. For more festival information, visit http://www.floridacajunzydeco.com/festivals.html
June 24-25, 2017 — Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival (New Orleans)
Artists include Corey Ledet, Geno Delafose, Lost Bayou Ramblers, D.L. Menard with the Jambalaya Cajun Band, Bruce Daigrepont, Cedryl Ballou, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, Dwayne Dopsie and Chubby Carrier.
11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. both days. Louis Armstrong Park. 901 N. Rampart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116. Admission: Free Website: https://www.jazzandheritage.org/cajun-zydeco/ June 30-July 4, 2017 --- Waterfront Blues Festival (Portland)
Artists include Chubby Carrier, JD McPherson, Pine Leaf Boys, Sonny Landreth, Chris Isaak, Canned Heat, Cedrick Burnside, Elvin Bishop, Eric Gales, and more.
Information not yet available. Website: http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com July 9-14, 2017 --- Cajun-Creole Week at Augusta Heritage Center (West Virginia)
"It's a great way to get out of the heat and head for some of the most scenic mountains in the East. Over the years a lot of Floridians have attended." Music and cooking workshops and dancing. See American Heritage Center YouTube Channel. https://augustaheritagecenter.org/augusta-schedule/cajuncreole/ August 3-6, 2017 --- Sailieu Cajun Nights Festival (France)
Email: bayouprod@aol.com. Website: http://www.burgundy-tourism.com/discover/must-see/festivals-and-events/INCONBOU000V503M24/detail/saulieu-saulieu/cajun-and-zydeco-nights-festival-at-saulieu July 28-30, 2017 --- Long Beach Crawfish Festival
Artists include Step Rideau, David Souza and the Zydeco Mudbugs, Bonne Musique Zydeco, Bill Magee Blues Band. Long Beach Crawfish Festival at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach. http://www.longbeachcrawfishfestival.com
Cajun Humor
Ma Uncle Boudreaux’s Prize RoosterUncle Boudreaux waz in de fertilized egg business when I waz young. He had several hundred young layers, called pullets, a eight or ten roosters whose job waz to fertilize de eggs. Uncle Boudreaux kept good records an' any rooster or pullet dat didn't carry out deir job well went into de pot an' waz replaced. Caus all dis work took an awful lot of time, when my uncle saw a set of eight tiny
bells dat each rang a different tone, he quickly bought them. He glued a piece of foam rubber to each clapper shaft so dat de bell wouldn't ring cept when violently shaken. He den hung a bell on each rooster's neck an' went to hees porch an' sipped on a glass of tea. Now he could sit on hees back porch an' relax while fillin' out an efficiency report on all de roosters by listening to de different rones of de bells an' marking down each encounter. Uncle Boudreaux's favorite rooster ole Brewster waz a fine example of a rooster, but hees bell had not run all morning. Uncle Boudreaux went out into de yard to investigate. In de yard he found several roosters chasing pullets wit' bells a-ringing. He spotted Brewster wit' hees bell in hees beak so dat it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, an' walk on to de nex' one. Ma uncle waz so proud of Brewster date he entered heem in de parish fair. Brewster proved to be an overnight sensation. Dey not only awarded heem de No Bell Prize, but also de Pullet Surprise!
Outside Florida
Atlanta Cajun Zydeco AssociationSaturday June 10, 2017 --- Cedryl Ballou & Zydeco Trendsetters
Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30328.
7 p.m. Beginner Dance Lesson
8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Open dancing to Cedryl Ballou & Zydeco Trendsetters
$18 admission / $14 for members A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Cedryl (pronounced "see-DRELL") Ballou began playing music at the tender age of five. He made his professional debut as a drummer with his grandfather, legendary guitar pioneer Classie Ballou, at the age of 11. His future as a front man was inevitable. Both Cedryl's father, Cedric Ballou, and step-grandfather, "Rockin' Sidney" Simien, were successful touring musicians, and Cedryl grew up steeped in Creole music and culture.
"Being raised in a family of musicians gave me the chance to learn the ropes," says Ballou. "But also the freedom to try new things. This music is all about people. People change, and the music changes with us."
A young but seasoned zydeco musician and singer, Ballou shifts easily from drums to accordion and vocals, fronting the Zydeco Trendsetters and touring extensively with regional zydeco artists including Andre Thierry, Corey Ledet, Rosie Ledet, Step Rideau and Soul Creole. Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association website:
http://aczadance.org/ Houston/Texas Cajun-Zydeco Eventshttp://www.zydecoevents.com/texaszydecoevents.html Southern
California Eventshttp://www.icajunzydeco.com
If you missed last month's newsletter...Discover all of the Update! newsletters and feature stories on Cajun and zydeco artists on the "Stories" page at floridacajunzydeco.com/stories.html
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