September 2023
Fais do-do with Bruce Daigrepont, Daigrepont's 1989 album, what's planned for Festivals Acadiens et Creoles Oct. 13-15, and a list of festivals across the country this year.
Coeur De Cajuns (Cajun Hearts) by Bruce Daigrepont
I like Bruce Daigrepont’s singing voice a lot. When I played this recently acquired vinyl record from 35 years ago, I was blown away.
Reviewer Ron Wynn wrote in 1989 Bruce Daigrepont’s second album for Rounder was even more traditionally Cajun than his award-winning first effort (Stir Up the Roux released in 1987). The title track and other works such as “Les Mains du Bon Dieu,” “Acadie a la Louisiane” and “Laissez Moi Tranquille” presented tales of Cajun life and times ranging from struggles to triumphs, and were sung with power, earnestness and verve. His accordion playing was equally assertive. Artists such as Bruce Daigrepont indicate that the future is bright for Cajun music. Indeed it has been.
LINER NOTES
Louisiana is unique in producing musical talents because we have seen in every generation musicians that stand far above the rest. Bruce Daigrepont is one of those musicians.
Stir Up the Roux, Bruce’s first album, was winner of the Cajun French Music Association’s 1988 Le Cajun Award for Album of the Year.
Born and raised in an area where Cajun is not the most popular style of music, he brought to the Crescent City a growing number of devoted fans. They have been listening and dancing to his music for years. Bruce’s Sunday fais do-do at Tipitina’s has become a tradition.
I first met Bruce Daigrepont in 1981 when he visited me at KRVS (Lafayette, LA), shortly after his 45 r.p.m. release of “Bayou Pon Pon” on the Bourre label.
Bruce is a young, intelligent, talented musician and composer who impressed me with his knowledge of his French American (Cajun) heritage and history. There is evidence of this in his song “D’Acadie, a la Louisiane,” where he sings of the forced exile of the Acadians from Acadie (Nova Scotia), Canada. Bruce Daigrepont’s talent excels in his composition of “Arc en Ciel” (Rainbow), where he sings of true love being as difficult to find as a four leaf clover.
Story songs based on fact are not new to Cajun composers, but had been ignored for many years in Louisiana French music. Bruce tells us a true story (“Les Mains du Bon Dieu,” The Hands of the Good God), about a woman he knew who loved his music. He learned that she was dying of cancer. He and his band visited her to play a few songs and cheer her up, but it was she who impressed them with her great courage and love of life. From this experience came the words, “She touched my heart with her courage. She was not afraid. She was so brave. Don’t weep for me, but come and sing. It’s contentment you can give me, and on that day she waltzed into paradise.”
On a lighter note, in “Coeur des Cajuns” he sings that the joy of life is in the accordion, the beautiful songs, and the hearts of every Cajun.
The most impressive thing about Bruce is that he composes most of his music in our Cajun French language, and that, for me, is a good definition of Cajun.
— Pete Bergeron, Director of French Programs, KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana
CREDITS FOR COEUR DES CAJUNS BY BRUCE DAIGREPONT
Side One:
Coeur Des Cajuns (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Acadie À La Louisiane (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Arc En Ciel (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
I’m Bettin’ (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Les Mains Du Bon Dieu* (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Bruce’s Two-Step (written by Bruce Daigrepont) [This tune missing from the vinyl record, though listed on the recording’s cover/label]
*“Les Mains du Bon Dieu” is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Hazel Champagne Muller
Side Two:
Laissez Moi Tranquille (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
La Valse Du Vent Nord (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Danse Carré / Reel De Dennis McGee (written by Michael Doucet) Aux Natchitoches (traditional,transcription by Ann Allen Savoy)
Ni Rime Ni Raison (written by Bruce Daigrepont)
Personnel:
Bruce Daigrepont: Lead Vocals, Accordion [Cajun French], Rhythm Guitar, Triangle
David Doucet: Acoustic Guitar [Lead] (tracks: A6, B3)
Scott Goudeau: Bass, Guitar
Kenny Blevins: Drums
Gina Forsythe: Fiddle [Harmony]
Gina Forsythe: Fiddle [Lead] (track: A2)
Waylon Thibodeaux: Fiddle [Lead], Harmony Vocals
George “Slim” Herd: Harmonica (track: A5, B2)
Scott Goudeau, Sharon Leger: Harmony Vocals
Roscoe Horton (tracks A1, A3, A4), Sue Daigrepont (track: B4): Piano
Rex Burkhammer (track: B2): Resonator Guitar [Dobro]
Ray Moore (track: A5: Saxophone
Bruce Daigrepont (track: B1): Washboard
Recorded at Ultrasonic Studios
Producer: Bruce Daigrepont
Mixed at Ultrasonic Studios
Mixed by Albert Daigrepont, Bruce Daigrepont, Scott Goudeau
Engineer: Scott Goudeau
Art Direction: Scott Billington
Design: Nancy Given
Photography: Rick Olivier
Liner Notes: Pete Bergeron
© 1989 Rounder Records Corporation
Special thanks to Jay Gallagher and Scott Goudeau of Ultrasonic Studios, G.P. Enterprises in Arlington, Texas, Marcus Fraser and my family.
Fais Do-Do with Bruce Daigrepont
By Jim Hance
We were advised at the hotel in New Orleans to take a cab to and from Tipitina’s. The Uptown neighborhood where the club is located had a reputation for danger after dark, but then all of New Orleans had that reputation. On a Sunday night, and the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band would be playing Cajun music for a packed house of dancers. It was 1997, I was in town for the American Institute of Graphic Arts conference, and Jane was with me. I remember we had a wicked good time dancing to the band, and I went home with one of my treasured Bruce Daigrepont CDs: Petit Cadeau (The Little Gift). Not heeding the warning, we took the streetcar the four miles back to our downtown hotel.
Growing up Cajun
Bruce was born in New Orleans in 1958. After WWII, his parents had moved to New Orleans from the rural farming communities of Avoyelles Parish, the uppermost corner of Louisiana’s “Cajun triangle.” They brought their Cajun traditions with them to the big city.
Cajun music came to Bruce Daigrepont at an early age, and in the most traditional manner — handed down from father to son. While Daigrepont was growing up, no family gathering was complete without a little playing and singing. His father picked the guitar while his Uncle Alton lent a remarkable voice to the traditional Cajun songs and old-time country ballads. When Bruce turned five, his father presented him with a guitar, and by the age of ten he was also playing a five-string banjo. It was in 1978, after attending the Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette, that Daigrepont was inspired to devote himself to the French accordion. By 1980 he had his own Cajun band, and was honing his skills at regular Thursday night fais do-do dances at the Maple Leaf Bar. Over the next six years, Bruce Daigrepont almost single-handedly popularized Cajun music and Cajun dancing in cosmopolitan New Orleans.
Fais do-dos at Tipitina’s
Daigrepoint moved the fais do-do dance to Tipitina’s in 1986. At its peak, the weekly Cajun dance averaged 300 attendees. On some Sundays, the crowd approached 500. For 30 years, Daigrepont hosted a fais do-do most Sunday evenings at Tipitina’s, and also opened shows for the likes of Los Lobos, Dwight Yoakam and the Texas Tornadoes at the club.
Over the years, Daigrepont took the Tipitina’s stage more than 1400 times, a record for any one artist performing at the club. By comparison, The Radiators performed there maybe 400 times, and Galactic, whose members bought the club in late 2018, has appeared about 200 times.
Stepping back
But as the audience aged, attendance tapered off. After Tipitina’s closed its kitchen, Daigrepont started bringing a pot of red beans to serve to attendees. “I was trying to keep the tradition going,” he said. By the mid-2010s, he sensed the club’s enthusiasm for the fais do-do had waned, so he called it quits. And then a couple of years ago, Tipitina’s owners invited Daigrepont back for a monthly Sunday fais do-do, which has continued.
“I’m 63,” Daigrepont commented in 2021. “I played every Sunday for 30 years. I’d like to think that 20 years from now, I can still go out and play gigs. But it’s not that bad to not do every Sunday. You’re able to do other things with your family. I’m just appreciative to the people at Tipitina’s. I’m happy that they want me.”
Cultural ambassador and touring artist
Daigrepont has become a cultural ambassador for Cajun music. In North America he has performed at such prestigious venues like New York’s Lincoln Center, and many events throughout Europe. Most rewarding, though, are his annual pilgrimages to the French-speaking Canadian maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where the history of the Louisiana Cajuns is also part of Canadian history. Daigrepont’s original songs are known and celebrated in Canada, where the audience of Acadians raises its voices in unison to the chorus of Daigrepont’s “Marksville Two-Step:” On est tous cousins, cher, one est tous cousines (we’re all cousins; we’re all cousins!)
Observing the Cajun traditions of songwriting
Daigrepont chooses to write music that is true to Cajun culture and heritage, and take pride in being a Cajun from the heart with a story to tell through his music. Other Cajun bands acknowledge that because a number of Daigrepont’s compositions have become standards in the Cajun dance band repertoire. Other Daigrepont tunes have been covered by Francophone bands in other countries, and translated into other languages.
And Bruce Daigrepont performs his music in the Cajun tradition too. His powerful vocals can hit an uncommon high tenor register, and he can sing it sweet and pure, or gruff and bluesy. Daigrepont’s accordion stylings are his own, patterned after no other artist, but imbued with the Cajun zest and vitality. His singing and playing together make him the consummate Cajun artist and musician with a high tenor range.
In 2013, Dan Willging reviewed for OffBeat magazine Daigrepont’s Jamais de la Vie, a solo project of 21 tracks without backup musicians. Willging wrote, “Daigrepont makes it flow well by carefully sequencing the selections. Tempos shift up and down, keys change and moods contrast from track to track. On ‘La Valse De La Riviere Rouge,’ he tosses in delightfully pausing accents as if it were a signal to change partners at a 19th century society dance.
“Since there are no accompanying sidemen, the accordion is clearly audible, revealing the real ornamentation of Daigrepont’s playing. Additionally, he maintains his reputation as one of Cajun music’s most prolific storytelling songsmiths with eight new originals. Undoubtedly they’ll touch the cockles of the Cajun heart with culturally-rooted topics ranging from family memories and avoiding marriage to lighter fare, such as horse racing, dapper elderly bachelors and Cajun music festivals where heart-healthy food (hot boudin and cold beer) is readily available. Give it a few spins and it begins to feel quite intimate, as if the listener were treated to an afternoon of hanging out with Daigrepont while he plays his accordion and converses between songs.”
Bruce Daigrepont Albums on iTunes
• Stir Up The Roux, 1987
• Coeur Des Cajuns, 1989
• Petit Cadeau, 1994
• Paradis, 1999
• Jamais De La Vie, 2013
• Bienvenue Dans Le Sud De La Louisiane, 2016
What’s Planned for Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, Oct. 13-15 in Lafayette, Louisiana?
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, the original and largest Cajun and Zydeco music festival, will honor the legendary King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. Chenier performed at the very first festival held in 1974. Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is slated for October 13 through 15 at Girard Park in Lafayette, Louisiana — the epicenter of Cajun and Créole culture.
The opening night of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles 2023 will feature tributes by Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-stars as well as Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band. Joining the musical tribute will be Grammy-nominated artist and former Chenier apprentice Sonny Landreth. On Saturday, October 14, Scéne la Louisiane will come alive as C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band deliver a heartfelt homage to his father’s enduring musical legacy.
Barry Ancelet, Festival Director, expresses the significance of this year’s lineup, stating, “Clifton Chenier made zydeco music popular and put Acadiana on the map. He was pivotal in making Creole culture and music a global trend. By honoring Clifton, we’re expressing our gratitude to a musical genius and a guiding light for our culture.”
About Clifton Chenier
Clifton Chenier, known as the “King of Zydeco,” was a legendary musician whose vibrant accordion playing and soulful vocals brought the sounds of South Louisiana’s Creole and Zydeco music to the world. Born in 1925, Chenier grew up in the rural Bayou country, where he absorbed the rich musical traditions of his community.
Clifton Chenier is revered for modernizing Zydeco music and culture. He was one of the first Zydeco artists to gain international fame, earning a GRAMMY Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1984 for his album “I’m Here.” Chenier received many national honors for his cultural and musical contributions, including the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. Chenier’s album, “Bogalusa Boogie,” was chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Chenier was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame posthumously for his contributions to the music industry.
About Festivals Acadiens et Créoles
Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is an annual festival held in Lafayette, Louisiana, celebrating the region’s rich Cajun and Creole heritage. Since the first festival in 1974, the three-day event has become the world’s largest Cajun and Zydeco festival, attracting visitors from across the globe. Festivals Acadiens et Créoles features performances by local musicians, cultural workshops,and culinary experiences. The event showcases local artisans, providing an immersive and authentic celebration of Acadiana’s vibrant traditions. For more information, visit FestivalsAcadiens.com.
FESTIVALS ACADIENS ET CREOLE 2023 SCHEDULE
The festival schedule is grouped according to the stage. All stages are in Girard Park in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Friday, October 13, 2023
Scène Ma Louisiane
5:00 pm The Official Cutting of the Boudin Festival Opening
5:30-6:45 Roddie Romero & the Hub City Allstars: Tribute to Clifton Chenier
7:00-8:30 Corey Ledet Zydeco: Tribute to Clifton Chenier ft. Sonny Landreth
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Scène Ma Louisiane
10:30-11:30 Luke Huval Band
11:45-12:45 Chris Miller & Bayou Roots
1:00-2:00 The Daiquiri Queens
2:15-3:15 Hert LeBlanc (New Brunswick)
3:30-4:45 CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band w/Sonny Landreth
5:00-6:00 Lafayette Rhythm Devils
6:15-7:30 Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Scène Mon Héritage
10:45-11:45 T’Monde
12:00-1:00 Balfa Toujours
1:15-2:15 Frank Family Band
2:30-3:30 Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
3:45-4:45 Feufollet
5:00-6:30 Rusty Metoyer & the Zydeco Krush
Scène La Salle de Danse
10:30-11:30 Les Amis du Teche
11:45-12:45 Has Beans
1:00-2:00 Kyle Huval & the Dixie Club Ramblers
2:15-3:15 Savoy Family Band
3:30-4:30 Creole String Beans
4:45-6:00 Donny Broussard & the Louisiana Stars
Scène Atelier
11:30-12:30 Historic Creole Neighborhoods
12:45-1:45 Life & Legacy of Clifton Chenier: Hosted by Todd Mouton
2:00-3:00 Allons à Lafayette — The Hub City’s Musical Legacy
3:30-4:30 The Magnolia Sisters: Presented by Festival International
4:45-5:45 Creole Trio ft. Terry Domingue, Jeffery Broussard & Chuck Bush
Jam Ça!
11:00-12:15 John & Jane Vidrine
12:30-1:45 Luke Huval
2:00-3:00 Adeline Miller
3:15-4:15 Sheryl Cormier
4:30-5:30 Joe Hall
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Scène Ma Louisiane
10:30-11:30 Potluck Band
11:45-12:45 Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band
1:00-2:00 Jesse Legé & the Bayou Aces
2:15-3:15 Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys
3:30-4:30 Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs
4:45-5:45 Bonsoir, Catin
6:00-7:30 Wayne Toups & Zydecajun
Scène Mon Heritage
10:45-11:45 Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys
12:00-1:00 Kevin Naquin & Cajun Preservation
1:15-2:15 Alphonse Ardoin & the Zydeco Kingz
2:30-3:30 Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express
3:45-4:45 Pine Leaf Boys
5:00-6:30 Gerald Gruenig & Gentilly Zydeco
Scène La Salle de Danse
9:00-10:30 French Mass
10:45-11:45 Jambalaya Cajun Band
12:00-1:00 Cameron Dupuy & the Cajun Troubadours
1:15-2:15 Cedric Watson & Bijou Créole
2:30-3:30 Gregg Martinez & the Delta Kings w/ Johnnie Allan & TK Hulin
3:45-5:00 Wayne & Same Ol’ 2 Step
5:15-6:30 The Revelers
Scène Atelier
11:30-12:30 Piano Accordion Workshop: CJ Chenier & Corey Ledet
12:45-1:45 Radio en français et créole: Ashleé Wilson Michot, Blake Miller, Melvin Caesar & John Broussard
2:00-3:00 Songs of Vermilion Parish w/ the Babineaux Sisters & Special Guests
3:15-4:15 Women Bandleaders in Cajun & Zydeco Music:
Kristi Guillory, Sheryl Cormier, Christine Balfa & Donna Angelle
4:30-5:30 Cory McCauley & His Evangeline Aces
Jam Ça!
11:00-12:15 Jimmy Breaux
1:00-2:15 Drew Simon
3:00-4:15 Jesse Legé
2023 Festivals
September 1-2, 2023
41st Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival (Opalousas, LA)
Friday Kickoff Dance with Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers at 2235 Creswell Lane Extension, Opelousas, LA 70570. Cost is $25. Saturday Zydeco Parade starts at 10 a.m. passing the Zydeco Breakfast Court House Square on Landry Street, heading to the Zydeco Festival. Zydeco Festival begins at noon. Bands include Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Jeremy Fruge and the Zydeco Hot Boyz, Rusty Metoyer and Zydeco Krush, and Chris Ardoin & NuStep Zydeco. Yambilee Festival Grounds, 1939 W. Landry St. Opelousas, LA 70570. Visit zydeco.org for additional information.
September 1–3, 2023
Rhythm & Roots Festival (Charlestown, RI)
Trombone Shorty, Robert Cray Band, The Revelers, Corey Ledet Zydeco, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Old-Fashioned Aces. Visit rhythmandroots.com
September 9–10, 2023
Louisiana Sue’s Crawfish & Catfish Festival “From the Bayou to Bourbon Street” (Sacramento, CA)
Artists include Andrew Carrier and California Bluerunners, Zydeco Flames, Mark St. Mary, Motor Dude, Funky Gators. Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Southside Park, downtown Sacramento. Visit www.craw-fest.com
September 20–23, 2023
Suwannee River Jam (Live Oak, FL)
A new date for Suwannee River Jam. Artists will include Trace Adkins, Brothers Osborne, Michael Ray, Locash, Colin Stough, The Frontmen, Red Clay Strays, Shane Proffit, Sean Stemaly, Karley Scott Collins and Pillbox Patti. Tickets on sale. Visit suwanneeriverjam.com
September 22, 2023
“Down on the Bayou” Cajun Zydeco Festival (McGregor, TX)
The Exchange Event Center, 300 S. Jefferson Ave., McGregor, TX. No info available yet.
October 5-8, 2023
Redwood Coast Music Festival (Eureka, CA)
American roots music festival in Eureka, California: Americana, New Orleans and hot jazz, swing, zydeco, rockabilly, country and western swing. “A small (so far) group of us are traveling to Eureka, CA in early October for the Redwood Music Festival. Check it out—it sounds fun! Tom Rigney & Flambeau are playing with Michael Doucet and Gino & the Lone Gunmen will be there. Lots of other music (Hot Jazz, Swing, Blues, Country & more) in assorted downtown venues and a beautiful town and area to explore!” — Jan M. in San Diego. http://rcmfest.org
October 8, 2023
Austin Zydeco Festival (Austin, TX)
1 to 7 p.m., at Republic Square, 422 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX. Visit austinzydecofestival.com
October 13–15, 2023
Festivals Acadiens et Creoles (Lafayette, LA)
My favorite Louisiana festival, and a favorite of others too. Sample of bands performing: Friday — Roddie Romero, Corey Ledet; Saturday — Steve Riley and Mamou Playboys. Balfa Toujours, Frank Family Band, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, Rusty Metoyer, Savoy Family Band, Joe Hall; Sunday — Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, Bonsoir Catin, Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys, Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express, Pine Leaf Boys. Complete festival schedule in this post. Visit festivalsacadiens.com
October 13–15, 2023
Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival (Conroe, TX)
Downtown Conroe, 299-201 W Phillips St, Conroe, Texas
The festival also features three stages where you can listen to live music with genres ranging from Cajun to country. Cajun and zydeco bands include Bayou Roux, Keyun & Zydeco Masters, Brian Jack, Wayne Toups & ZydeCajun, and Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie. Visit FriendsofConroe.com
October 14, 2023
Crosby Zydeco Festival (Crosby, TX)
No info available yet.
October 27–28, 2023
South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cookoff (Lafayette, LA)
The South Louisiana Black Pot Festival & Cookoff is one of the most unique festivals in Louisiana. Held annually in late October, the festival celebrates Cajun culture and cooking with two days of great music, dancing, food, camping & jamming. Visit lafayettetravel.com/events/festivals/blackpot-festival
November 4-5, 2023
Halifax Art Festival (Daytona Beach, FL)
The Guild of the Museum of Arts and Sciences originated and presents this prestigious festival every year which is totally organized and operated by volunteers and benefits the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Visit halifaxartfestival.com
November 9–12, 2023
Cracklin Festival (Port Barre, LA)
Website: http://www.portbarrecracklinfestival.com
November 17–19, 2023
Suncoast Jazz Festival (Clearwater Beach, FL)
Featuring Tom Rigney & Flambeau, and several danceable jazz ensembles with a dance floor. The Friday Night Swing Dance starts with a Lindy swing dance lesson with Forrest and Andrea Phoenix about 6:15 p.m., followed by several dance bands playing until midnight. Visit suncoastjazzfestival.com
December 1–2, 2023
Balboa Park December Nights (San Diego, CA)
December 1 and 2, the museums are open late in the evening, and there will be music throughout Balboa Park, especially at the Bon Temps Social Club stage near the Museum of Fine Art. Info about Cajun and zydeco artists usually posted at icajunzydeco.com. City web page is sandiego.gov/december-nights
December 1–2, 2023
Bradenton Blues Festival (Bradenton, FL)
Bands include Geminidragon, Eliza Neals, JP Soars Gypsy Blues Revue with Anne Harris, Memphis Lightning, Crystal “Country Girl” Thomas, John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band, Lurrie Bell, James Cotton Tribute with Mark Hummel and James Cotton Band, and Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. Visit bradentonbluesfestival.org
This list of festivals is updated when information is discovered at floridacajunzydeco.com
Florida Dance Opportunities Sept. 2023
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, 7 to 9 p.m. (CZ social dance)
Cajun Zydeco Dance (The Villages, FL)
Dance to Cajun and zydeco tunes on the Fourth Wednesdays of the month, 7 p.m. to 8:50 p.m., Big Cypress Recreation Center, 3110 Hendry Drive, The Villages, Florida. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Brief introductory dance lesson at 6:45 p.m. This is a free event. Non-residents are required to have a Guest Pass plus a photo I.D. For information, email Janko Lengyel at janko32163@gmail.com