CAJUN ZYDECO ARTICLES

[Gary Hayman]

###################################
# CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS SECTION #
###################################

CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON DC/BALTIMORE METRO AREA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND BEYOND (Major Events Nationwide)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Also: Cajun/Zydeco/Swamp Pop Articles]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(REVISED: June 28, 1996; 4:45 am.)
(* - Additions since: June 12, 1996) (use '*' for searches)
(% - Changes since: June 12, 1996) (use '%' for searches)

[ PART 4 ]

()+() ////// __v__ __\/__
`\|||/ /---\ """"""" | _ - | (_____) . / ^ _ \ .
(q p) | o o | (^-@-@-^) (| o O |) .( O O). |\|(o)(o)|/|
_ooO_(v)_Ooo_ooO_U_Ooo_ooO__v__Ooo_ooO_u_Ooo_ooO__(_)_Ooo___oOO_()_OOo__
[_____}_____|_____}_____{_____|_____}_____|_____}_____|_____{_____}_____]
__}_____|_____{_____|_____}_____|_____{_____}_____|_____{_____|_____}___
[_____{_____}_____|_____}_____OUR SOURCES_|_____}_____|_____{_____}_____]

* Glen Echo Park Publications, Twist & Shout (Mark Gretchel - Owner),
Fat Lulu's (Jack Gordon - Owner), Squeeze Bayou Cajun Band (Karen
Collins - Musician), Ben Pagac - Zydeco Dance Instructor, Crawfish
Productions Inc. (Ellen Wicker), Folklore Society of Greater
Washington (Carl Mintz), Gumbo Groupies (Pete Mosher), "Cajun News"
(Nancy Weston), Wolf Trap Center For The Arts, Mark Greenleaf -
Cajun Dance Instructor, Fund for the Eastern Market, Augusta
Information (Margo Blevin & John Lilly), Terry Davey - Cajun Dance
Instructor, "Cajun Country" (Nick Cognevich), "alt.culture.cajun"
(Peggy Hall), Theresa Spear - New England Reporter, Patricia
Murray, Linda Keenan, Sheridan Swope, "Cajun Connection" (Myrna
Wolfe & Laura Selikson), Zydeco Crayz Band and "Evangeline" (Trent
Van Blaricom - Musician), Doug Bell (Zydeco Crayz Musician and
Publicity), Ann Snyder (Atlanta Swamp Opera Musician and Atlanta
Reporter), "Notes & Steps" (John Tallaksen), Jon Lee (Louisiana
Reporter), "Seattle Swamp Connection" (Les Berenson), Glenn
Jaubert, Herman Fuselier (Louisiana Music Expert), "Steve Riley and
the Mamou Playboys" (Peter "Schwarzy" Schwarz - Musician and
Folk-Hero), Baltimore Folk Music Society (Ralph Barthine), Tony
Rene, Shane K. Bernard (Cajun Historian, Author and Swamp Pop
Authority), Marcus Fontenot, Dean Nettles, Ron "Dusk" Lipton (Dyed
Hair Specialist), Valerie Zimbro, Gary Koerner, Scott Mitchell,
Beverly Visosky for Beausoleil, Linda Schmidt, Jim Dugas (Lafayette
Reporter), John Trahan (Musician and Band Leader), Peter Yronwode,
Helen Wilmot, 'The Times' Lafayette's major newspaper, 'Offbeat
Magazine' New Orleans Music Publication, 'In Tune & Inside Arts'
reporting Acadiana's Music & Arts Scene, Todd Mouton (Music
Columnist), Dan Willging (Music Columnist), Majorie Pfetzing
(Baltimore Reporter), Michael Shallies, Michael Tisserand (Music
Columnist and Author), 'The Washington Post' a DC major newspaper,
Dave Lewis, Don Rawlings, Raleigh Schein, Marty Katz (Baltimore
Reporter), John Blancher (Rock 'N Bowl), Gary Hayman (All Around
Good Guy), Sue T.N. Gorge (Zydeco Supportive Issues), Kell Balcon
(Cajun Projections) and YOU.

Most Baltimore information furnished by Jeremy Rice. Visit
his excellent Cajun/Zydeco WEB page.

URL:http://www.bme.jhu.edu/~jrice/cz.html

You can also access the WEB page from CapAccess's "go ethnic"
or "go cajun" menus. Information is at the beginning of this
document.

[ PART 5 ]

\\\|///
\\ ~ ~ //
( @ @ )
------------------oOOo-(_)-oOOo----------------
| |
| SPECIAL PERFORMANCE COMMENTS AND ARTICLES |
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
--------------------------Oooo.----------------
.oooO ( )
( ) ) /
\ ( (_/
\_)

(Articles in this issue)
(posted)
====================================================================
* | -- I WILL BE AT THE ROCK 'N BOWL 06/27|
* | -- LOOKING FOR JOE SASFY 06/27|
* | -- HIP HOP IN ZYDECO: GOOD OR BAD 06/25|
* | -- HAS ZYDECO CHANGED? 06/25|
* | -- FROM THE E-MAILBAG 06/25|
* | -- ALLONS EN LOUISIANE 06/23|
* | -- ZYDECO FESTIVAL AT PLAISANCE LA - PRESS RELEASE 06/21|
* | -- SOUNDTRACK SEARCHER 06/20|
* | -- ZYDECO = LES HARICOT SONT PAS SALES 06/19|
* | -- ZESTY ZYDECO - ROSIE LEDIT - A REVIEW 06/18|
* | -- ROY'S NASTY GIRLS 06/17|
====================================================================
+++

*I WILL BE AT THE ROCK 'N BOWL
*=============================

I will be at the Rock 'N Bowl on July 17th (Wed) while passing through
New Orleans. I hope to have a chance to meet some of the recipients of
this mailing while I am there. Creole Junction will be playing that night
starting at 8:30 pm. Look me up -- I will be on the dance floor.

-- Gary Hayman

[posted June 27, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*LOOKING FOR JOE SASFY
*=====================

Shane K. Bernard, music writer/historian, is looking for the address of
Washington DC-based music writer Joe Sasfy, who in the 1980s wrote about
the South Louisiana music scene for various Washington-area publications.
If any CZ readers know Sasfy's current address, please contact Shane at:
skb...@tam2000.tamu.edu.

[posted June 27, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*HIP HOP IN ZYDECO: GOOD OR BAD
*==============================

[ This was a June 16 posting on alt.culture.cajun, a USENET
newsgroup. The author is our friend -- Shane Bernard.]


In article (lnichols-150...@apm0-33.realtime.net)
lnic...@auschron.com (Lee Nichols) writes:

=It's still a pretty new thing -- in fact, I've only seen Beau Jocque and
=Keith Frank doing it -- but what do y'all think about the creeping hip
=hop influence coming into zydeco?

This doesn't really have anything to do with hip hop influence on
zydeco, but has anyone heard the "swamp pop" tune "Cajun Rap Song"?

It came out in the late 1980s on Floyd Soileau's Jin label of Ville
Platte and received a lot of local airplay around Lafayette. It was a
novelty tune and, just like Rufus Jagneaux's "Opelousas Sostan" and
Rockin' Sidney's "My Toot Toot," it really angered a lot of purists
that such a song should garner so much attention, or any attention at
all.

I think the anger had less to do with the rap influence on the song
than with the lyrics, however, which appeared to some to make fun of
Cajuns and Cajun culture in general. Some of the lyrics, for
instance, are:

We spend all of our time
Down deep in the sticks
Where the cypress trees grow
And the big fat ticks
....
I eat couche couche
I like that, me.
And barbecued possum
Is a delicacy
...
We kill moustiques
And drink beer all day long
Mais, how you think we had time
To write the Cajun rap song?

Some folks in South La. were highly offended, but , IMHO, the song is
not poking fun at Cajuns, but poing fun at negative stereotypes about
Cajuns (Cajuns as country hicks, Cajuns as swamp dwellers, Cajuns as
drunkards, Cajuns as uncontrollable partiers), the same way D. L.
Menard pokes fun at such stereotypes in the "La Porte D'en Arrihre."
In fact, the three writers of "Cajun Rap Song," who billed themselves
as Cypress City, are three Cajuns (named Ducote, LaBorde, and Normand)
from Marksville, in Avoyelles Parish.

SKB
Cajun in Exile

[posted June 25, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*HAS ZYDECO CHANGED?
*===================

[ Here are pieces of an interesting thread that appeared recently
in alt.culture.cajun. ]

.........Lee Nichols writes:

In article (4pssgv$4...@news.tamu.edu), skb...@tam2000.tamu.edu wrote:

=On the subject of zydeco and change:

=Does anyone agree with me that zydeco in recent years (say, post ca.
=1985) has increasingly become less low-down bluesy in its sound (e.g.,
=Clifton Chenier's "Black Snake Blues") and more upbeat "party"-type
=music (e.g., Rockin' Sidney's "My Toot Toot")???

=SKB
=Cajun in Exile

I would say it's RETURNED to being more upbeat, with people like Boozoo
and Beau Jocque ignoring the blues invasion and just going back to
straight-on zydeco. And of course, Beau Jocque and Keith Frank have added
a hip-hop element, which has the potential to be a disaster, but so far
has just produced good results.

You know, I just don't care that much for the blues stuff. If I want to
hear low-down blues, I'll get a Bobby Bland record. I'd rather hear
Clifton do "Zydeco Cha Cha."

-- Lee Nichols
Austin, TX

P.S. Of course, I sort of contradict myself when it comes to cajun -- I
love hearing Cajun-country, expecially steel guitar. Maybe I just got
burned out on blues from hanging out at Antone's every weekend for about
three years straight.

--
"In my revolution, dancing will be encouraged."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

.........Herman Fuselier wrote:

=skb...@tam2000.tamu.edu (Shane K. Bernard) wrote:

=On the subject of zydeco and change:

=Does anyone agree with me that zydeco in recent years (say, post ca.
=1985) has increasingly become less low-down bluesy in its sound (e.g.,
=Clifton Chenier's "Black Snake Blues") and more upbeat "party"-type
=music (e.g., Rockin' Sidney's "My Toot Toot")???

I agree 100% percent that zydeco has changed. Whether it's for
better or worse depends on who you ask. At present, there are at least
10 zydeco bands I know that are led by musicians 25 years old or
younger (Chris Ardoin, grandson of Bois Sec Ardoin and descendant of
the great Amadee Ardoin, is only 14. He recorded his first LP at age
6.)

The flood of youngsters means that zydeco will survive into the
next century. But it also means change as these youngsters have mixed
the music with sounds familiar to them - rap, R&B, rock guitars, etc.
Beau Jocque, who had a tremendous hit with "Give Him Cornbread" in
1993, really brought out this new style.

The kids even have a name for the new beat, "double clutchin"
(which emphasizes more bass), as opposed to the "Clifton beat" as they
call it.

Some of these changes haven't set well with the traditionalists.
They want the youngsters to preserve the past while they keep the
music alive. French lyrics have all but vanished, with Geno Delafose
probably being the one exception.

Some criticize the modern lyrics. While many of Clifton's songs
told stories of heartaches and trouble, much of today's zydeco is one
liners, hoop and hollering, bragging about musicianship or womanizing
or simple nonsense with a great beat.

However, many of the young bands are re-recording some of the old
classics by Clifton, Boozoo Chavis and others with a modern spin.
Some are preserving musical traditions that have been in their
families for generations..

But can we expect today's youngsters to sing the blues when a bad
day for them is when the cable TV goes out? Can they sing in Creole, a
language most of them were never taught?

I think the same questions face Cajun music. "Jai Passe Devant Ta
Porte" is a beautiful song. But in 1996, such a story would be
considered morbid or a reason to call "Hard Copy".

How many more times can "Jolie Blonde", "The Lacassine Special"
and other classics be re-recorded before they get stale?

Only time will tell.

-- Herman Fuselier

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

.........Shane Bernard wrote:

=lnic...@auschron.com (Lee Nichols) wrote:

=I would say it's RETURNED to being more upbeat, with people like Boozoo
=and Beau Jocque ignoring the blues invasion and just going back to
=straight-on zydeco.

That's an interesting perspective, because while I know that both
upbeat and downbeat zydeco/black Creole songs always have existed, I
view zydeco as essentially a blues idiom or hybrid . . . even the name
zydeco, according to USL folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet, takes its name
from hard times. He says that black Creoles in the old days used to
season their beans by adding salted meat, but when times were
especially bad they could not afford the meat, so the beans went
unsalted. Thus the the expression, "Les haricots sont pas salis"
("Zydeco sont pas salis").

Chenier's Specialty recordings from the 1950s are largely upbeat, I
admit. (I think that's what happened when he recorded for a
commercial, and quite popular, R&B label), but if you listen to Amede
Ardoin's pre-zydeco music from the 1930s it was _very_ bluesy, and I
think this is an element Chenier naturally returned to after he left
Specialty. I think rural folk blues had already soaked into black
Creole music in SW La. by the earliest Ardoin recordings in the '30s,
and even Dennis McGee's Cajun recordings from the late '20s sound very
bluesy.

-- SKB
Cajun in Exile

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

.........Shane Bernard wrote:

=Peggy Hall (ph...@primenet.com) wrote:

=Clifton Chenier's brand of zydeco has changed. He stood alone with the
=heavy blues sound. Other zydeco artists of 20 years ago played more
=traditional sounding zydeco.

But don't you think the new zydeco is even much less bluesy than
pre-Chenier black Creole music? The music of Amade Ardoin, for
instance, seems to me much more bluesy than today's zydeco.

(My personal opinion is that zydeco did not appear until the post
WWII era, when R&B became big, an essential ingredient in Chenier's and
Boozoo's early recordings . . . in fact, both Chenier and Chavis did not
record until 1954, if I recall correctly.)

-- SKB
Cajun in Exile

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

.........ZYDECO1016 writes:

None of this answers your question Shane, but were thoughts your question
put into my mind. Zydeco has so many "sounds" that is seems to be
changing all the time, yet it is always recognizable as zydeco. Dancers
can glide to a sweet little waltz or work themselves to a dripping wet
state just short of exhaustion. I have seen zydeco included in the music
classifications of world beat, jazz, blues, cajun and folk. Most
national Blues Festivals book a zydeco band, as do many Cajun (outside of
LA) and Folk Festivals. People are drawn to zydeco from all of these
areas of musical interest. I notice bands change the proportion of
fast/slow tunes depending on the venues and the crowd. Listening to
zydeco at midnight at a Blues Club in Chicago or Baltimore might be a
quite different experience than a sunny hot 2:00 PM stage performance at
Jazzfest, or a 12mn tent dance at a festival in New England. Then there's
the way they play at home.

[posted June 25, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*FROM THE E-MAILBAG
*==================

-----------------
Beausoleil In SFO
-----------------

Gary,

Just a little side info thanks to you. I caught Beausoleil at the
Fillmore in SFO last Sat night. There were about 20 local dancers there
and we proceeded to carve out our space in front of the stage. They do a
little more swing mixed in and lots of open dancing. Michael Doucet
acknowledged the "great dancers up front".

Apparently there is somewhere to dance about 2 or three times a week.
They have 3 local Zydeco bands playing regularly. I gave your address to
someone from Seattle who will send you the schedule there.

The Blind boys from Alabama gospel group warmed up for Beausoleil, and
they were incredible. An "older" gentleman of probably 60 or so was
lifted off the stage and proceeded to wander in the crowd attached to the
microphone cord and worked us into a lather. They are appearing on the
mall this week, according to your schedule.

Again, thanks for the schedule. YOU ARE FAMOUS ON THE WEST COAST!!!

-- Dave Lewis

---------------------
Bayou Boogaloo Report
---------------------

Hey Gary,

I don't know if I know you or you me, but I'm sure that we would
recognize each other from Zydeco dances. I'm Don Rawlings. Melody Wayland
and I went down to Norfolk for the Bayou Boogaloo this past Friday.

Because of a wedding, we could only attend the Bayou Boogaloo on Friday
night. But it was worth the five hours drive down (accidents and rush
hour). Including us, about five people from the Washington, DC area made
the trip down. The last half of Geno Delafose's set presented some of the
most spirited live zydeco music that I have heard in some time. Bruce
Daigrepont followed on a different stage. He and his band played a nice
set of Cajun two steps and waltzes. The highlight of the night (for the
Norfolk crowd) was Terence Simien. He literally rocked the house down.
His was a great show to watch but, as I often find with him, a
disappointing one to dance to.

The Norfolk crowd was great. Melody and I received many compliments on
our dancing and inquiries as to what we were dancing, where we learned
and where we dance. Town Point park was a great place for a festival. We
only wish we could have stayed for another day or two!

-- Don Rawlings

------------------
Top Zydeco Dancers
------------------

Hi Gary, just got your email. I was in Saratoga Springs the last four
days. Beautiful place - couldn't find Zydeco or anyone that had ever heard
of it. La Boheme was the hit of the weekend. Great, but not the same. Roy
[Roy Carrier of Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers] called to say he'd made
it home okay and is looking forward to venturing back up here
[Washington/Baltimore] in July. He thinks we are the top Zydeco dancers
[that Roy really knows how to impress the ladies] and he loves his picture
with all the Washington, Baltimore and PA Zydeco women around him. [see
Nasty Girls article (6/17).]

-- Raleigh Schein

-----------------------
Zydeco in Santa Cruz CA
-----------------------

WOW! Thank you so much!! We are delighted to be on your list...got all
the parts... I am Helen Lancaster and my partner is Neil Bailey (hence the
address)...I am originally from New Orleans, and have lived out here in CA
for 6 years...we teach Cajun/Zydeco dancin' in Santa Cruz...we live at 125
Azalea Circle, Boulder Creek, CA 90006

We have a local band called Crawdaddy, and we are 1 1/2 hours from all the
stuff in the Bay area. Musicians love to do gigs in Santa Cruz, but we
don't have a regular gig going yet...we're working on it...anyone who will
be in the Santa Cruz area July 19, there is a dance happenin' ...call me
for info 408-338-0436 or e-mail me...[NBail...@aol.com]

Thanks again, Gary...Keep on dancin'.

-- Helen Lancaster & Neil Bailey

[posted June 26, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*ALLONS EN LOUISIANE
*===================

I am glad that everyone likes the New Orleans and Cajun Country
Newsletter. Now you can also read a monthly eMagazine on the
Web that includes photos from Louisiana!!

I have just started Allons en Louisiane (Let's Go To Louisiana).
The first edition is small, but each monthly edition will grow
bigger and bigger.

This month's issue has an article about New Orleans, the Global
Wildlife Center, Travel Groups coming to Louisiana, and Cajun
Country Candy Products.

You can find all this stuff: http://www.cajunews.com/

-- Nick Cognevich

[posted June 23, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*ZYDECO FESTIVAL AT PLAISANCE LA - PRESS RELEASE
*===============================================

[ The following press release was contributed by Herman Fuselier.
Last year you may remember, Herman conducted on-site local radio
interviews with personalities and visitors at the Southwest
Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival. He is also the "Keeper" of the
"Bayou Boogie Pages" at:
http://http.tamu.edu:8000/~skb8721/boogie.html. --gh ]

PLAISANCE, La. - After 13 years of providing thousands with foot-stomping
zydeco music and mouth-watering Creole cooking, the Original Southwest
Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival is searching for something new to do. The
answer has been found on the information superhighway.

The Zydeco Festival, set for Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Southern
Development Foundation Farm, makes a splash on the Internet with its own
World Wide Web site. Starting June 25, computer users can log on to
http://www.zydeco.org and receive the latest festival updates, articles
on zydeco musicians and information on the local area and culture.

Zydeco fans who are not on-line only need to reach for the nearest
newspaper. The Zydeco Fest has been selected as a Top 20 Event for
August, 1996 by the Southeast Tourism Society of Atlanta.

The Society's newsletter describes the Fest as filled with "Zydeco, the
unique combination of African-American and African-French sounds, has a
following that goes far beyond its Louisiana roots and fans come from
everywhere to hear it. Another draw, no doubt, is the delicious Creole
and Cajun food that will also be plentiful."

The Society's Top 20 events are featured in over 800 newspapers,
magazines and radio and TV stations throughout the United States and
Canada. Forty-nine newspapers in the Southeast use the Top 20 on a new
travel page, "Explore the Southeast."

The Top 20 is also on-line with TravelFile, whose service links up to
280,000 travel agents and 40,000 corporate travel planners. TravelFile's
distribution includes millions of personal computer users through EAASY
SABRE and The Official Airlines Guide Electronic Editions.

Through these information outlets, the rest of the world will discover
what Zydeco Fest regulars have known for 13 years - the Saturday before
Labor Day is reserved for dancing, eating and reuniting with family and
old friends in Plaisance, La.

The festival celebrates its 14th anniversary with another all-star lineup
of zydeco's best musicians. Bands scheduled to perform include Thomas
Fields and his Footstomping Zydeco Band, Creole Junction, Step Rideau and
the Zydeco Outlaws, Willis Prudhomme and the Zydeco Express, Boo Zoo
Chavis and the Magic Sounds, Jo Jo Reed and the Happy Hill Playboys,
T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers, Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco
Band and Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.

An ensemble of traditional musicians - Preston Frank, Carlton Frank, Mary
Jane Broussard and Keith Frank - returns to the roots of zydeco with a
segment of "La La,'' the old-time, Creole house party music celebrated
by black southwest Louisiana sharecroppers after a successful harvest.

The 13 hours of non-stop zydeco kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug.
31. Admission is $10 for adults and $2 for children under age 12.

As usual, ice chests are permitted and RVs, campers and motor homes are
welcomed. Official festival souvenirs, limited edition posters and
numerous arts and crafts will be available for sale.

Festival activities begin Saturday, Aug. 24 with the 6th Annual Zydeco
Run for Fun. A brisk 5K run and 1-mile Fun Run snakes through scenic
Opelousas to South City Park.

On "Festival Eve,'' Friday, Aug. 30, the annual Kick-off Concert takes
place at the historic Slim's Y-Ki-Ki dance hall on Highway 182, north of
Opelousas. Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band provide the
entertainment from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For more information on all the activities, contact the Festival Office
at (318) 942-2392. For overnight accommodations, call (318) 232-3808 or
1-800-346-1958. In Canada, dial 1-800-543-5340. Instant fax information
can be obtained at 1-800-884-7329, ext. 610.

[posted June 21, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*SOUNDTRACK SEARCHER
*===================

[ I took advantage of something called SOUNDTRACK SEARCHER the
other day plugging in the words 'zydeco' and 'cajun.' Soundtrack
Searcher is a search engine connected with the Internet Movie
Database that investigates film soundtracks for presented key
words. Here is what I found --gh ]

Soundtracks containing word: zydeco
===================================

1. zydeco is mentioned for movie Doc Hollywood (1991), soundtrack
line(s)

Performed by Buckwheat Zydeco

2. zydeco is mentioned for movie Dunston Checks In (1996), soundtrack
line(s)

Performed by Buckwheat Zydeco

3. zydeco is mentioned for movie Point of No Return (1993),
soundtrack line(s)

- "ZYDECO BOOGALOO"
Performed by BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO

Soundtracks containing word: cajun
==================================

1. cajun is mentioned for movie Another 48 HRS. (1990), soundtrack
line(s)

- "CAJUN PANTHER"

2. cajun is mentioned for movie Steel Magnolias (1989), soundtrack
line(s)

- "CAJUN CHRISTMAS/WOULD YOU FLY"
Performed by Wayne Toups and Zydecajun

Plot summaries containing word: cajun
=====================================

1. 'Gator Bait (1976)
...from the "Cajun swamp rat" when they catch Desiree trapping
'gators,...

2. Bayou (1957)
...A community of Cajun fishermen living around a remote bayou
includes one...

3. Motor Psycho (1965)
...takes exception and pursues them, teaming up with a Cajun woman
whose...

4. Southern Comfort (1981)
...swamp must fight for their lives when they anger local Cajuns
by...

[posted June 20, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*ZYDECO = LES HARICOT SONT PAS SALES
*===================================

While were on the subject, I thought I'd pass along the origin of the word
as far as the best description I've seen. It comes from the song Les
Haricots Sont Pas Sal (corrections of my French are always appreciated)[OK
- Les Haricot Sont Pas Sales {accent missing}], which translates as the
"snap beans don't have salt." But the cute part, the part that makes this
kind of interesting is that to get from Les Haricots, you have to cut off
the Le, elide the s, punch the r into a d (which is easy in French, or
rather, which is easy for me in my lousy French), make the resulting word
a special regional slang, and spell it like sounds. As American as gumbo,
all right.

-- Steve Price

[posted June 19, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

*ZESTY ZYDECO - ROSIE LEDIT - A REVIEW
======================================

[ The following review was written by Todd Mouton and appeared in
the January 10th edition of the "The Times", a well known Lafayette
Louisiana weekly newspaper covering the Acadiana area. Todd is also
a host of "Dirty Rice" the weekly Sunday Louisisna music show on
KRVS-88.7 FM. When in Lafayette read "The Times" and listen to
Todd's show. --gh ]

Zesty Zydeco
Rosie Ledet
Maison De Soul Records

"Don't spend your money/in a silly machine/stay at home/and play with
me," sings Rosie Ledet on "Casino Night," the first of 12 originals on
her latest release. Her powerful vocals ride atop a pop-inflected Zydeco
beat, and the song offers strong evidence that Ledet and her band are
rapidly forging their own musical style. The young songstress is easily
the most prolific Zydeco artist on the scene today. 'Zesty Zydeco' proves
that here success in no fluke.

Occasional touches of piano, percussion and guitar flesh out this solid
new batch of songs, and versatile saxophonist Pat Breaux makes numerous
cameos on the project. He ably wraps horn lines around several of the
songs; it's unfortunate that his playing is never rewarded with a
full-blown solo. Ledet's insistent accordion groves and melodic hooks beg
for more instrumental solos, but few are found on this 95-percent
English-language record.

Still, the songs stand for themselves. "Why You Wanta Hurt A Girl Like
Me" and the "Let The Sky Cry" are noteworthy cuts. Ledet's female
perspective provides a welcome addition to the mail-dominated genre.
Songs like "I Wanta Ride" and "I'm Gonna Take Care of Your Dog" add some
racy innuendo to the album, the later tune warning "Don't let your
dog/follow me home/'cause I got a place/where he can bury his bone."

Danceable, zydeco-driven pop many one day hit the national charts. With
no traditional songs and little borrowed riffing, 'Zesty Zydeco' raises
the stakes for originality in Zydeco music.

-- Todd Mouton

[posted June 18, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-


*ROY'S NASTY GIRLS
*=================

Wayne "Shut Up and Dance" Kahn recorded Roy Carrier and the Nightrockers
at Harry's, the New Haven Lounge, Twist & Shout, and the Cat's Eye
[Metro Baltimore and DC venues] for a live recording: "Nasty Girls"! This
will be the third CD from Wayne's Right On Rhythm label. Those who made
Roy's T&S show Saturday night know that Roy invited the Fly Girls Dance
Squad (all the women at T&S :-) to pose onstage with the band for the CD
cover photo by Marty Katz. And since the photo shots were taken after
we'd been dancing for several hours in that hot hot place, believe me,
chers, we WERE nasty!

-- Linda Keenan

[posted June 17, 1996]

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

{LEVEL 2 STOP}

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

6. CLASSES & LESSONS ........(C/Z Dance and Instruction in Metro DC)
7. DANCE CLUBS/HALLS/ORGANIZATIONS..........(Venues and Clubs, Metro
DC/Baltimore)

PARTS 6 & 7, which do not change frequently, are furnished to NEW
subscribers of the mailing list, then issued only when requested
via e-mail to: gha...@capaccess.org
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

WETA ______________________________________________________________ WETA
_____| Arts & Entertainment Manager | CAJUN/ZYDECO |______
\ | Gary Hayman | DC METRO EVENTS SCHEDULE | /
\ |E-mail: art...@capaccess.org |E-mail: gha...@capaccess.org| /
/ |____________________________________________________________| \
/_________) CAPACCESS - Public Community Network Service of (__________\