Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! #66 July 2018

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Photo by David Simpson

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Featured typeface this issue is Poynter Text by designer Tobias Frere-Jones

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Next month’s feature story Zoom in.

August 2018 | No. 67

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

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“A blind person’s worst enemies are the people who’ll baby you. You won’t learn to take care of yourself, you never learn to be nothing. My grandfather would brag all over, ‘I got a grandson that’s blind but he can do anything he wants.’” — Lynn August

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

N o 66 | JULY 2018 4 Cajun Zydeco Dances in St. Pete

July 3 & 17 (6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) — Caddy’s on Central

GUEST D.J. ON JULY 3 — SWINGIN’ THE ZYDECO

FEATURE STORY 6 T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers

The family business of T-Broussard

CAJUN ZYDECO COMMUNITY 16 The Reading Edge

How a popular newspaper typeface got its start in St. Petersburg.

18 From The Netherlands With Love

ZydecoZity is a weekly radio program, and an annual festival.

20 Zydeco Evangelist Gary Hayman

Gary Hayman knows something about hypnotism.

22 Festival-O-Rama

Some listings from floridacajunzydeco.com/festivals

26 Suwannee Roots Revival Early Bird Tickets Available

A dance tent is part of the North Florida festival Oct. 11–14.

28 Outside Florida

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com First and Third Tuesday in St. Pete, FL

at Caddy’s on Central

217 Central Ave., 33701 Tuesday, July 3 — Swingin' Zydeco Tuesday, July 17 6 P.M. TO 9: 30 P.M. Twice monthly Cajun and zydeco dance at Caddy’s on Central in downtown St. Pete on the first and third Tuesdays. Good mix of danceable music by Cajun and zydeco artists singing about death, divorce, drinking and dancing.

No cover charge. Caddy’s is at 217 Central Ave., St. Pete 33701.

Go to www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com for more information.

5 Photo by Jim Hance

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

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7 Photo by David Simpson

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

T-Broussard behind the drumkit in his mom’s band, Creole Sweet La La.

Z

ydeco is a family business in Louisiana. This is true for zydeco artist Bryant Keith “T” Broussard, front man for T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers.

You might be surprised that he is NOT related to Jeffery Broussard, or Jeffery’s father Delton, or Jeffery’s famous uncle Fernest Arceneaux. According to a writeup by Geoffrey Himes, an arts journalist for the Washington Post and founder of the Roots Cafe in Baltimore, that family is based in Opelousas, near the Atchafalaya swamps, and favors the song-based zydeco of Clifton Chenier and Nathan Williams.

“T-Broussard’s family, by contrast, is based a good deal west in Jennings and Lake Charles, near the Calcasieu swamps, where the

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Opelousas 49

Lake Charles

Jennings

Lafayette

zydeco tends to be more rhythmic in the style of Boozoo Chavis, Preston Frank, and Bois Sec Ardoin. The latter two men, as it happens, were both uncles of T-Broussard’s mother, making her son a cousin of Keith Frank and Chris Ardoin.”

T-Broussard’s mother, Mary Jane (Ardoin) Broussard, was a trail blazer for women accordion artists before Rosie Ledet and Donna Angelle came along. Also in his family tree is Queen Ida, a Grammywinning zydeco veteran on the west coast. Mary Jane Broussard was in the original Magnolia Sisters in the 1970s, and later joined a trio with Morris Ardoin on fiddle and Clarence LeDay on guitar. She has made regular guest appearances with her son’s zydeco group, T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers. T-Broussard returns the favor

by playing drums behind his mom in her band, Creole Sweet La La. Commenting on his mother’s influence on his music, T-Broussard said, “She was the one who taught me accordion. She would play all the time at house parties and family gathering things. Instead of playing guitar, I would play the accordion.”

“Especially with the style she plays, the old traditional style, the original Mary Jane Broussard — where the music comes from,” he said. “The zydeco derives from the old Creole music, and it’s got a different twist with the drums and whatnot. You know, more upbeat.”

According to Dan Willging in OffBeat magazine, “But the things that distinguish ‘T’ from the rest of the pack are his rhythmic lyrical couplets, and the fact that his mother, Mary Jane, was his mentor, making him one of the few who learned accordion from a female role model.”

While T-Broussard has dabbled a bit with the R&B stylings that are so much a part of the music of Keith Frank and Chris Ardoin, and both of those artists have contributed to T-Broussard’s recordings, T-Broussard’s music generally has a more traditional sound and

9 Photo by David Simpson

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T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers at Liberty Theater, Eunice (2016)

11 Photo by David Simpson

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zydeco tempo of twenty years ago, which sounds to me a lot like Geno Delafose, with several of T-Broussard’s own compositions derived melodically from Roy Carrier, and specifically Roy’s “Whiskey Drinkin’ Man.” Geoffrey Himes insightfully commented, “T-Broussard sounds like an imitator when he follows national R&B trends, and an original only when he sticks to Louisiana's indigenous zydeco. But when he sang a bluesy two step such as ‘Lonely Woman’ or a Creole waltz such as ‘How Am I Going To Make It,’ his handsome tenor made the songs more than mere dance fodder. After intermission, he switched to his red, white, and green triple-row accordion, which allowed him to play pretty embellishments on songs such as ‘Talk to Me, Good Whiskey.’ Here was evidence that he was carrying on not just the family business but also the family tradition.”

T

-Broussard got his start backing his mother, accordion virtuoso Mary Jane Broussard, on rubboard, drums and bass guitar. In 1993 at age 21, T-Broussard founded his own band, The Zydeco Steppers, which he fronts on accordion and vocals. The band has has released seven albums including his 2007 release, Zydeco Lover, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in the shortlived Best Zydeco or Cajun category. Reviewing Zydeco Lover, Dan Willging wrote that T-Broussard delivers a confident, commanding

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com performance “that rolls through an all-original mixture of infectious, boogey-down zydeco, Creole-sung waltzes, belly-rubbing R&B and even a swaying swing number. One tune in particular, ‘Old-Time Waltz,’ strolls at a leisurely pace, only to burst into a fervent, danceenticing zydeco that’s a total but welcome surprise. Besides mixing it up song-wise, Broussard alternates between several different diatonic and triple-row accordions so every track feels different than the last. Also contributing to this is producer Ardoin’s slight alteration of Broussard’s vocals through various studio techniques, like reverberation, so, at times, it feels like there are different vocalists at the mic. Though that’s something that’ll probably rankle the purists, the result is a varied sound that doesn’t succumb to the notion that all zydeco sounds alike.”

On the album Super T, Dan Willging wrote in 2009 that the album was his “most adventuresome” with the addition of his brother Mike on keyboards. “Though keyboard chords may be unsettling to some, they’re necessary for the swing tracks and unobtrusive on the zydeco numbers.”

In January 2018, T-Broussard released his latest album, Goin’ Live.

T-Broussard is a road warrior performing at festivals with both east and west coast tours. To name just a few of the festivals where T-Broussard the Zydeco Steppers has performed: Memphis Beale Street Festival, the Sparks July 4th Festival, Houston Zydeco Festival,

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T-Broussard is one of the artists whose music will be featured in the month of July at Cajun Zydeco Dance in downtown St. Pete.

It’s All Good (1995) Git It On, Git It On (2003) Knock Knock (2006) Zydeco Lover (2007) Super T (2009) Blindside (2012) Goin' Live (2018)

Photo by David Simpson

Downtown Wichita Falls Festival, Alabama Blues Festival, Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, Zydeco Extravaganza in Opelousas, Cajun Hot Sauce Festival in New Iberia, the MudBug Festival in Shreveport, numerous casino performances, and headliner at Florida’s Dunedin Mardi Gras. The band played for Stevie Wonder in New Orleans at the Essence Festival. In the past couple of weeks, T-Broussard headlined at the Long Beach Bayou Zydeco, Blues, Creole & Cajun Festival (June 23-24, 2018). Some of his music can be heard as the background music to promotional radio commercials and a Discovery Channel television program.

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com FEATURED TYPEFACE THIS ISSUE: POYNTER TEXT

The Reading Edge It might seem odd that legibility would be a concern when designing a typeface, but there are plenty of fonts around that are meant to be seen, not read; these typefaces are like clothes that look great but barely protect the wearer from the elements.

The Poynter Institute, an organization located in St. Petersburg that owns the Pulitzer Prize-winning Tampa Bay Times and bills itself as a thought leader in contemporary news journalism, commissioned Font Bureau of Boston in 1997 to design a new typeface family with the right characteristics to be legible when printed on newsprint and coated paper, to display well on the web, and to help newspapers migrate to smaller press configurations. Ultimately, designer Tobias Frere-Jones came up with the Poynter type family with four “grades� or weights that are legible in one grade or another set in small sizes and printed on recycled newsprint or high gloss coated paper. The Poynter typeface sets the same amount of copy in the same space across all of the grades, and it fits 20% more copy into columns than some other typefaces in use. In 2004, a study by the Ascender Corporation showed a high adoption of Poynter by one hundred leading newspapers worldwide that undertook design makeovers.

More newspapers in the study adopted Poynter (36%) than any other typeface. Runners-up included Franklin Gothic, Helvetica, Utopia, Times, and Century Old Style.

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Tobias Frere-Jones designed Poynter newspaper headline fonts as well.

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INTERVIEW WITH GARY HAYMAN BY HENK MUTSAERS

From The Netherlands With Love

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enk Mutsaers produces a weekly radio broadcast in The Netherlands called “ZydecoZity” where he interviews zydeco artists and personalities, usually in Dutch. Henk has also been producing Cajun-zydeco dance festivals in Europe since 2000. The festivals present Cajun and zydeco bands from various European countries as well as Louisiana. Henk has also recorded some of his own original zydeco songs as well.

Here is a ink to Henk’s June 11, 2018 interview with zydeco evangelist, dance instructor and promoter Gary Hayman.

LINK http://www.uitdaging.net/zzr/zydeco-dancing/interviewwith-former-cajun-and-zydeco-dance-instructor/

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

From Gary Hayman: I was interviewed on Dutch radio (via Skype) relative to my past zydeco dancing and teaching experience and involvement in the zydeco community.

Although this was a Dutch radio production, a video of the interview is currently on YouTube as well as several Dutch websites.

The interviewer was Henk Mutsaers, a Dutch radio personality, ZydecoZity Henk Musaers on the dance floor at his Cajun and zydeco Zydeco Festival functionary and festival. promoter, musician, food and health activist, and video producer. He is also a long time friend from when I taught zydeco dancing at ZydecoZity Cajun/Zydeco Festival in Raamsdonksveer, Netherlands for about six years in my younger years.

Henk currently produces a weekly ZydecoZity weekly radio program dedicated to promoting Cajun and zydeco music for the Dutch SLOG FM/TV broadcast network, and the annual ZydecoZity Cajun & Zydeco Festival which he founded in 2000.

ZydecoZity Radio: http://www.zydecozityradio.com ZydecoZity Festival: http://www.zydecozity.nl This E-Zine: http://www.uitdaging.net/zzr/cajun-zydeco-bands/cajun-zydeco-nieuws/

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Zydeco Evangelist Gary Hayman

G

ary Hayman has a natural calling to teach. From 1993 to 2006, he built and maintained the ZydE-Magic website, and published his twice monthly newsletter ZydE-Zine with a subscriber list of 4,000 (about ten times the size of my subscriber list, though many read this publication on Facebook, LinkedIn or issuu.com). Both his newsletter and website were cited in The Kingdom of Zydeco by Michael Tisserand and Zydeco by Ben Sandmel, and Gary Hayman is mentioned in the “Zydeco” Wikipedia listing.

And Gary has been a zydeco dance instructor at festivals, dance cruises and dance events througout the United States and around the world. He even built the website for Roy Carrier and the Night Rockers. Gary has been fond of saying, “Nothing is hard when you know how to do it. The trick is to learn how to do it.”

Gary’s experience includes a career in the United States Air Force, where he attained the military officer rank of Major, was an expert marksman awarded first place in a pistol competition, and was a member of the Air Force Squash Team.

Gary had an 18-year career in private practice as a psychologist and hypnotist, and a national speaker on hypnotism.

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

As a skier, Gary skied 150 slopes around the world in countries that include Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Canada.

And as an early adopter of the personal computer, Gary served as chairman and editor of Apple computer special interest and user groups.

Weekly Zydeco Mystery Song Gary Hayman’s current project is The Weekly Zydeco Mystery Song Deb Seeck and Gary Hayman teach a Project, active since 2008. Every zydeco lesson on a dance cruise. week, Gary emails a link to his subscribers of an anonymous zydeco song. Subscribers are challenged to guess the artist and the name of the tune. The answer is revealed in the following week’s mailing. There are no awards for knowing the artist or the song, except for the fun of testing your knowledge.

To subscribe to Weekly Zydeo Mystery Song, visit:

http://ghayman.net/ZMS/invite.htm

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F EST I VA L- O - R A MA JULY 2018 July 4-8, 2018 — Waterfront Blues Festival (Portland) Artists include Chubby Carrier, Horace Trahan, Larkin Poe, Commander Cody, Curtis Salgado, Beth Hart, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Marc Broussard, The Mavericks.

Website: http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com

July 19-22 — Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance (Trumansburg, NY) Bands include Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys, Preston Frank and His Zydeco Family Band. Host band is Donna The Buffalo. See individual artists' schedules for other performances prior to or after the festival. Other offerings include camping, local food and craft vendors, children's activities, daily yoga, healing arts, an instrument workshops, and visual arts exhibits. www.grassrootsfest.org

AUGUSTA HERITAGE CENTER CAJUN & CREOLE WEEK

Come to the mountains and immerse yourself in Cajun music, dance and food. Learn from the masters, join in lively jams, two-step through the summer evenings and experience once-in-a-lifetime performances.

July 29-Aug. 3, 2018 — DANCE Cajun-Creole Week atGUITAR Augusta COORDINATOR Lynne Terr Louisiana Mini • Jim All Levels • Jane Vidrine Heritage Center (West South Virginia) Phillips & Christy Leichty

ACCORDION CAJUN VOCALS Artist instructors will include Kevin Wimmer, Joel Savoy, Randy Beginning • John Vidrine All Levels • Randy Vidrine FIDDLE Vidrine, Jeffery Jason Frey, D'Jalma Garnier. "It's a great From Scratch • Michelle • Chris Broussard, Miller Intermediate MUSICIANS Kaminsky • Walter Mouton, Advanced way to get out of the heat and head for some of theSTAFF most Jesse Legé,scenic Drew Simon & Beginning • Jason Frey Jimmy Breaux & Blake Miller Charlie Terr mountains in the East.

Over the years a lot of Floridians have • D’Jalma Intermediate • Drew Simon From Scratch Mini Garnier Jeffery Broussard Creole Mini •Music attended." and cooking workshops and dancing.

LIAISONSee American Advanced • Jeffery Broussard Repair Mini • Jesse Lége Nancy Weston Heritage Center YouTube Channel. & Joel Savoy https://augustaheritagecenter.

BASS Balfa Style Mini • Kevin ASSISTANT LIAISON org/augusta-schedule/cajuncreole/ All Levels • Jo Vidrine CAJUN COOKING

Wimmer Seconding Mini • Blake Miller Theory Mini • Joel Savoy

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Betsy Fuller

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Sailieu Cajun and Zydeco Nights Festival

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Sailieu Cajun and Zydeco takes place Aug. 2–5 in Sailieu, France.

July 27-29, 2018 — Long Beach Crawfish Festival This listing will be updated with bands as they are announced. Long Beach Crawfish Festival at Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach. http://www. longbeachcrawfishfestival.com

August 2-5, 2018 — Sailieu Cajun and Zydeco Nights Festival (France) Email: bayouprod@aol.com. Website: http://www.burgundytourism.com/discover/must-see/festivals-and-events/ INCONBOU000V503M24/detail/saulieu/cajun-and-zydeco-nightsfestival-at-saulieu

August 3–5, 2018 — Buffalo By the Bayou (West Virginia) Cabins for couples and women sold out. Camping $150 per person. $50 per person admission without camping. All payments by check. Email promoters to make reservations. Nearest motel accommodations 30 min. drive. Capon Bridge, West Virginia.

Information: buffalobythebayou@gmail.com Website: http://www.dancingbythebayou.com/

August 17–19, 2018 — 7th Annual Baja Blues Fest featuring Chubby Carrier (Rosarito Beach, Baja, Mexico) Two zydeco bands: Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, and the Bayou Brothers. Not to be missed: Michele Lundeen, Anthony Gomes, and Gregg Wright. On the beach at Rosarito Beach Hotel & Resort. Info: http://www.bajabluesfest.org/

August 18–19, 2018 — Cotati Accordion Festival (Cotati, CA) This listing will be updated with bands as they are announced.

Cotati Accordion Festival in Cotati, California. Festival location is north of San Francisco. http://www.cotatifest.com

Aug. 31–Sept. 2, 2018 — Ninigret Rhythm & Roots Festival (Rhode Island) This listing will be updated with bands as they are announced.

Rhythm & Roots Festival at Ninigret Park, Charlestown, Rhode Island. http://www.rhythmandroots.com/ws/pages/home.php

Yes! You want to plan your trips to out-of-state festivals farther in advance. This is just a sampling. Many more festivals listed through end of 2018 at FloridaCajunZydeco.com/festivals.html

25 Rhode Island Monthly

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

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Photo by Arielle D’Ornellas

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Donna The Buffalo will be performing at Suwannee Roots Revival 2018.

Suwannee Roots Revival Oct. 11-14 in Live Oak, FL Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park is pleased to announce additions to the 3rd Annual Suwannee Roots Revival which takes place Thursday, October 11 - Sunday, October 14 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida. Additions include Oteil & Friends, Leftover Salmon, Bruce Cockburn, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Shinyribs, Dustbowl Revival, Jon Stickley Trio, The Grass

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Is Dead, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, and David Gans as artistat-large. These additions add to the lineup that includes Keller Williams’ PettyGrass Featuring The HillBenders, Donna the Buffalo, The Seldom Scene, Samantha Fish, Peter Rowan Free Mexican Airforce, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Rev. Jeff Mosier, and Joe Craven & The Sometimers.

With multiple stages (Amphitheater Stage, Porch Stage, Dance Tent, Music Hall, and Music Farmer’s Stage) Suwannee Roots Revival is jam-packed with roots music and dance, and many bands will perform multiple sets. This family-friendly festival includes four days of music, camping, yoga, music workshops, a kids tent, as well as campground pickin’ sessions. Set in the midst of 800 acres of Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River, the venue is a playground for endless activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, disc golf, and biking.

The dance tent will be the center of dance activity hosting bands for contra and square, waltz, and salsa. Bands performing in the dance tent include the Dunehoppers, LPT 10-piece orchestra, and the Walker Family Band.

Early Bird tickets are on sale now. $140 gets a 4-­day weekend pass that includes music, primitive camping (where is most cases you can camp right by your car), all taxes, and handling fees. Kids age 12 and under are free. See all rates and tiers and get tickets at www. suwanneerootsrevival.com/tickets.

The park’s website is www.musicliveshere.com.

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Photo by David Simpson

Outside Florida Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association Dance Sat., August 5, 2018 Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys Terry Domingue was raised singing traditional and original zydeco songs in both English and Creole French. Watching the band perform makes you smile!

They bring to the stage a joyful rhythm and a love of music, culture, and dance.

7 to 8 p.m. Dance lesson (free with admission to dance) 8 to 11 p.m. Dance — $18 Non-members Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30328. Phone: 404-613-4900. Check website for dance events in Atlanta area at http://aczadance.org/

NYC Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.letszydeco.com/

Philadelphia Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.allonsdanser.org

Houston Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.zydecoevents.com/texaszydecoevents.html

Southern California Events http://www.icajunzydeco.com

Portland Events http://www.cascadezydeco.com/

Seattle Events http://gatorboyproductions.com/

Terry Domingue