Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
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Photos by David Simpson unless otherwise noted
Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com
APRIL 2019
4 Cajun Zydeco Dances in St. Pete
Apr. 3 & 17 @ Caddy’s on Central (don’t miss Jerry's party on Apr. 3)
6 Where Is This?
New feature challenges you to identify an interesting landmark.
7 Tampa Bay Blues Festival
Apr. 12, 13 & 14 @ Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg Rosie Ledet and CJ Chenier perform on Sunday, Apr. 14
8 Steve Riley is headliner @ Stringbreak Music Festival
Apr. 11 – 14. Four-day festival in Brooksville known for folk features Steve Riley and Mamou Playboys on Saturday evening.
9 Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys — Three Stops in Florida
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
FEATURE STORY 10 Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie
The zydeco artist that is part of the “nouveau zydeco” generation but describes himself as “more country” than most of his peers. Geno Delafose will headline at Gator By The Bay in San Diego.
CAJUN ZYDECO COMMUNITY 22 Festival-O-Rama
Some listings from the FloridaCajunZydeco.com/festivals page.
31 WMNF Record and CD Sale (Tampa)
Saturday, Apr. 27, 2019, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at at The WMNF Building, 1210 East M.L King Blvd, Tampa. Details at wmnf.org.
32 Gumbo Boogie at St. Pete Saturday Morning Market
Gumbo Boogie performs April 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free admission.
33 Outside Florida
Atlanta hosts Radio Zydeco, and place to stay in Lafayette area.
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com First and Third Tuesday in St. Pete, FL
Cajun Zydeco Dance at Caddy’s on Central
217 Central Ave., 33701 Tuesday, Apr. 2 Jerry’s Birthday Bash Tuesday, Apr. 16 6 P. M . TO 9 :3 0 P.M. Twice monthly Cajun and zydeco dance at Caddy’s on Central in downtown St. Pete. Good mix of danceable music by Cajun and zydeco artists singing about death, divorce, drinking and dancing. As Boozoo sang, “Dance all night, stay a little longer.” 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!
TUESDAY APR. 2 | TUESDAY APR. 16
Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Photo credit to be revealed next issue
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Where Is This?
Some of our readers will be familiar with this place. It is a swing-era dance ballroom built in 1942, and I was struck by how lovingly it has been restored and maintained. The ante room and restrooms might be mistaken for a thoughtfully appointed bed and breakfast. Today its name commemorates a community theater leader who was also a founder of the Florida Folk Festival. Think you know where this is? The answer will be published in the next issue. If you have a photo to share for “Where Is This?,� send it in an email to floridacajunzydeco@yahoo.com.
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
Rosie Ledet
CJ Chenier
Apr. 12, 13 & 14 @ Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Blues Festival Blues festival at Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg will include: Boz Scaggs, Jonny Lang, Tab Benoit, Curtis Salgado. Sunday features Rosie Ledet and CJ Chenier. Tickets available online at tampabaybluesfest.com Kickoff Party on Apr. 11 at The Palladium’s Hough Hall will feature Curtis Salgado. Tickets $30 in advance at mypalladium.org After Party performances on Friday and Saturday nights will be at Ringside Cafe, downtown St. Pete.
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Stringbreak Music Festival Apr. 11, 12, 13 and 14, 2019
Sertoma Youth Ranch in Brooksville, Florida 18953 Clay Hill Rd, Dade City, Fl 33523. Website: http://www.riverhawkmusic.com Sat. April 13: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will perform Saturday evening @ 9 p.m. Saturday evening after 6 p.m. $30 at the gate if not purchased in advance.
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
Steve Riley, Brazos Huval and Sam Broussard of the Mamou Playboys. (Not shown are fiddler Kevin Wimmer and drummer Kevin Dugas.)
Mamou Playboys in Florida April 12: The Veranda at Thornton Park, 707 East Washington Street, Orlando, FL 32801. Website: verandaevents.com
April 13: Stringbreak Music Festival (see opposite page) April 14: Pretty Cool Music Festival, 67 Florida Ave., St. Augustine; Facebook: facebook.com/events/827931070588265.
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EVERYBODY’S DANCIN’ to Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie
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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
’m a chance taker, you might say,” says Geno Delafose from his ranch in Eunice, Louisiana. “Traditional tunes are what I do best and nobody else was doing them. I play the music that I love. I believe in myself.” Delafose is talking about a decision that he made in 1994 when he took over leadership of his dad’s band. He was 22 and had already been playing music in public for 15 years. He had decided to sing and play modern Creole music. Clifton Chenier is often cited as the father of zydeco when he created a unique sound in the 1950s from his family’s Creole la-la music blended with R&B, jazz and blues, and called it “zodico”. Since then, zydeco has evolved away from Creole as each new artist has added his own spin to it. Creole music has enjoyed a revival helped, in part, by the popularity of Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie who continue to sing music in Creole French and to revisit Creole tunes from before the 50s. Geno is one of the generation of musicians known for “nouveau zydeco,” though what a diverse group it is. The term best describes a generation of musicians raised on their parents’ zydeco music played in the 1960s through the 1980s, and restyling it to their own liking with other musical influences from pop, rock ’n roll, R&B, hiphop, reggae, rap and Latin. To a lesser extent, a similar movement occurred in Cajun music at the end of the 1990s when Cajun bands
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com began mixing pop, country, blues and rock with more accordion and bass to their fiddle-based traditional Cajun music. A leader in the expansion of Cajun music to include other influences was Steve Riley, who was a classmate of Geno in high school. The result has been Louisiana music that rocks the dance floor, but with different stylings from different bands. The stylings of Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie is decidedly country with a bit of Cajun and R&B mixed in. Writing in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, music critic Keith Spera described Geno Delafose as the zydeco equivalent of what in country music is called a new traditionalist — a young player who embraces forms of the past. And in Louisiana in the early 1990s, Geno was bucking the trend. At a time when Delafose was a rising star among touring zydeco artists, at home he was out of step with the popular approach to the genre. “You know, I get a lot of complaints from some of the young people [people Geno’s age] that do come out and hear me, and they say, ‘Oh,
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! you play too many waltzes,’ Geno told Michael Tisserand, author of Kingdom of Zydeco. “You know what? I’m happy people don’t appreciate my music around here like they do elsewhere. I really enjoy the road, and I’m making a good living, and I’m not ready to be popular at home." Twenty years have passed since Geno made that remark, and his band is popular at home, playing several gigs each week near home. But that highlighted the fact that Geno is an artist who is determined to be true to his roots and most likely different from all of the other zydeco artists and bands.
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teenaged Geno Delafose was featured in the 1992 John Sayles film, Passion Fish (and several years later on the soundtrack of the film, Eve’s Bayou). In 1994, just before his father’s untimely death at age 55, Geno took the lead on accordion in his dad’s band, The Eunice Playboys. He gave up his seasonal job as a truck driver for a crop-dusting service and became a full time musician. Geno soon renamed the band French Rocking’ Boogie to signal a new generation of zydeco music had arrived, styled wth a traditional Creole aesthetic, sung primarily in Creole French, and designed to rock the dance floor. When interviewed about 20 years ago, Geno said he didn’t listen to a lot of recorded music, particularly accordion music. His favorite
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Demetric Thomas (frottoir), Geno Delafose (accordion) and Pat Stelly (guitar) .
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
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recording at that time was by Merle Haggard. Although he loves country music, in particular older country, his tastes are completely eclectic, as the choice of cover songs on his own albums reveals. His first album, French Rockin’ Boogie, includes a transfixing version of soul legend Charles Wright’s “One Lie (Leads to Another).” His second album, That’s What I’m Talkin’ About!, ends with Los Lobos’ “Let’s Say Goodnight.” But the lion’s share of Delafose’s songs is sung in French. He grew up in a Frenchspeaking household and his grandmother, who lived next door, spoke no English. “There weren’t a lot of
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com other kids in my neighborhood,” he says, “so I was always with a lot of older men, like my father and my grandfather, and they spoke French to each other all the time.” Delafose’s immersion in the traditional language of Creole music is an important factor in his embrace of the older songs. Many Cajun musicians his age speak little or no French and sing the traditional songs phonetically. The Popp Esprite (bass guitar) repertoires of most younger zydeco musicians are entirely in English. Delafose, in contrast, is writing some of his own songs in the Creole dialect. Geno’s sound is unique. In some ways, it is quite traditional Creole music, but it is pepped up with influences from the R&B and countryrock traditions. It is, above all, dance music. And Geno Delafose, with his country cowboy persona, has them smiling and dancing wherever he goes. Geno explains that he plays the single-row and triple-row diatonic button accordions for more traditional, “French-style” tunes. He switches to the powerful big piano accordion, made famous by
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! Clifton Chenier, for zydeco houserocking. The Delafose band is a meeting point of Cajun influences and R&B, and their stylistic range makes French Rockin’ Boogie one of the most interesting groups to come out of Louisiana. Geno lists Canray Fontenot, Clifton Chenier, Iry LeJeune, Beausoleil, and Boozoo Chavis among his influences. “Of course, my dad was the biggest influence Germaine Jack (drums) of all.” Noting that this list covers a lot of different stylistic territory, Geno says, “We are sort of like Beausoleil, Boozoo and Clifton Chenier all rolled together. We have that old country feel, that soft swing, and then we have that loud, bluesy get-down thing going on, too. We try to mix it up, give everybody something they can dance to. It’s very important to respect the elders and what they’ve taught us.” That said, Geno was excited about writing new songs, with lyrics and style reflecting the way he sees the world changing. “Our third CD will be out this summer (1998). I think our musicianship keeps
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com improving. The band is really great now! And we are getting into more versatility and a look at what is happening for our audiences now. This world is changing, and I think in a way it is sink or swim time. I hope people will stay with us as we change, too.”
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ut I don’t have anything against what the other guys are doing,” Delafose was quick to say. “I grew up with Keith Frank and I really admire where he’s taking the music. It’s just not where I’m going.” In fact, Geno suggested, his sound may owe more to that of Preston Frank, Keith’s father. When asked about Boozoo Chavis, he said gravely, “Boozoo was great. I miss him.” “Beau Jocque is the reason that zydeco is big now. He brought the funk into it, with that big bass and the kick drum.” He is quiet for a moment. “I’m more country.” The interviewer, Bill Chaisson, wrote that he was warned that Delafose might forget to return his call because at home he can become really focused on his cattle, his horses, his new tractor, and his family. “In fact, he called on time, and was engaged and engaging throughout. Apparently, wherever he is, he’s right there, and then some.” “I’m just a country boy, quiet,” he says, “but my other job takes me in front of a lot of people.” Indeed, with his charismatic
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! Louisiana cowboy spirit and lively presentation, he is one of zydeco’s international stars. But a remark about fellow zydeco artist Chris Ardoin tells us more: “Chris is shy, like me,” Geno Delafose told Rick Koster in an interview.
Demetric Thomas (frottoir)
“On stage I go with the flow of the audience,” Geno said, “trying to feel what they want to hear. If they want to hear the story that goes with the song, then that’s what we’ll do. And if they want to
dance, well, OK.” Between 1994 and 1998, Geno made three albums for Rounder Records, each one including progressively more traditional tunes and songs. His fourth album, Everybody’s Dancin’, was released in 2003 on Times Square Records. He and the band worked out the arrangements on the road and then essentially recorded the music live in the studio. The band lineup of French Rockin’ Boogie has been stable for years, owed much to the fact that the band members are family, or close to
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com it after playing together for years. Geno’s cousin, Germaine Jack, is the last member to join the band on drums. “He’s coming up just like I did with my dad’s band.” Other band members include Demetric Thomas on rubboard and vocals, John Popp Esprite on bass and vocals, and Dale Patrick Stelly on guitar and vocals. Geno usually doesn’t prepare a set list. He decides on the first couple of tunes ahead of time and then just wings it from there, based on what he thinks the crowd is in the mood for. "Sometimes I don’t even have to say anything. I just start and the others are just right there." Although he writes a lot of songs, Delafose claims he is "not a real songwriter. We’ll be at a sound check or something, and somebody will start messing around with a little piece of something and it’ll just grow," he recounts. "Just give me a little foundation to start with and I’ll build a mansion. But I need that foundation there first." Geno is busy with two full time jobs: running his band and running his ranch. While the ranch and his family are at the center of his life, he is regularly on stage in local clubs and events each week in southwest Louisiana, and frequently on the road to festivals on both coasts and in Europe. In May, Geno is headlining Gator By The Bay in San Diego, one of the largest festivals in the world featuring Cajun and zydeco artists, and attracting more than 25,000 people to seven
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! stages. The highlight of the San Diego festival is the Saturday night dance where Geno will be joined on stage by two other accordion artists, Chubby Carrier and Kevin Naquin.
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n the early years, he was busy in the recording studio, too. If you have caught Geno Delafose live, you know he has a tremendous repertoire of zydeco, creole, and Cajun tunes. But compared to other artists such as Keith Frank who produce a new album, double album or single every year, Geno hasn’t produced a new recording in over a decade. He has probably figured his time is best dedicated to his multitude of other activities. To date the band’s recordings include: French Rockin’ Boogie 1994 That’s What I’m Talkin’ About! 1996 La Chanson Perdue 1998 Everybody’s Dancin’ 2003 Le Cowboy Creole 2007 Geno was nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album” category for his Le Cowboy Creole album (2007).
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April 2019 April 11-14, 2019 Stringbreak Music Festival (Brooksville, FL) Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and other bands. Website: http:// www.riverhawkmusic.com
April 11-14, 2019 French Quarter Festival (New Orleans) Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band, Galactic, Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Cowboys, The Revealers, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Magnolia Sisters, Waylon Thibodeaux Band, Honey Island Swamp Band, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twister. The four-day weekend festival is FREE and there is no cost to attend any of the performances. French Quarter Festival is held throughout the historic French Quarter (Vieux Carre) neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. Music stages are located at Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Bourbon Street, Royal Street, Bienville Triangle, Preservation Hall, the French Market, St. Mary’s at the Ursuline Convent, and Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. ‘World’s Largest Jazz Brunch’ booths can be found in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the Jax Brewery parking lot, and Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. Website: http:// frenchquarterfest.org/
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! April 12, 13 and 14, 2019 Tampa Bay Blues Festival (St. Petersburg) At Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg. Headliners include Jonny Lang, Boz Scaggs, and Tab Benoit. Sunday is "Louisiana Blues Experience" featuring CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys, Mike Zito, Kenny Neal and Tab Benoit. After parties starting at 10:30 p.m. at The Ale and The Witch and Ringside Cafe on both Friday and Saturday. http:// tampabaybluesfest.com
C.J. Chenier
April 12-14, 2019 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival (Ponchatoula, LA) Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band. Venue: Memorial Park in historic and beautiful Ponchatoula, Louisiana. The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is a FREE family friendly outdoor festival, filled with lots of great food, games, entertainment, and fun for people of all ages to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, where we promise you will have a BERRY good time! Past festivals have featured bands like Chubby Carrier. Website: http://www.lastrawberryfestival.com
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com April 20, 2019 Waterway Village Zydeco & Crawfish Festival & 5K Run (Gulfshores, AL) 10 a.m. Rusty Metoyer & Zydeco Krush; 11:15 a.m. Excelsior; 11:30 a.m. Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers; 1 p.m. Excelsior; 1:15 p.m. -Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers; 2:30 p.m. Excelsior; 2:45 p.m. Chubby Carrier; 4:15 p.m. Chubby Carrier and friends Excelsior; 4:30 p.m. Step Rideau. Venue: Waterway Village in Gulf Shores-Under the Intracoastal Bridge (North & South Side) 225 E. 24th Ave. Gulf Shores, AL 36542. Parking for the festival will be available at the Waterway Village public parking lot and free shuttles will be running from the Erie Meyer Civic Center and Meyer Park. East 24th Avenue will be closed to all traffic from the W.C. Holmes Bridge to Acme Oyster House. For more information, call 251-968-1172 or visit https:// www.gulfshores.com/events-calendar/art-culture/2019-waterwayvillage-zydeco-crawfish-festival-5k-run/
April 24-28, 2019 Cycle Zydeco Bicycling Tour (Lafayette, LA) Bicycle, dine and dance your way through Acadiana. Join 300+ folks for leisurely cycling 40 to 60 miles per day with numerous stops for dancing to top Louisiana bands, dining and tourist stuff. 2019 Cycle Zydeco
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! will coincide with Festival International de Louisiane & the New Iberia Spanish Festival included with registration for Cycle Zydeco. Website: www.cyclezydeco.com
April 24-28, 2019 Festival International d'Louisiane (Lafayette, LA) Bands include Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Pine Leaf Boys, the Revelers, Huval Family Band, and many bands from other countries. Festival International d'Louisiane in downtown Lafayette, LA (Evangeline Parish, LA). The annual 5-day festival is held during the last full week of April. Historic downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, is transformed into an entertainment complex featuring six music stages, food court areas, street musicians and animators, arts and crafts boutiques, art galleries, beverage stands, cultural workshops, international cooking demonstrations and a world music store. https://festivalinternational.org/
April 25-28 and May 2-5, 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (New Orleans, LA) A few of the bands of interest to my readers: Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, The Revelers, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, Balfa Tkourjours, David Doucet, Dwayne Dopsie and Zydeco Hellraisers, Steve Riley and the Momou Playboys, Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Pine Leaf Boys, Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, Curley Taylor, Geno Delafose, Wayne Toups, and Lost Bayou Ramblers. 12 stages at New Orleans Fairgrounds. http://www. nojazzfest.com/
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Apr. 26-28, 2019 Pensacola Crawfish Festival (Pensacola, FL) This listing will be updated with bands as they are announced. Some Louisiana bands have performed in the past. Check website for lineup closer to the event dates. http://www.fiestaoffiveflags.org/pensacolacrawfish-festival
May 1-4, 2019 Suwannee River Jam (Live Oak, FL) Artists include Trace Adkins, Clint Black, Chase Rice, Gretchen Wilson, and Hank Williams Jr. At The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak, FL. Website: http://suwanneeriverjam.com/
May 2-5, 2019 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival (North Carolina) Bands include Preston Frank and 50 other bands. 4 days, 4 stages in beautiful, green Chatham County, North Carolina. http://shakorihillsgrassroots.org/
Preston Frank
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! May 3-5, 2019 Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival (Breaux Bridge, LA) Bands include Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Lil Nate the Zydeco Big Timers, Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, Nathan Williams and the Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express Zydeco Cha-Chas, Geno Delafose and French Rockin Boogie and many more. The Crawfish Festival has also become one of the largest gatherings of world famous Cajun musicians. All weekend long you can hear the sound of authentic Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop music rising from the festival. Whether your musical taste is Cajun or Creole, you can witness over 30 bands perform over the three day event if you think you have the stamina. It’s a perfect opportunity to see our musical tradition passed from generation to generation. Watch the Cajun dance contests, and if you’re brave, join in. There’s no better way to learn. There are even Cajun music workshops held in the heritage tent. Website: http:// bbcrawfest.com/
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com May 5–10, 2019 Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week (Lafayette, LA) Instructors include Brazos Huval, Cedric Watson, Corey Ledet, David Greely, Drew Simon, Forest Huval, Kelli Jones, Kevin Wimmer, Sam Brousard, Wilson Savoy and others. Website: https://www.lafolkroots. org/balfa-week
May 9-12, 2019 Gator By The Bay Zydeco & Crawfish Festival (San Diego) 2019 bands include Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys, and Aki Kumar Bollywood Blues. The total number of artists at the event will be over 60. The event draws 20,000 each year, and offers the dancer seven music stages from Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie which to choose, with two main stages offering 3,000 sq. ft. tented dance floors at each. The event is situated on mile-long Spanish Landing Park on San Diego Bay directly across the street from San Diego Lindbergh International Airport. The weather in San Diego is particularly nice in May with temps at the bay around 75 degrees, but bring a jacket because when the sun goes down it gets a bit chilly. Website: www.gatorbythebay.com.
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! May 23-26, 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Fest (Jacksonville, FL) Gladys Knight, Brian Culbertson, Monty Alexander, LPT, Brass-aHolics, Amina Scott, Avery's Sunshine, Moonchild, Greg Adams and East Bay Soul, Ledisi, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio. Experience all Downtown Jacksonville has to offer as it comes alive with the sounds of jazz greats and modern favorites at the 2018 Gladys Knight Jacksonville Jazz Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Three stages of live jazz, local food, drinks, shopping and entertainment. Since first taking place in 1981, the Jazz Fest has become one of the largest jazz festivals in the country, offering a fun and vibrant street festival atmosphere, and in 2018 you can experience it on an even larger scale throughout 15 blocks of downtown. Website: http://jacksonvillejazzfest.com/
May 24-26, 2019 "Zydeco Zity" International Cajun Zydeco Festival (Netherlands) Bands include Zydeco Playboys, River Zydeco Band, Zydeco Prophecies, Cajun Bouexi Band, Evil Emil and King Kong Cobras, John Qui Saute. After party: Allez Mama. Festival location: Corner Kloosterweg and Wilhelminalaan, next to the soccer fields, Raamsdonksveer. Website: http://www.zydecozity.nl/en
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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com May 24-26, 2019 Florida Folk Festival (White Springs, FL) Artists include Billy Dean, Brother Brother, Tom Shed, Frank Thomas, John Anderson, Wild Shiners, Mindy Simmons, Ben Prestage, Toney Rocks, Rod MacDonald, John McEuen and the Stringwizards. A threeday celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique. Florida Folk Festival is near intersection of I-10 and I-75 in northern part of Florida. Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park is a Florida State Park located in White Springs off U.S. 41, along the Suwannee River in north Florida, 11016 Lillian Sanders Dr, White Springs, FL 32096 Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parksand-trails/stephen-foster-folk-culture-center-state-park/florida-folkfestival-schedule-highlights
May 30 through June 2, 2019 Orange Blossom Country Dance Festival (Orlando, FL) Voted favorite North American UCWDC event! Swing and country dance competitions, Lots of social dancing. They are to their credit UCWDC Classic Masters World Champions, World Professional Smooth Finalists, Classic and Showcase Swing Champions, and U.S. Open Swing Cabaret Champions. There will be country, swing, hustle, and cabaret division competitions as well as dedicated ballrooms for just social dancing throughout the event. Event will be held at Orlando Airport Marriott. Website: http://www.orangeblossomdance.net/
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 2019 at FloridaCajunZydeco.com/festivals.html
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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!
WMNF Record & CD Sale Saturday, Apr. 27, 2019 — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1210 East M.L King Blvd, Tampa. Admission is free. Most CDs and LPs will be priced at $2. Parking may be a challenge. More information: http://wmnf.org
Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Facebook
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Gumbo Boogie Band Saturday, Apr. 4, 2018 — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Saturday Morning Market. The St Petersburg Saturday Morning Market is open from 9am – 2pm from October to May. Location is Al Lang Stadium parking lot, downtown St. Pete, 1st Ave. South at 1st Street. Website: https://saturdaymorningmarket.com
Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! Outside Florida Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association Dance Sunday, April 14, 2019
Radio Zydeco Party 4 to 7 p.m. (45 minute dance lesson at 4 p.m.) Garden Hills Community Center, 337 Pine Tree Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30305 Website: aczadance.org Editor’s note: Members of ACZA make a tremendous financial commitment to get great bands to Atlanta, so if you’re in the area please support the cause.
NYC Cajun Zydeco Events letszydeco.com
Philadelphia Cajun Zydeco Events allonsdanser.org
Houston Cajun Zydeco Events zydecoevents.com/texaszydecoevents.html
Southern California Events icajunzydeco.com
Need a place to stay in the Lafayette area? Former Floridian Trish Gowl provides modestly priced “AirBnB” accommodations for visitors to Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole communities. Her place is in Breaux Bridge, walking distance to La Poussiere and Buck and Johnny’s, and about a 15-minute Dr. to any of the clubs in Lafayette. You can view her accommodations at https://www. airbnb.com/rooms/21433064, or shoot her an email at pgowl92@gmail.com.
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