Classie Ballou: Boozoo’s Bottom
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 (05:00:00) (228 reads)
Classie Ballou: Boozoo’s Bottom
Zydeco & Blues Bass Guitarist A Living Legend
Reprint from October 1, 2011
Interview by D'Jalma Garnier and Todd Mouton
Classie Ballou, Jr. Photo by Philip Gould.
In the world of zydeco, the accordionists and front men are the names in lights. But like R&B and funk, in zydeco the bass players are living legends. Classie Ballou, Jr. brought the bottom end of zydeco out of the late ’50s and early ’60s into a new standard.
Before his long, infamous tenure with Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds, Ballou played with WAR and Archie Bell and the Drells. He continues today with Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys and many other bands. He was interviewed at Louisiana Folk Roots’ annual Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week at Chicot State Park by Todd Mouton and D’Jalma Garnier, who will join Ballou and Broussard onstage for a similar “words and music” workshop at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 16 as part of Festivals Acadiens et Cre´oles in Lafayette’s Girard Park.
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Car Wreck Kills Eunice Community Activist
Posted by rsias on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 (17:00:00) (374 reads)
Car Wreck Kills Eunice Community Activist
Local Pioneer/Educator George Fisher Dies in Head-On Collision
March 11, 2013
by William Johnson
George Fisher (Educator, Entreprenuer, Civil Rights Activist, DJ) Voice of The People!
1950 - March 10, 2013
A three-vehicle accident Sunday evening in Iberia Parish has claimed the life of George Fisher of Eunice.
Fisher, 63, was known as a longtime community activist and head of Blackman Seven, a local civil rights watchdog group.
Fisher, who was also active with the National Action Network, has been a regular in local politics for decades, protesting everything from alleged police brutality to what he saw as illegal or improper acts by mayors, police chiefs, school board members and officials throughout the region.
Local Poineer George Fisher Killed
Posted by rsias on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 (16:00:00) (160 reads)
Local Poineer George Fisher Killed
Educator, Civil Rights Activist, DJ killed in head-on collision
March 11, 2013
George Fisher (Educator, Entreprenuer, Civil Rights Activist, DJ)
1950 - March 10, 2013
Eunice retired educator and civil rights activist George Fisher was killed Sunday night when his vehicle was hit head-on by a pickup truck driven by an unlicensed and suspected impaired driver on La. 95 north of I-10. He was 63.
Fisher retired in 2012 after 40 years in public education. His last assignment was facilitator at the Eunice Alternative School.
Fisher received the 2009 Martin Luther King Award presented annually by the city’s MLK Celebration Committee.
He was founder and president of Black Man Seven, a community group active in many civil rights issues and cases. He also owned a nightclub.
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The Shuffle Done Right
Posted by ZLady on Monday, March 04, 2013 (17:00:00) (93 reads)
Shuffle Done Right
Contemporary Blues Master Lived The Blues Life!
March 1, 2013
By Carlo Rotella
Magic Slim was a contemporary of blues greats
Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf who helped shape the
sound of the Chicago blues.
DO YOURSELF a favor. Go to YouTube and search for “Magic Slim Goin’ to Mississippi Blind Pig 2011.” The video shows blues fundamentalist Magic Slim recording a song with his band, the Teardrops, in the warehouse of his record label two years ago. He was still going strong then at age 73, despite chronic heart and lung ailments. In the video he plays a straight blues shuffle, the kind of thing played every day by millions of musicians all over the world. But it’s a shuffle done right, a form lastingly codified in the 1950s during the golden age of Chicago blues and perfected by Magic Slim over the course of a musical lifetime. And a shuffle played right is a truly satisfying — and deceptively rare — thing.
Magic Slim Funeral Arrangements
Posted by ZLady on Saturday, March 02, 2013 (15:08:04) (167 reads)
Magic Slim Funeral Arrangements
Going Home Services On March 2, 2013!
February 25, 2013
Manager Marty Salzman released this information with respect to Magic Slim.
Morris "Magic Slim" Holt
"Blues Great!"
August 7, 1937 - February 21, 2013 Going Home Services Saturday, March 2, 2013
The funeral service for Magic Slim will be at Horizons Community Church, 3200 Grainger Parkway, Lincoln Nebraska on Saturday, March 2, at 10 am.
A musical memorial tribute is currently being planned in Chicago IL. The Zoo Bar in Lincoln is also planning a musical tribute. Both tributes will be announced when details are finalized. These memorial tributes will be benefits with all proceeds going to Ann Holt and her family.
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Bluesman Morris "Magic Slim" Holt Dies
Posted by ZLady on Saturday, March 02, 2013 (14:08:52) (115 reads)
Bluesman Morris "Magic Slim" Holt Dies
Blues Great Transitions at the Age of 75
February 22, 2013
by Bob Coritorre
Morris "Magic Slim" Holt "Blues Great!"
August 7, 1937 - February 21, 2013
Rest In Peace
With the passing of Magic Slim we say farewell to one of the greatest traditional Chicago blues artists of our time. Magic Slim died of complications from a breathing disorder after weeks of hospitalization. He was 75.
Though a great singer, guitarist and band leader, it was Magic Slim's undeniable personality that set him apart. He could play heartfelt, rough and tumble Chicago blues with a zest that was unmatched. Every part of Magic Slim's being was the blues - his geographical path, his hard partying, fun loving personality, and his far traveling, dedicated lifestyle.
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
"Mustang Sally"
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MC Hammer Tweets About His ‘Teachable Moment’ Arrest
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 (21:30:24) (113 reads)
MC Hammer Tweets About His ‘Teachable Moment’ Arrest
MC Hammer arrested in obstructing officer case
February 25, 2013
By Elwyn Lopez and Phil Gast
MC Hammer has suggested he was
a victim of racial profiling and has
called his recent arrest a “teachable moment.”
Rapper MC Hammer launched a string of tweets Saturday with his side of the story two days after he was arrested in northern California for allegedly obstructing an officer.
Among his tweets, Hammer said, apparently referring to the arresting officer, that he was asked whether he was on parole or probation before the man tried to pull him out of his vehicle Thursday night.
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Cleotha Staples of The Staple Singers Dies at 78
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 (19:20:00) (101 reads)
Cleotha Staples of The Staple Singers Dies at 78
Pioneering Gospel Singer Transitions on February 21, 2013
February 22, 2013
by Bill Carpenter
The Black Gospel Blog
Cleotha 'Cleedi' Staples
April 11, 1934 - February 21, 2013
Rest In Peace
Cleotha ‘Cleedi’ Staples, a founding member of the pioneering folk-gospel group, The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78. She had gracefully battled Alzheimer’s disease for the last decade and passed away peacefully at her Chicago home on the morning of February 21, 2013.
Staples was born April 11, 1934 in Drew, Mississippi. She was the first-born child of Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his wife, Oceola. The family moved to Chicago in 1936 for better job opportunities. In the Windy City, siblings Pervis, Yvonne, Mavis and Cynthia were born. Pops worked a variety of manual labor jobs during the day and Oceola worked at the Morrison Hotel at night. To entertain the children in the evening, Pops began to teach them gospel songs while he strummed along on his ten-dollar guitar. His sister Katie enjoyed the sing-a-longs so much that she arranged for the family to sing at her church one Sunday morning in 1948. The family was called out for three encores and more than $7 was raised in the offering basket. Pops realized the family group had a future, and The Staple Singers were born.
The Staple Singers Respect Yourself Live Filmed Performance 1972
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Roscoe Chenier Dies
Posted by rsias on Thursday, February 07, 2013 (02:00:00) (533 reads)
Roscoe Chenier Dies!
Local and Legendary Blues Guitarist Transitions At The Age Of 71
February 7, 2013
by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
Roscoe Chenier "Blues Legend"
(November 6, 1941 - February 7, 2013) REST IN PEACE
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE ZYDECO & BLUES NATION
AND OUR CREOLE CULTURE PROUD AND STRONG!!!
Legendary and local blues musician, guitarist, and singer, Mr. Roscoe Chenier died on Thursday morning at 7:30am in Opelousas, Louisiana from complications related to diabetes. The son of Arthur and Philomen Chenier, Roscoe Chenier was born on November 6, 1941 in Notleyville, Louisiana (a small rural community just outside of Opelousas, Louisiana). He was the second cousin of the late King of Zydeco Music, Mr. Clifton Chenier and an accomplished blues musician who sometimes dabbled in the world of zydeco.
Roscoe Chenier - "Tomcat Blues"
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Leader of Buckwheat Zydeco to Undergo Cancer Treatment
Posted by rsias on Sunday, January 13, 2013 (05:33:15) (233 reads)
Leader of Buckwheat Zydeco to Undergo Cancer Treatment
Zydeco Nation's Elder Statesman In Our Prayers!
January 8, 2013
by Matthew Sigur
Grammy Award-winner and zydeco legend Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural Jr. is postponing upcoming concert dates while he undergoes treatment for early-stage cancer on his left lung and a vocal cord.
According to a press release from Alligator Records, Dural, who lives in Carencro, will begin treatment immediately. Doctors expect a full recovery, and Dural said he expects to return to the road this summer.
"I feel fine," Dural said, according to the release. "I'll beat this and be back on the road soon, and you can take that to your best bank."
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'Whip Them Potz!!!'
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 (21:00:00) (216 reads)
'Whip Them Potz!!!'
John "Snuggles" Anderson becoming a master of Zydeco and Food!
November 14, 2012
by Herman Fusilier
John "Snuggles" Anderson, known as the "Zydeco Chef"
provides 3 full meals a day for offshore crews.
Love to eat? Work on an offshore oil rig and your stomach may think it's gone to buffet heaven.
Workers on John "Snuggles" Anderson's rig get all-you-can-eat choices of seafood, steak and fried chicken — and that's just on the weekends. During the week, they feast on barbecue chicken, pork and sausage, even a junk food day of pizza, po'boys, hot dogs, burgers, fries and more.
Because Anderson's also a zydeco musician, workers may even get a two-step with their gumbo.
"I'm working on a cookbook called 'Zydeco Cooking,'" said Anderson, 26, of Sunset. "It'll have some of my offshore recipes with zydeco names, like 2-Stepping Roux, Same Ol' 2-Stepping Gumbo, Ya U Rite Gumbo, Trail Ride Peach Cobbler and Round-Up Chocolate Cookies.
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Zydeco Food Drive Still Helping Families
Posted by rsias on Thursday, November 08, 2012 (21:35:00) (197 reads)
Zydeco Food Drive Still Helping Families
Needy Families Served for Over 25 years!
November 8, 2012
by Herman Fusilier
26th Annual Zydeco Food Drive
Wednesday & Thrusday @7;30pm
Club 903
903 Simcoe St
Lafayette, Louisiana
Don "Apollo" Wilson estimates that in its 25 years, the Thanksgiving Zydeco Food Drive has touched at least 200,000 lives. The annual event combines music with canned goods and monetary donations to distribute Thanksgiving food baskets to local families.
Each year, Wilson spends months organizing the drive, a task he's been doing for a quarter of century. But Wilson said he's not tired yet.
"It's just great to be able to do this for another year — only by the grace of God," said Wilson. "We've been blessed to do this.
"We're hoping this year is one of the biggest ever. Last year was the first time we did it for two nights. This year, it's going to be off the chain. We're calling it 'Fire on the Bayou'."
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Zydeco Force's Shelton Broussard More Than Just Yells
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 (20:00:00) (334 reads)
Zydeco Force's Shelton Broussard More Than Just Yells
Funeral for Zydeco Force pioneer on Saturday, November 17, 2012
November 14, 2012
by Herman Fusilier
Funeral for Shelton Broussard Saturday, November 17, 2012 @ 11:00 am
St. Ann's Church in Mallet, Louisiana
(1963 - November 6, 2012)
REST IN PEACE
AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE ZYDECO NATION
AND OUR CREOLE CULTURE PROUD AND STRONG!!!
I've been trying to spell Shelton Broussard's yell. Is it "whup," "whoraw," "Oh Lord," "Oh yi" or a combination of all four?
Whatever it was, it had the zydeco world jumping in the late 1980s and into the '90s. Zydeco Force had capacity crowds jumping to a raw, rural sound that was taking over the zydeco scene.
Just as the songs reached their peak, Broussard, Zydeco Force's guitarist, would let loose with three or four of his trademark yells. The timing was perfect. The yells sounded great. Broussard was feeling good. He made you feel good, too.
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Zydeco Force Member Dies In Fire
Posted by rsias on Friday, November 09, 2012 (21:38:00) (290 reads)
Zydeco Force Member Dies In Fire
Zydeco Nation's Shelton Broussard Transitions at the age of 49
November 9, 2012
by William Johnson
Shelton Broussard Zydeco Force Founding Member
Zydeco Nation Legend!!!
(1963 - November 6, 2012)
REST IN PEACE
AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE ZYDECO NATION
AND OUR CREOLE CULTURE PROUD AND STRONG!!!
Shelton Broussard, a legend in the Opelousas Zydeco music scene, has died in a fire in his home.
Opelousas police officials said Shelton died Tuesday night when a fire broke out in his mobile home. He was 49.
Broussard was guitarist and founding member of the legendary band, Zydeco Force. Starting in the late 1980s and throughout the '90s, Zydeco Force became a dancehall and festival favorite, with hit songs like "Hey Madeline," "On My Way" and "B-Flat."
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Francis Emerson Haynes Obituary
Posted by rsias on Friday, October 26, 2012 (18:25:13) (280 reads)
Francis Emerson Haynes Obituary
October 20, 2012
by Williams Funeral Home
Francis Emerson Haynes
Pioneering African American Business Woman
1925 - October 19, 2012
OPELOUSAS - We, Williams Funeral Home, are mourning the loss of our beloved owner, Mrs. Frances Emerson Haynes, 87, who took her last breath Friday night, October 19, 2012 at Opelousas General Health System in Opelousas, LA. We will celebrate her life at 11:30 A.M. Friday, October 26, 2012 at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 732 N. Union Street in Opelousas, LA.
Mrs. Haynes will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Mr. Alvin Haynes, Sr. at Bellevue Memorial Park in Opelousas, LA.
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Francis Emerson Haynes Remembered
Posted by rsias on Friday, October 26, 2012 (18:19:45) (245 reads)
Francis Emerson Haynes Remembered
Pioneering Founder and Owner of Williams Funeral Home
Transitions at the age of 87
October 23, 2012
by William Johnson
Francis Emerson Haynes
Pioneering African American Business Woman
1925 - October 19, 2012
Funeral services for Francis Emerson Haynes, 87, the owner of Williams Funeral Home, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday in Holy Ghost Catholic Church.
She is remembered by those close to her as both an intelligent and strong-willed business woman and someone with a huge and generous heart.
"When you talk about a business leader, she was the consummate business person and an important community leader," said St. Landry Parish Clerk of Courts Charles Jagneaux, who served with her for the past 20 years on numerous boards.
"She had a tremendous influence on the community. She was not involved in politics but served as the public's conscience," Jagneaux said.
Haynes is credited with carrying the funeral home and Williams Progressive Insurance through a difficult period following the death of her husband in the 1960s.
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Hadley J. Castille Transitions
Posted by rsias on Thursday, October 25, 2012 (17:00:00) (212 reads)
Hadley J. Castille Transitions
World Renowed Cajun Fiddler Transitions at the age of 79
October 26, 2012
by Herman Fusilier
Hadley J. Castille
Legendary and Respected Cajun Fiddler
(March 3, 1933 – October 25, 2012 )
In 1992, John Buckelew answered a newspaper ad for fiddle lessons and met Hadley Castille. Castille took Buckelew under his wing and, by 1996, both were on stage together playing at Festival International de Louisiane and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
"He told me after four years, 'You got to get out of here. You got do your own thing. I can't teach you nothing else,'" said Buckelew. "He was very generous as far as bringing you along with him and introducing you to other fiddlers and learning other styles.
"He was always encouraging. If he felt like you had some potential, he would stay after you. He was just a super guy."
Students, fans, family and friends are remembering Castille, a renowned Cajun fiddler who died Thursday morning at Prompt Succor Nursing Home in Opelousas. Services are pending.
Last summer, Castille, 79, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor that, in a matter of months, left him incapacitated and in a nursing home.
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Zydeco Musician Corey Arceneaux Is A Father First And Foremost
Posted by ZLady on Saturday, June 16, 2012 (14:00:00) (487 reads)
Zydeco Musician Corey Arceneaux Is A Father First And Foremost
June 13, 2012
By Dominick Cross
The Independent Weekly
Corey Arceneaux, surrounded by sons
Tyler Arceneaux, 10, Corey Arceneaux Jr., 12,
and 18-year-old Desmond Joseph Photos by Robin May
Ideally, raising children is better accomplished as a family unit, but going it alone doesn’t make the responsibility an impossible task. It does, however, take commitment, planning and love.
Zydeco band leader Corey Arceneaux knows this. He has been a single father of three boys — Desmond Joseph, 18, Corey Arceneaux Jr., 12, and Tyler Arceneaux, 10 — for half a dozen years.
“Fatherhood means a lot because the kids, they are our future and what you instill in them goes a long way,” Corey Arceneaux says. “It’s how you bring them up, discipline-wise and just being there for the kids.”
Arceneaux says there’s a “joy of seeing the kids grow up. I’ve learned a lot from them. Believe it or not the parent can learn a lot from the kids – just little things that they do.”
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ZydecoOnline and the Z.H.P.S. Survey California Zydeco & Blues Festivals
Posted by rsias on Monday, June 04, 2012 (21:00:00) (1123 reads)
ZydecoOnline and the Z.H.P.S. Survey California Zydeco & Blues Festivals
Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Nation Explored!
May 10, 2012
by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
The Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Nation is a vibrant, growing and evolving cultural nation with deep roots that is rich in many cultural and historical ways. While the Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues music is the common unifying thread that binds all of us, often times, many people in the Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Nation are too busy to enjoying and dancing to great Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Music to truly understand the cultural, historical, psychological, economic, and social importance of festivals, trailrides, church bazaars, house dances, family reunions, and road houses, and how our great Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Nation has grown and brought many different peoples together.
Last year, ZydecoOnline.com and the Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society continued to adhere to our motto we developed over 15 years ago “Uniting the Zydeco Nation!” and help to introduce the Trailride culture of Southwest Louisiana and Texas to many new people in the world! This year, in 2012, ZydecoOnline.com in coordination with the Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society will conduct an in depth survey of different Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues festivals! Yes, ZOL and the ZHPS will be on site at different festivals learning how each festival contributes to the cultural, historical, psychological, economic, and social fabric of the Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Nation.
For those of us deep in the Zydeco Nation, this is special as it has been 31 years and counting since the Treasures of Opelousas, a grassroots organization made up of local citizens from Opelousas, Louisiana who were concerned that Zydeco Music and Culture was slowly dying out, organized The Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival (the first and oldest Zydeco Festival in the World) in 1981. Since the start to the first Zydeco Festival in, Zydeco Music and Culture has grown into one of the most popular form of musical and cultural expression in the world!
During the months of June and July 2012, ZydecoOnline.com and the Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society will be visiting California Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues Festivals! We’ll follow up our visits to the following California Festivals with a write-up, great photos, and footage for the rest of the Zydeco Southern Soul and Blues Nation to enjoy!
Who knows, you may want to make this Festivals a destination stop in 2013!!!
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Opelousas Music & Market Keeps Going!
Posted by rsias on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 (17:00:00) (539 reads)
Opelousas Music & Market Keeps Going!
May 4TH Music & Market To Feature LA 31 Band!
LA 31 Band, one on the Zydeco Nations's best
kept secrets will perform on Friday, May 4, 2012 at
6:00pm in Opelousas, Louisiana!
April 30, 2012
Opelousas Tourism Department
(Opelousas, LA) — Music and Market in Opelousas continues Friday, May 4th with LA 31The free outdoor concerts are held at Farmer’s Market Pavilion located on the grounds of Le Vieux Village on Vine & Landry Streets. The event is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., with music beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Made up entirely of family, the LA 31 band hails from St. Landry Parish. What sets them apart is that they are known for adding their own flavor to favorite hits of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today. Their music is a roller coaster ride of history rhythm and blues and the electrifying zydeco The band is made up of David Sylvester, Jr. on lead vocals and keyboards; Ronnie Doomes on lead guitar and lead vocals; Eugene Cane on rub-board and lead vocals; Ronald Vedell on accordion; Rodney Doomes on bass guitar and David Sylvester, Sr. on drums.
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You've seen Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band play a relentless and unyielding schedule every weekend throughout the Zydeco Nation with each performance more intense and exciting that the previous performance. Anyone who has had the opportunity to experience the “Soulwood Sound,” will soon understand why Keith Frank has earned the title the “Zydeco Boss” and why Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band has remained one of the Zydeco Nation’s most recognized and respected Zydeco Bands in the Zydeco Nation!
Between performances, it has been a major task to find time to sit down in the studio to develop and produce their next CD project. Well, that wait is over! After 4 years of touring, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band will release their highly anticipated Double CD entitled – “Follow The Leader” on March 16th, 2012 at Club ICU in Houston, Texas and March 17, 2012 at El Sido’s Zydeco and Blues Club in Lafayette, Louisiana!
FOLLOW THE LEADER - CD RELEASE PARTY
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012
CLUB ICU
9541 Mesa Dr. @ Tidwell
Houston, Texas 77078
(713) 631-0033
SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2012
EL SIDO'S ZYDECO AND BLUES CLUB
1523 N St Antoine
Lafayette, LA 70501
(337) 235-0647
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Documenting and Preserving Everyday Creole Life in Southwest Louisiana and Texas
The Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society, Inc. kicked off its annual donation and fundraising drive on February 14, 2012. As part of its annual donation and fundraising drive, the ZHPS will host a Zydeco Breakfast and Fundraiser at Mike's Sports Bar and Grill (Mike's Cafe) located at 150 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California from 8:00am-12:00pm.
The Zydeco Lady, Lola Love will be back in the San Francisco Bay Area and will be spinning hot Zydeco, Southern Soul, and Blues music! This is a family oriented event and admission is free! So come on out, enjoy a great breakast, dance to some great music, and support the ZHPS by making a donation!
Z.H.P.S Zydeco Breakfast and Fundraiser
will be held on March 17, 2012 from
8:00am -12:00pm at
Mike's Sport's Bar & Grill (Mike's Cafe)
located at 150 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, California!
The Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society welcomes the support of all who care about Zydeco and Creole history and culture. The Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 corporation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.
Can't make it to this event? You can make a donation online at www.ZHPS.org & listen to the Zydeco Workout feat. Lola Love EVERY SATURDAY 11am-2pm (cst) on www.KPCP883.com (88.3FM - New Roads, Louisiana!)
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2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run
Posted by rsias on Friday, January 27, 2012 (15:59:20) (3479 reads)
2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run
Lil' Nathan Celebrates the Mardi Gras Season
with A Trailride, Chicken Run and CD Release Party!
January 27, 2012
by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run February 17th, 18th, 19th, 2012
ISBF Lodge - Leonville, Louisiana!
Zydeco Nation!!! Lil' Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers will be "Doin' It Big Time" and heating up the Mardi Gras season with the 2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run on February 17th, 18th, & 19th, 2012 at the historic ISBF Logde in Leonville, Louisiana!
If you think this is a typical trailride, you might what to rethink that thought because the 2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run will not only have a host of hot Zydeco and Southern Soul bands, the trairide will host the CD release party of one of the most highly anticipated CDs in the Zydeco Nation!
Lil' Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timer's CD entitled "BIG TIMER NATION - GO HARD OR GO HOME!" has recieved outstanding reviews, and the CD's singles release has recieved a significant amount of radio play. "BIG TIMER NATION - GO HARD OR GO HOME!" is worth the wait, and will be released and heard by the Zydeco Nation on February 17th, 18th, & 19th, 2012!
2nd Annual L'argent Trailride and Chicken Run Commercial
Opelousas Lives Up To Zydeco Capital Title
Posted by rsias on Saturday, November 12, 2011 (02:00:00) (754 reads)
Opelousas Lives Up To Zydeco Capital Title
November 3, 2011
by Herman Fusilier
The Advertiser Newspaper
Google "zydeco trail ride" and the first result comes from, ironically, the New York Times. The link leads to a lengthy, Times Travel feature, published last April.
Writer Shaila Dewan waxes poetically about her trip to the Pineywoods Trail Ride in Evangeline Parish. Dewan not only details her new love affair with trail rides, she also explains to the Times' 916,000 readers exactly what zydeco is.
"It uses the accordion and washboard, more often called a scrub-board, and went mainstream in the mid-1980s with the help of the hit song "My Toot Toot" and the Dennis Quaid movie "The Big Easy."
Perhaps because of the movie, many people associate zydeco with New Orleans. But zydeco is country music, created by Creole cowboys."
This weekend, Opelousas shows why it's the capital of zydeco country. The city hosts Step-N-Strut, one of the biggest events on the zydeco trail ride circuit. Throw in the Holy Ghost Creole Festival, a separate event that includes lots of zydeco, and it's easy to see why the state legislature crowned Opelousas as the Zydeco Music Capital of the World.
More than 10,000 local residents and visitors are expected to pass through the gates of both three-day events, with many fans spending time at each.
The 19th annual Creole Fest officially starts first with catfish dinners on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and a gospel concert at 7 p.m. Friday. The fest is a fundraiser for Holy Ghost Catholic Church, home of the nation's largest congregation of African-American Catholics.
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Step-N-Strut Draws Crowd
Posted by rsias on Monday, November 07, 2011 (15:10:11) (912 reads)
Step-N-Strut Draws Crowd
November 6, 2011
by William Johnson
The Daily World Newspaper
Riders travel along Highway 31 during the Step-N-Strut Trail Ride, which is a gigantic horse parade,
at Evangeline Downs Sunday, November 6, 2011, in Opelousas.(Photo by Brad Kemp)
Sunday afternoon parking at and around Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino in Opelousas was at a premium for this year's Step-N-Strut Trail Ride.
"We have had about 8,000 to 10,000 people each day. About 70 to 80 percent of them are from out of town," said Torry Lemelle, who with her husband, Dave, has hosted the event for the past 13 years.
One of those out-of-towners was Cardayon Nimer, who made the trip from Houston, Texas.
"It's been wonderful," said Nimer, who has been on the grounds since Friday. "The bands, hanging out with friends and family and having fun, that's what it's all about."
While the event is billed as Louisiana's biggest trail ride, it is the people and an impressive array of Zydeco musicians that brought out most visitors.
Lemelle said the Sunday afternoon ride was strictly limited to 1,000 horses and riders this year. It also followed as many little used roads as possible to limit problems.
While few have objected to the festival, the ride, which has attracted as many as 4,000 riders in past years, has been a major concern for some area residents.
In past years they have complained of roads closed for hours, about litter and damage to property left in ride's wake and other concerns.
To address such problems, the parish council has been debating a new ordinance to limit trail rides in the parish and Lemelle said she and her husband have been an important part of that debate.
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Holy Ghost Fest A Hit!
Posted by rsias on Friday, November 04, 2011 (13:00:00) (816 reads)
Holy Ghost Fest A Hit!
The 19th annual Holy Ghost Creole Festival Continues!
November 5, 2011
By Judy Bastien
The Daily World Newspaper
Helen Robinson is busy at work in the funnel cake booth at the
19th annual Holy Ghost Creole Festival.
The fall weather was perfect Saturday for the 19th annual three-day Holy Ghost Creole Festival, which began Friday evening with performances from local gospel groups.
Saturday was a full day of events that began at 9 a.m. and stretched to 10 p.m.
The church's annual fundraiser, held on the grounds of the former Holy Ghost Catholic School, has become a tradition in the community, attracting thousands who drop by throughout the weekend to listen to local music and sample food from a number of booths or to let the kids play on the fun jumps or other games.
There was a variety of Creole delicacies to choose from, but the hands-down favorite Saturday morning was the festival's legendary pork stew.
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Step-N-Strut To Take New Route Today
Posted by rsias on Monday, November 07, 2011 (14:50:42) (786 reads)
Step-N-Strut To Take New Route Today
November 5, 2011
by Judy Bastien
The Daily World Newspaper
Trail ride enthusiast walk their horses Saturday morning
as they prepare to ride in today's Step-n-Strut ride which
begins at 11 a.m. at Evangeline Downs and makes its way down La. 31.
Evangeline Downs Race Track and Casino is playing host to thousands of visitors, all in town for the 13th annual Step 'n' Strut Trail Ride.
Parked outside the building are campers and horse trailers, all belonging to trail ride enthusiasts.
Some estimate the number of participants at upwards of 10,000 people, who spend the weekend in Opelousas for the annual event.
The cowgirls and cowboys began arriving Friday and settled in for a day of relaxation and music all day Saturday, with the trail ride beginning at 11 a.m. today.
The ride, which has traditionally followed La. 31 out to the IFBS Lodge, will take a different route, this year.
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Zydeco Music is a unique form of musical expression that originated in rural southwest Louisiana. Locally known as "la la" music, Zydeco music was formed and forged in a time best forgotten--a time when African-Americans had to struggle in the fields from sunup to sundown as sharecroppers so that their children might reap a better life.
It was these backbreaking hard times that help to define one of the most vibrant and successful musical traditions in the world. The phrase "Zydeco sont pas sale'" means "The snapbeans are not Salty" in Creole French, and the music draws upon French, Creole, West African, Cajun, Caribbean, and R & B musical traditions. Zydeco Music is characterized by the use of the accordion, spoons, scrubboard, fiddle and triangle.
--ZydecoOnline.com--
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