sign in sign up
<<
Home , Blind Pig Records, Bluegrass fiddle, Cajun fiddle, Cajun music, Cedric Watson, Creole music

41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating ’s French

Welcome to the 2020 Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival!

Like so many events throughout Louisiana, the Natchitoches- NSU Folk Festival was not able to be held this summer as a face -to-face event due to the ongoing pandemic. Pivoting to a virtual format, the festival is being held exclusively online featuring three components: crafts, , and a silent crafts auction. Sad- ly, some elements of the festival, such as the Louisiana State Championship, are not able to be held in a virtual format, but we look forward to their return in 2021.

The virtual crafts marketplace provides opportunities for patrons to encounter the work of genuine folk artists. The crafts of these folk artisans are evidence not only that folklife is alive and well, but that the skills and talents of these artisans honed over a life- time of following leads to the creation of beautiful art. And these crafts make wonderful gifts for a variety of occasions! Pictures of available crafts have been placed on Facebook, with each crafter’s contact information readily available to put buyers in direct contact with the sellers themselves. The marketplace is a public Facebook group named “2020 Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Crafters,” and will run through January 31, 2021. Also on sale in the marketplace is the 2020 Festival t-shirt. Designed by NSU’s Matt DeFord, the t-shirt features a fleur de lis composed of smil- ing alligators.

Several crafts persons have also donated some of their favorite creations to be placed in a fully vir- tual silent auction to be held on Facebook from August 17 to September 17, 2020. Bidders can simp- ly provide their name and bid. Winning bidders will be messaged with next steps on how to pay for their item.

Many of the music groups that would have played live at the festival have been filmed playing sets at their homes, performing on porches and in backyards, as well as other places significant to the art- ists. The music sets, accompanied by interviews with each of the groups, will be placed on YouTube. These groups include Blake Miller and the Old Fashioned Aces, Cane Mutiny, Hardrick Rivers and the Rivers Revue , the LaCour Trio, the Lee Benoit Family Band, the , 2019 Louisiana State Fiddle Champion Ron Yule, Rusty Metoyer & The Krush, Creole, and the Yvette Landry Trio. In addition, and Chris Segura of the Pine Leaf Boys have filmed a workshop. Many of the have a French heritage, befitting the 2020 festival theme “Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures.”

The virtual festival will also include interviews with three traditional Louisiana crafts persons: Cane River Creole John Oswald Colson, a master filé maker; carver Roy Parfait, a member of the Houma Indian tribe; and African American folk artist and memory painter Juanita Leonard.

Rather than live streaming the videos, each video will be placed permanently on YouTube on the 2020 Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival channel, which is projected to be completed by October 2020. The 2020 virtual festival will serve as a kind of time capsule of Louisiana , providing a - ic archive of some of the best musicians in the state as they keep tradition alive. We are grateful to be able to highlight these tradition bearers, who carry on their cultural heritage in such an exemplary manner.

41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

Without the support of our many loyal festival patrons and Northwestern State University, we would not be able to bring you this event. We want to thank C&H Precision Machining, City Bank and Trust, the City of Natchitoches, Cleco, the Natchitoches Area & Visitors Bureau, and many others for their generous donations. Having financial support for the Festival has al- lowed us to focus upon many narrative and folk elements within Louisiana’s . Additionally, the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., Louisiana Division of the Arts – Shreveport Regional Arts Council, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endow- ment for the Arts, and the and Heritage Foundation, Inc., have each generously awarded grants to support the Folk Festival. We appreciate the support of these groups can express.

And don’t forget to come back in 2021 for the theme “Stronger Together: The Power of Folk Tradi- tion,” which will feature Amanda Shaw & The Cute Guys, the Caddo Culture Club, Ed Huey, Flashback, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Hardrick Rivers and the Rivers Revue, the LaCour Trio, Robert Lee “Lil Poochie” Watson and Hezekiah Early, and the return of the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship. See you next year!

4 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Table of Contents

In Memory…………………………………………………………………...Page 6 Hilton T. Lytle

Honorary Festival Chair, Katrice LaCour ….…………….……………… Page 8

Hall of Master Folk Artists………..……………………………………….. Page 8 Katrice LaCour The Pine Leaf Boys

Noms de Bayou: French Place Names in North Louisiana……………..Page 10 Kelby Ouchley

“Hé toi!” The Challenges of Conveying a Message in Contemporary Cajun and ……………………………………………………...... Page 12 Marie-Laure Boudreau

Festival Music……………………………………………………………….Page 16

Festival Crafts……………………………………………………………….Page 20

Grantors……………………………………………………………………...Page 25

Contributors…………………………………………….……………………Page 26

Many Thanks………………………………………………….……………..Page 27 Festival Steering Committee

5 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures In Memory Henry Gray 1925-2020

By Carrie Booher, published on WWOZ, February 18, 2020. Used by permission.

Blues pianist Henry Gray has passed away at the age of 95. He is credited with helping create both the distinctive sound and the Louisiana sound. Gray was born on January 19, 1925. He spent his early childhood on a farm in Alsen, Louisiana, where he took piano lessons from a local neigh- borhood woman starting at the age of eight. He began playing professionally at 16. His blues ca- reer was sidetracked when he joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and was sent to the South Pacific. He continued playing in the Army, and was dis- charged in early 1945. In 1946, he returned to the U.S., landing in Chicago. It was in Chicago that Gray’s career really took off. The scene was hopping, and Gray took a series of small gigs. In 1956, Howlin’ Wolf asked him to join his band. They would per- form together until 1968. In addition to Wolf, Gray played as a session man on many releases of the and 1960s, in- cluding with . He also recorded or toured with , B.B. King, , , Sonny Boy Williamson II, Robert Lockwood, Jr., , , Buddy Photo by Michele Goldfarb Guy, , , Jimmy Reed, , and Slim. In 1968, Gray returned to Louisiana to help with his ailing father and the family business. He didn’t put music aside, though, and his sound became a part of the Louisiana “swamp blues” style as he performed with . Gray was a frequent performer at WWOZ’s annual Piano Night, and he performed at nearly every Jazz Fest starting in 1974. In 1988, released Henry’s first U.S. LP, Lucky Man. In 1998, he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional Blues for A Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf. That same year, he played at ’s 55th bash in (and alongside Mick, who jumped up for a few ). In 1999, he joined and her band for a 30-day Louisiana music European tour produced by Blue House Records. Gray’s career remained active into his final years. In 2017, Gray suffered a mild heart attack and a collapsed lung. A nonagenarian by then, his resolve to continue to play became even stronger, and he was inducted into the just two months later and went on to perform at Jazz Fest that May. By the end of his career, Gray was credited on more than 75 . Henry Gray was a performer at the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival and was inducted into the Hall of Master Folk Artists in 2012. He will be greatly missed by the blues communities and fans in Louisiana, Chicago, and worldwide.

6 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures In Memory Hilton T. Lytle 1922-2020

Published in Southern Homes Obituaries Permission to use from Melissa Rutledge and Barbara Cordell.

Hilton was a retired counselor and educator in Tex- as and Louisiana Public School Systems and he had 35 years of service. Hilton was born in Zenoria, La in 1922. He gradu- ated from Jena High School in 1940 and immedi- ately enlisted in the Army. He served 5 years in WWII and received a battlefield commission. He was awarded two bronze stars and the combat in- fantry medal. He returned home and attended LSU on the GI bill. He married Nancy Clegg of Dallas, TX. who was a Graduate assistant teaching Eng- lish at LSU to Freshman students in 1946. He transferred to A&M in 1946 and earned His Master’s of Science degree in 1950. Hilton was recalled to active duty in 1951 and served 16 months in the Korean Conflict. He was awarded a Congressional Scholarship to Gal- laudet Washington, D.C. and received his Master’s of Education Degree in 1954. Hilton and his beloved wife Nancy, moved to Winnsboro, LA in 1960, where he was the first counselor at Winnsboro High School. Hill and Nancy later moved to Monroe, where he served as counselor at Neville High School. He was then appoint- ed one of the first counselors in the Vo-Tech system. He was named State Counselor of the Year in 1967. Hilton loved people and was often heard to say "in all my years of teaching, I cannot remember hav- ing a dull day." In 1970 he developed a hobby of repairing string musical instruments and became well known as a expert. He actively supported the Monroe City and Ouachita Parish String Programs and the Tensas Parish St. Joseph Orchestra. He went back to work in 2001 for the State Park System at Ozark Folk Center State Park and worked in the music Instrument shop. In this next phase of his career, he made over 1,000 "" and gave most of those away. He not only became a master crafter of fine instruments, but also was well known for repairing damaged instruments. Hilton was inducted into both the Louisiana Folk of Fame and the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists in July 2018 as one of the most respected builders in the Delta Region. He was very intent on passing down what he knew to a of music lovers. Hilton was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nancy, of 54 years. Other surviving family mem- bers include his brother, James Lloyd Lytle of Springhill, LA and Niease Lytle of Jena, LA, along with many wonderful nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

7 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

2020 Honorary Chair and Hall of Master Folk Artists Inductee

Katrice LaCour

Katrice LaCour, long-time resident of Natchitoches, Louisiana, is well-known for his zydeco band The LaCour Trio which plays a mixture of old school zydeco, Creole La La music, and R&B zydeco. , which al- so includes Rainey LaCour and Shoup, plays with the goal of bringing zydeco music to those who do not get it on a regular basis and has performed for various charities. LaCour is committed to reaching his commu- nity through zydeco and commented that “Playing locally, we (the LaCour Trio) im- mediately recognized the need for that zyde- co sound in the area. We’ve always played some zydeco music over the years but decid- ed to make the show around 80% traditional/ current zydeco. This would give us the flexi- bility to entertain zydeco music lovers and at- tract those who were unfamiliar with the gen- re.” Aside from playing professionally, LaCour shares his love and knowledge of music with the rising generation and has taught orches- tra for the past 11 years at the NSU Elemen- tary/Middle Lab School in Natchitoches. The program, which currently consists of 97 5th- 8th students, is one of the largest orchestra’s in the state. Over the years LaCour’s stu- Photo © Cedric Angeles dents have placed 2nd at a competition at Dis- ney World in 2014 and 1st in the High School Division in 2017. In 2019, the orchestra performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City, becoming one of the first middle schools in Louisiana to do so. LaCour’s passion and dedication to zydeco music stems from his French/Creole heritage. Observes LaCour, “I was always told ‘know where you come from sha and know who your people are.’ In everyday life, whether I’m teaching kids or performing, I always try to incorporate my family heritage and culture into whatever I’m doing. Every culture is unique and passing that along to others is the best way to keep it alive. Whether it’s stories shared from generation to generation, or a way of life, that’s what makes French/Creole worth saving. Therefore, I’ve decided to dedicate a large portion of my life to French/ Creole culture.”

8 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

Hall of Master Folk Artists

The Pine Leaf Boys

Photo © https://www.pineleafboys.com/

Louisiana's finest, four-time Grammy-Nominated, world-renowned Pine Leaf Boys have made a name for presenting their own inimitable brand of Louisiana music with youthful exuberance. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys, known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrange- ments, have breathed new life into Louisiana music, reviving ancient songs and bringing them to the bandstand. Being described in the New York Times as, "... the link that connects the young and the old ," and, "the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time," the Pine Leaf Boys play the old fashioned hall standards while making a priority to bring many of the more obscure songs of past masters into their repertoire and play them with gusto.

The Pine Leaf Boys have been invited on six occasions by the U.S. State Department to tour the world and present true music to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Jerusalem in 2009 and again to , , and in 2010 and a third time to the "Stan" countries in 2012 (Uzbek, Tajik, and Kyrgz). The variety and energy they release evolves through their shows, bringing multi-faceted an- gles to Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco. Their mission is to present the beautiful, powerful music of their ancestors and present the real to the world and prove that it is still thriving and full of life. The Pine Leaf Boys have preserved the traditional Cajun sound, while allowing it to breathe and stretch with those who play it.

9 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

Noms de Bayou: French Place Names in North Louisiana

By Kelby Ouchley

Lest you think French influence on our state is restricted to the southern half, consider the sinuous streams of north- east Louisiana. They flow through our geography with Franco-laden labels both pure and bastardized. And with good reason. Spaniards were the first Europeans to pass through this area. They were transient and too busy searching for gold and incidentally destroying endemic cul- tures to bother with naming wilderness features. If they did, they did not stick. Frenchmen were the first to establish a lasting presence. They were not . Throughout the eighteenth century free spirits floated down from central to trap furbearers and render pots of oil from ole- aginous bear carcasses. A handful of "pure" French A sign for Bayou Lafourche marks the eastern boundary of dragged oxcarts up from the Point Coupee region. Most Ouachita Parish. Photo by Mike Luster. were not interested in settlement much to the chagrin of colonial authorities who yearned for the stability of domes- ticated farmers with pedigreed wives and water tight roofs. The Frenchmen were not on the landscape but of it, like the native women with whom they produced a generation of dark-eyed children. Home was wherever they needed to be to reap the seasonal harvests. Game for the table was available all year. Wild fruits began with mayhaws and dewberries and ended with muscadines and hickory nuts. Fishing was best during the spring overflows and later in the summer when the bayous slowed to wading trickles. Then V-shaped barriers of wooden stakes set across a stream would herd catfish and buffalo into willow basket traps. Autumn and winter were the times to gather prime pelts from deer, beavers and otter. Canebrakes were fired to expose bears, and waterfowl borne on Arctic winds were plucked from the cornuco- pia of natural resources. All of these activities had a common thread. They were on or near waterways. One does not efficiently transport burdens overland through virgin swamps. As had been the case for thousands of years here, dugout canoes of red-heart cypress were the conveyance of the day. Frenchmen paddled the eddies and drifted the currents with thousand pound bundles of furs, with Indian wives and half-breed children, with apprehension of losing these free- doms. They plied every major stream in northeast Louisiana. They put their names on nearly all of them.

Most names fall in one of two categories: a French surname, or reference to a natural feature associated with the stream. Surname examples include Bayou D'Arbonne believed to be derived from the common French-Canadian sur- name "Derbanne." A Gaspard Derbanne was known to be a companion of St. Denis in his early eighteenth century ex- ploration of the Ouachita Valley. Galion Bayou in Morehouse Parish was named for a prominent hunter/trader in that area. Chauvin was a surname that yielded Chauvin Bayou and Chauvin Swamp in Ouachita Parish. Bayou Macon comes from the Maconce family. Others in this category may include Bayou Desiard, Bayou Bartholomew, and Choudrant Bayou.

The second category is descriptive. Bayou Lafourche is interpreted as "Forked Bayou", Bayou Coulee becomes "Flowing Bayou", and Bayou de Glaize "Cold Bayou" or "Ice Bayou." Bayou de Butte was named for Indian mounds long 10 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

Noms de Bayou: French Place Names in North Louisiana long since vanished from its shores. Chemin-A-Haut Bayou translates to "High Road Bayou", a reference to the north/ south Indian trace that once ran along its flood free high bank. Plants and animals are represented also. Cheniere Creek refers to the adjacent oak forests. Lapine Bayou is "Rabbit Bayou" and Bayou de l'Outre is "Bayou of the Otter." Imagine bison thundering across the shallows of Boeuf, i.e. "Buffalo River."

Then there are mystery names with veiled hints of an instant of humanity which flowed away with time. What was the "good idea" of Bayou Bonne Idee? Even the two large streams in northeast Louisiana with native American names, the Ouachita and Tensas Rivers, likely have French spellings.

Other geographic features have French names (e.g. the Prairies des Canot, Mer and Chattlerault) but none em- bellish our maps like bayous, creeks and rivers. When eighteenth century Frenchmen plied these streams they could not comprehend that, within two hundred years, dams, dredges, and levees would make the water bodies unrecogniza- ble to them or that relics of their culture would linger with names first spoken from the bow of a pirogue.

This article first appeared in the 1999 Louisiana Folklife Festival booklet. Kelby Ouchley of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosts "Bayou Diversity,” a weekly radio feature on public radio station KEDM in Monroe, Louisiana.

11 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures “Hé toi!” The Challenges of Conveying a Message in Contemporary Cajun and Creole Music Lyrics

By: Marie-Laure Boudreau

There is no doubt that the Cajun and Creole scene is alive and well in Louisiana. If one wishes to go dance, he or she is very likely to find a place to do so any night of the week. Young people are still interested in learn- ing how to play traditional music on the , the fiddle, or the guitar. Yet, learning how to play the accordion does not mean that one has learned French. As traditional music goes, not every can sing Cajun or Creole folk songs because often the lyrics are in French. In addition, not everyone in the audience can understand traditional music lyrics.

A living tradition is an ongoing process. Old songs are still played (thus, re-actualized); new songs are written. Most of the time, the traditional songs are sung in French. Some singers know French very well, some only a little, and oth- ers merely reproduce the lyrics phonetically. In new songs, there are three linguistic approaches: whereas there are many written in French, many others are in English – especially in Zydeco, but Cajun bands also play “Cajunized” Country or Rock’n’Roll songs, or “” tunes. Other write bilingual songs, switching between French and English.

Content-wise, not all songs have the same level of detail in lyrics in terms of semantic expression. As in other dance music, rhythmic interjections are sometimes preferred to long narratives. There are typical interjections in French, especially in Zydeco, such as “Hé toi!” (“Hey you!”), “Fais ‘tension!” (“Watch out!”), “Oh bye-bye!” “Lâchez-les!” (“Turn ‘em loose!”), etc., that act as style identifiers. When there is a narrative, stereotypically, old songs are often about bro- ken hearts, drinking and “being left behind” (“Tu m’as quitté pour t’en aller…”). Some of the new songs embrace simi- lar themes, while other newly written songs approach topics such as social, cultural, political issues, and environmen- tal causes. After all, how much of the audience can understand the content of the songs sung in French? Is under- standing essential to enjoyment? Why address social issues in lyrics if the message is not conveyed?

This article approaches Cajun and Creole dance music as a form of oral , in the sense that Paul Zumthor de- fines it,

On peut parler de poésie orale lorsque transmission et réception s’opèrent par et l’ouïe, et donc coïn- 1 cident en une seule et même action. Cette action est la performance (dans le cas d’improvisation, la phase de production se fond, elle aussi, dans la performance). L’existence d’une performance est le seul élément définitoire de l’oralité; même si la production et la conservation de l’œuvre requièrent l’usage de l’écriture, le fait de la performance suffit à en faire pleinement une œuvre orale. (“Oralité” 182)

[One can speak of oral poetry when transmission and reception occur through and the ear, thus coincide in one and the same action. This action is performance (in the case of improvisation, the production phase merges in the performance). The existence of performance is the only defining element of orality; even if production and conservation of the work require the use of writing, the fact of the performance is sufficient to fully make it an oral work.]2

Zumthor also recognizes, as does Walter Ong (11), that performances recorded through audio-visual means consti- tute a different kind of “orality,” because the transmission between the voice and the ear is mediated. He thus calls that form of orality “oralité médiatisée” [mediatized orality] (Poésie 28). Thus, whether in live performance in dance halls or on recordings, Cajun and Creole music constitutes a form of oral poetry. Zumthor also relates the function of oral poetry to the “horizon of expectations” of its listeners (“Oralité”191). In this regard, it is safe to say that the prima- ry (though not exclusive) purpose of traditional Cajun and Creole music is still to dance to it. Consequently, for a num- ber of people, the rhythmic aspect is more important than the semantics of the lyrics. This also means that the music itself carries meaning. During interviews conducted for my M.A. thesis research (Boudreau), musicians expressed different ideas about the language, but most of them stressed that traditional songs have to be sung in French or they would “make no sense” for various reasons, mostly due to the prosodic and rhythmic characteristics of the . Wilson Savoy, a young Cajun musician, told me he sees French almost as “a in itself.” , a young Creole musician, told me that “French…. It’s made for Creole music.” Indeed, it could be that the and of traditional Cajun and Creole music themselves evoke the French language, involving a

1 Emphasis in original. 2 Translation by author.

12

41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures “Hé toi!” The Challenges of Conveying a Message in Contemporary Cajun and Creole Music Lyrics particular type of “anaphone,” a term coined by musicologist Philip Tagg, which he defines as “the use of existing models in the formation of (meaningful musical) sounds” (487). In other words, an anaphone is to music what an analogy is to words. The type of anaphone referred to, in this particular case, is labelled a “language identifier” be- cause it involves “melodic-rhythmic motifs characteristic of the prosody of a particular language” (Tagg 490). As an example of “language identifier,” Tagg mentions the “Scotch snap… as in coming, going, body, hit it,3 etc.,…as typical a rhythmic trait of English or Gaelic as it is uncommon in Italian or Spanish, which in their turn feature trisyllabic pat- terns … that are much rarer in English or Gaelic” (490-91). The link between language prosody and musical rhythm is thus emphasized. Consequently, the same using a different language alters the underlying rhythm. If French is considered “a musical instrument,” as suggested by Wilson Savoy, then singing a translation of a traditional in English would be akin, as he puts it, to “playing accordion melodies on the piano.” Also reflecting the lan- guage as treated “equally” as an instrument is the comparison between the treatment of the voice in a Cajun or Cre- ole song with a country song. In the latter, the singing tends to be upfront and the accompanying instruments may only have a two-measure solo, whereas in Cajun and Creole music voice and instrument are each given the same number of measures in the song. This is characteristic of old songs, but is still true in more recent compositions, such as Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys’ song “Grand Isle.”

This song is also an example of the lyrics conveying various degrees of semantic content. The lyrics are very poetic, and , the singer, uses metaphorical language to talk about an environmental issue: the BP oil spill. Of course, if one does not understand French they will not necessarily know this unless they ask someone or read a translation, but does that prevent the song from carrying any meaning at all? Wilson Savoy explains in an interview that the emotion carried through singing is enough to convey meaning (through that emotion) to the public, even if they do not understand the words. He stresses, however, that to be effective, it is crucial for the singer to understand the meaning of the lyrics: “The singer’s got to feel what he’s singing about…I think a good singer can get up there and sing in a language that nobody understands and the people will be moved by it, just because, even though they don’t understand the language, they can understand the emotion.” As Paul Zumthor expresses:

La voix déborde la parole. La plupart du temps, la voix sert à transmettre linguistiquement un message. Mais sa fonction ne se limite pas à cet office...Les émotions les plus intenses suscitent chez l’homme le son de la voix, indépendamment de tout langage: cri de bonheur, cri de guerre, effroi devant la mort subite, cris des enfants dans leurs jeux, comme autant d’échos du cri natal. Même effet, dans l’art du chant, qui souvent s’évade en pures vocalises. (“Oralité” 172)

[Voice exceeds speech. Most of the time, voice serves the purpose of linguistically transmitting a message. But its function is not limited to that purpose…The most intense emotions arouse in the sound of voice, independently from any language: shouts of joy, battle cry, terror before sudden death, cries of chil- dren playing…all echoes of primal scream. Even so in the art of singing, which often escapes in pure vocali- zations.]

Indeed, in some styles of music, like or hard rock, the words become almost inaudible due to the style of sing- ing. In these cases, understanding the language does not guarantee the understanding of the lyrics. The singer and poet , invited to speak to a music class at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, reflected that Ca- jun music could be interesting to an international audience because it could be seen as a kind of “,” using an example of African music that he was touched by even when he did not understand the lyrics. He could appreciate the “sound landscape.” According to Richard, “that’s how Cajun music gets over for an American audience.” Indeed, many people from across the globe are interested in Cajun and Creole music. Of course, music is more than its sole lyrical content, and because Cajun and Creole music is still very much tied to a cultural context in Louisiana, I would not go as far as to suggest that it is becoming a form of “World music” in its own land. But singing in French may be- come more challenging due to the loss of the French language as a first language to the majority of the population in Louisiana. There is a French revival among young Louisianans, partly owing to the implementation of French immer- sion schools, but we don’t know yet the impact of this on the larger audience for Cajun and Creole music.

However, if the singer wants to express the emotion he or she feels in that language, then I believe that continuing to sing in French has a raison d’être, since the emotion will likely be perceived by listeners. It is also worth mentioning that other Francophones around the world are a potential audience, thanks in part to the “mediatized orality” that al- lows the music to travel.

3 Emphasis in original.

13 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures “Hé toi!” The Challenges of Conveying a Message in Contemporary Cajun and Creole Music Lyrics

Furthermore, a strategy employed by some singers to compensate for the decrease in French fluency in Louisiana is to use both French and English in song lyrics. Horace Trahan exemplifies this trend. Aware that a lot of young people do not understand French, he chooses to interweave both languages poetically, as he explains in an interview (in a bilingual fashion!):

Comme “Keep your head up” “Garde ta tête en l’air”... Mo j’dis le même chose en anglais... et en français, pareil like a translation. My wife and I wrote all the songs together, I try to put the French in there. Mets le français en-dedans, comme ça, quand j’ai dit les jeunes, si eusse parlent pas le français, peut-être ils vou- laient apprendre à parler français... 4

Trahan believes than writing bilingual songs may spark an interest in learning French among young people. That po- tential also exists for music sung only in French: it has the opportunity to draw in new speakers. Music has a power to stimulate interest in a language that an academic classroom textbook may not have. If there is a future for French language in Louisiana, it needs to be tied with cultural expressions to blossom; it has to mean more than a language for itself, because the use of French in the , or even as an “international” language, does not pragmati- cally rival the English language today (or even the Spanish language for that matter). If most of the world’s population is attracted in learning the English language, it has much to do with the widespread mainstream American culture or its idealization. But there is room outside the mainstream for the promotion of other languages. However, the key is to link the language with a cultural object or trend. For example, many manga (Japanese comics) readers develop an interest in learning Japanese. While music and dancing are strong components of Cajun and Creole culture today, understanding of the meaning and poetics of Cajun and Creole lyrics seems to be a concern expressed by songwrit- ers themselves, as in “Danser sans Comprendre” written by Jean Arceneaux and Steve Riley and interpreted by Ste- ve Riley and the Mamou Playboys:

Comment ça se fait/ T’es après chanter, bébé/

In a language you don’t understand/

T’es après danser et t’amuser, jolie/

While my words just echo across the land.

What’s at stake? What’s it take/

C’est pas assez / Danser sans comprendre.

Tout le temps en anglais/ Jamais en français/

Can’t understand the boys in the band/

Qui c’est toi t’es/ Quoi c’est tu fais, jolie/

Yeah you, just try to understand.

It is hard enough to “sing along” to Cajun or Creole dance music if you don’t comprehend French lyrics. But then again, it’s already hard to sing at the same time one is two-stepping!

4 Like “Keep your head up” (song). I say the same thing in English…and in French the same. Like a translation. […] Put the French in there, and like that, when I said that the young people, if they do not speak French, maybe they would want to learn how to speak French. (Translation by author). 14 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

“Hé toi! ” The Challenges of Conveying a Message in Contemporary Cajun and Creole Music Lyrics

Works Cited

Boudreau, Marie-Laure. “Chanter en Français en Louisiane: Du Passé Vers le Futur.” MA thesis. U of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2014. Print.

Ong, Walter J. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London: Methuen, 1982. Print.

Richard, Zachary. “Music 360 - Cajun and Zydeco Music.” U of Louisiana at Lafayette. 28 March 2013. Lecture. Audio file.

Riley, Steve, and the Mamou Playboys. “Danser Sans Comprendre.” Grand Isle. Valcour, 2010. CD.

---. “Grande Isle.” Grand Isle. Valcour, 2010. CD.

Savoy, Wilson. Personal Interview. 20 March 2014. Audio file.

Tagg, Philip. Music’s Meanings: A Modern for Non-musos. New York: The Mass Media Music Scholars’ P, 2013. Print.

Trahan, Horace. Personal Interview. 5 April 2014. Audio file.

Watson, Cedric. Personal Interview. 15 April 2014. Audio file.

Zumthor, Paul. Introduction à la Poésie Orale. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1983. Print.

---. “Oralité.” Intermédialités 12 (Fall 2008): 169-199. Print.

15 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Music The LaCour Trio The LaCour Trio is an exciting interactive group providing big band sound with only three members. The group takes you on a musical journey cover- ing Zydeco, Soul, Country, and Top 40 Dance. The LaCour Trio brings the listener the very best in ON- and OFF-STAGE entertain- ment. The LaCour Trio shared the stage with artist like Phyliss Hyman, Rocking Dopsie, Chubby Carrier, Major Handy, Carlie Daniels, Louisiana Leroux and performed in many venues and locations including five years for Royal Caribbean Cruise lines ( Miami, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Hawaii, Alaska, Virgin Islands, Belize, Acapulco, San Diego, Los Angeles, St, Thomas, St Martin, U.S. Virgin Islands, Seattle, Vancouver B.C. and many more) The band also performed U.S.O. Shows for military troops for five years in South Korea. Photo © Cedric Angeles Left to Right: Latrice LaCour, Rainey LaCour, and Denver Shoup

The Pine Leaf Boys

The Pine Leaf Boys are an authentic Cajun and Creole band from southwest Louisiana. Four of their albums have been nominated for Grammy awards in the category for Best Zyde- co or Cajun Music Album. Described in the New York Times as, “… the link that connects the young and the old genera- tions,” and, “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time,” the Pine Leaf Boys play old fashioned dance hall standards while making a priority to bring many of the more obscure songs of past masters into their repertoire and play them with gusto. Their mission is to prove to the world that Cajun music is still vibrant and full of life while also bring- ing a new spark to it. Photo © pineleafboys.com/

Hardrick Rivers and the Rivers Revue Band At the age of 13, Hardrick Rivers began learning from a of Loui- siana music: Overton “Dr. Drip Drop” Owens. Rivers quickly joined Overton’s new group, Overton Owens and the Mustangs which was formed during the late 1960s. Rivers worked hard during those early years to find his unique sound on the . After playing with several bands through the years, Rivers formed his own group in 1994, the Rivers Revue Band. Hardrick Rivers was inducted into the Louisi- ana Folklife Center’s Hall of Master Folk Artists in 2001. During the Summer of 2003, Rivers, along with the B. B. Major Blues Band, toured playing at numerous blues events. Rivers is an annual headline performer at the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival and performs throughout north and central Louisiana. He is a former band director at Red River High School in Coushatta. In 2017 he was recognized by the Lt. Governor of Louisiana and the Louisiana Folklife Commission as a Louisiana Tradition Bearer. Constantly practicing and honing their style,

the Rivers Revue remains one of the premier bands in the Natchitoches area after more than 20 years.

16 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

Festival Music

Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys Goldman Thibodeaux is a French Creole or “La La” musician of the highest caliber. Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys have continued to evolve since their beginning in 1946 while still maintaining the roots of the original form. The band has played at many festivals such as the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, as well as the Liberty Theater in Eunice and the Cane River Creole National Historical Park. In 2012 Thibodeaux was inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists. In 2014 Thibodeaux received the Folklife Heritage Award from the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development.

Goldman Thibodeaux

Cane Mutiny

Cane Mutiny is a musical collective based in Natchitoches, Louisiana centered around the musical influences of multi- instrumentalists John Litzenberg and Ed Huey, and featuring guitarist Donnie Hyams and drummer Sammy Nix. Playing a variety of Louisiana and Americana music (that is to say, everything from swamp pop to to soul, country, blues, R & B and rock), Cane Mutiny combines a deep connection to the history of with the energy of a New Orleans , showcasing original and other music from throughout the 20th century and beyond. Fixtures on the Natchitoches music scene, musicians Ed (, vocals and percussion), Sammy (), Donnie (guitar and vocals) and John ( and vocals) have played together in various local bands for years, and as separate artists, through- out the United States and abroad.

Soul Creole Soul Creole brings a modern voice to Louisiana traditions. While singing and improvising in French and English, the band melds Creole, Zydeco, and Cajun music with popular influences in a musical opacity that keeps audiences of all genres satisfied. The three members of Soul Creole bring uniquely authentic and fresh perspectives on a music that continues to evolve. Soul Creole was formed in 2012 by Ash- lee Wilson Michot on t-fer, Grammy nominee Corey Ledet on accordion, and Grammy Award winner Louis Michot on fiddle. All three musicians take lead vocals, harmony, and are al- ways backed by some of the top bass and in Louisiana music. Soul Creole is a crossroads for the diverse cultures and music celebrated in South Louisiana. Photo © Zach Smith

17 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Music Blake Miller and the Old Fashiones Aces Lafayette group Blake Miller & the Old Fashioned Aces are a traditional Cajun band. The band is led by Cajun fiddler, accordionist, and vocalist Blake Miller, who is a veteran of notable Cajun bands The Pine Leaf Boys and . Miller has been nominated for a Grammy twice, once as a member of The Pine Leaf Boys, and again as a member of his other current band, The Revelers. He’s played numerous venues nationally and internationally. The band also includes guitarist Amelia Biere on fiddle and vocals and A.J. Srubas on fiddle and pedal . Miller and Biere sing in both English and Cajun French. The band’s debut album, Quelle Belle Journée, was nominated for Offbeat Magazine’s 2018 Best Cajun Album of the Year. Photo © Colin Gould

Lee Benoit Family Band

Lee Benoit has been playing Cajun mu- sic for 30 years, and performs with his wife Valerie Benoit on bass, daughter Maegan Benoit on drums and vocals, and daughter Rosemary Benoit on fid- dle. The Benoits play both traditional and original songs in both English and Photo © David Simpson, cajunzydecophotos Photo © Sylvester Popescu-Willigmann Cajun French. Lee Benoit has won many awards from the Cajun French Music Association, including Accordionist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year (twice), as well as the President’s Award, the Award of Excellence, and the Heritage Award for out- standing contributions and dedication to the preservation of Cajun culture. He was inducted into the Ca- jun Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Rusty Metoyer and the Zydeco Krush

Rusty Metoyer and The Zydeco Krush is a young, ener- getic Zydeco band from Lake Charles, LA. Their range extends from traditional Creole French songs to nou- veau Zydeco music. Rusty Metoyer and The Zydeco Krush were selected to the 2013-2015 Louisiana Musi- cians Roster, through the Louisiana Division of Arts, De- partment of Cultural Development. They were the recipi- ents of the “Best New Artist Award” at the 5th Zydeco Music and Creole Heritage Awards Ceremony in 2017, and the “Lasting Impression Award” from the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bu- reau at the 2016 National Tourism Week Awards Cere- Photo courtesy of New Orleans Photo by Eugene Rogers mony. Jazz and Heritage Festival 18 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Music

Ron Yule Ron Yule was born in 1943 in Missouri and began playing the fiddle in 1968 while a student at the University of Texas, where he received a B.S. in microbiology. He received his M.S. in microbiology from McNeese State University in 1974 and worked as a health inspector for the State of Louisi- ana, retiring in 1999. In 1973, Ron began producing fiddle contests and promoting bluegrass shows throughout Louisiana and southeast Texas. He and his wife Georgia produced the first bluegrass/fiddle club and newslet- ter in the state of Louisiana, the Southwest Louisiana Fiddler and Blue- grass Club, from 1974 to 1976. Ron continues promoting several blue- grass shows each year, including the Beauregard Parish Fair Fiddle Con- test, an event that has been viable since 1925. After retiring, Ron began amassing all the data and pictures he had collected over the previous 30 years and started a written documentation of fiddling, bluegrass, Cajun, and in Louisiana with a focus on southwest Louisiana. Also, Ron's large collection of home tapes is the focus of a future project -- mak- ing these fiddlers come alive on audio. Ron continues to do what he loves best, "... play music with bluegrass, country, and Cajun friends at jam ses- sions, festivals, nursing homes and anywhere they'll allow the noise.”

Photo by Peter Jones Yvette Landry

Yvette Landry grew up in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana in and around the swamplands. It was here where she learned an appreciation for the music, dance, stories and language of her Cajun culture. After earning a master’s degree in education and developing a successful teaching career, she began telling stories through song. Playing a variety of instruments in several Cajun bands, Landry also fronts her own band, The Yvette Landry Band. Her debut award-winning album titled “Should Have Known” was released in 2010 and was named Offbeat Magazine’s “Best Country/Folk Album” and Landry “Best Country/Folk Artist.” Landry has traveled the world and played countless cul- tural festivals and venues – from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to the Bluebird Café in Nashville. She toured and served as a Cultural Ambassador on behalf of the to perform at the Festival of Traditional American Music and graced the stage at both the Library of Con- gress and John F. Kennedy Center of in Washington, D.C. Landry is an educator, teaching American Sign Language and Song Writing at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is also a private homeschool teacher and has also taught bass, guitar, accordion and vocals at notable camps. State of Louisiana 2013 and 2019 Music Ambassador, Governor to the Memphis Chapter of , former Director of Louisi- ana Folk Roots Summer Cajun & Creole Music Kids Camp, and recently in- ducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Landry strives to bring cultures and traditions together, ensuring that they will be passed along. Since her debut album in 2010, Landry has released four more CDs and was nominated for Offbeat Magazine’s “Best of the Beat Awards” in two cate- gories (Best Artist and Best Roots Rock Album). Her first chil- dren’s book, The Ghost Tree, was nominated for Louisiana’s Young Reader’s Photo courtesy of Yvette Landry from Choice Award. Her second, Madame Grand Doigt, along with The Ghost https://yvettelandry.com/about-yvette/ Tree, were formally accepted into the Library of Congress Collection for Chil- dren’s Literature.

19 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts

Larry Jorgensen

Larry is a journalist with extensive experience in print (weekly, daily, and magazines), radio and television news (both writing and on-air) wire service, assignment, and freelance. He was also a publisher/editor for a monthly publication. Currently, Larry researches and writes history related articles and books while also providing media ser- vices for clients. Larry’s home office is nestled along a bayou in Louisiana. He has written two books which in- clude chapters about locations in Louisiana and other southern states: Hot Wells, A Louisiana Ghost and The Coca-Cola Trail. He donated a copy of both books to ap- pear in the Facebook Silent Auction. Find more information about Larry and his books at https:// www.thecocacolatrail.com/about

Rita Ford

Rita Ford was born in the USSR in 1962. She is a garden designer and a bo- tanic materials artist. In other words, she is a pressed plant artist. She is cur- rently a resident of Louisiana. She has had personal art shows in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a guest show in Natchitoches. She is a member of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild. Her pressed plants art has received several prizes across the United States and even internationally in Gurye, South Korea; To- kyo, Japan; and Russia. Rita describes her work by , “In my opinion, people never can draw better than Mother Nature. I think every leaf, every flow- er is already art & I as a floral artist need only to behold & manage to show this beauty to people.” You can find most of Rita’s work on her website: https:// www.creativitybyritaford.com/about and for personal inquiries, her email is [email protected]

Stephanie Madere Escudé Stephanie Madere Escudé, a fiber artist and member of the Tunica-Biloxi tribe, said in an artist statement that she draws inspiration from her works from her native ancestors. "Many of the ideas for my creations come to me in dreams,” she wrote. “My grandmother would always encourage us to make things by hand. My creations have gone out to many people all over the world and have made the youngest and the oldest very happy.” While allowing tribal artists a means to sell their wares, craft days and festivals also allow tribes a chance to share and preserve their cultures. For more information, visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ NativeDollsByStephanieMEscude/

20 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts

Danny Petrella

Danny Petrella has been involved in Louisiana Native arts for over forty years. His favorite is cow hide work recovering antique Louisiana made chairs, espe- cially family chairs. He loves to recover old family chairs and watch the owner sit in it. That smile on their face gives him great pleasure. He has been involved in hide work over forty years but began offering his service to the public just over three years ago. He also makes drums, blowguns, and basketry. Most anything native including making gumbo filé and using native plants and trees for traditional Medicine. He is a descendant of the Mamou Choctaw band that lived west of Mamou. Things like this were generally kept out of the public view, but their artisans are dying off and it's time to teach the young. He also started a Facebook page called Mamou Choctaw. He is “a teacher hoping a young per- son would like to learn.” For more information, visit his Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/mamouchoctaw/

.

Cindy Fuqua

Trained in classical ballet my art consists of lines in space. As a dancer and a choreographer, I create movement for others and myself that consist of line, flow, form, and technique. The discipline of dance transfers well into clay. Throwing pots becomes a dance that creates beauty with form, flow, technique, and technical ability. I strive to create beauty with a fluidity of movement, and form, soft classical lines, with a bit of whimsy stirred in to represent the fun of life. My pottery is imbued with a positive life energy that charges its surroundings. I receive a reward not only from the creation process but also from my customers who come back often, to tell me how much owning my pots have brightened their lives. View Fuqua’s pieces on her Fa- cebook page: facebook.com/cindythepotter

Catherine Rouchon

In 2005 at the age of sixteen Catherine started making and selling beaded jewelry at her local farmers market. It soon became a business and paid for her schooling to become a graduate gemologist. Now as a silversmith and lapidarist she crafts one of a kind jewelry. Many pieces incorporate a stone she has mined herself. She expresses her art in the silver work, making many of the pieces reversible, creating detailed designs with the silver. Visit her Facebook page for more infor- mation: https://www.facebook.com/Compass-Rose-Jewelry-Designs-by-Catherine -Rouchon-148851091807670/ Catherine Rouchon with Compass Rose Jewelry Designs

21 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts

Stan Routh From an architectural background that includes a masters' degree in history and design, a European travel and study fellowship, and his own professional practice since 1962, Stan Routh has devoted his life to visual recordings of the things we all remember. Country stores, little churches, old homesteads, mills, bridges, barns, and other architectural structures, which first catch his eye and then his heart, are faithfully rendered in ink, pencil, or watercolor to capture their essence in a literal "explosion" of pertinent detail. Stan Routh specializes in drawings of historical land- marks, original paintings, sketches, and watercolors of cities and towns throughout Louisiana and surrounding states.

Emily Garrett I am a 73 year old grandmother of eight grandchildren who loves to crochet. My aunt taught me to crochet when I was 12 years old and I have been doing it ever since - over 61 years. I also enjoy knitting, cross-stitch and stitching on plastic canvas. Some of the items I crochet are baby items, toys, scarves, kitchen items, keychains, hair scrunchies, and rag strip rugs. I've taught my granddaughters as well as others to crochet. My husband Larry and I love to travel to arts and crafts fairs and usually do as many as 10 a year in Louisiana, Texas, and . My other hobbies include crossword puzzles and reading mystery novels.

Larry Garrett Larry Garrett has always been able to make things from wood, so much that it seemed to be an inherited trait. Garrett taught himself how to make spoons because he broke his wife's coffee scoop and decided he could make her a better replacement, using the same carving tools he purchased while he was still in school. Her family was impressed when they saw the result and asked for one. Garrett then decided to venture out and try regular cooking spoons and, after that, creating serving spoons. With lots of practice, Garrett had gotten use to his new craft. All of the spoons are hand crafted. Garrett has been making spoons for 5-6 years.

Cynthia Hernandez Cynthia Hernandez makes homemade lye soap, as well as bath bombs, bath salts, and sugar scrubs. Most natural homemade soaps are lye soaps, which are made out of acid properties and a base. This makes a soothing natural soap that cleanses gently. Her- nandez’s lye soap is truly elegant and comes in an abundance of scents such as laven- der, and red rose. Hernandez also creates fun experiences with her glitter bath bombs. For more information about Cindy Lou’s True Soap, visit her on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/cindyloustruesoap/ and her website: http:// www.cindyloustruesoap.com.

22 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts

Roy Parfait Roy Parfait is a woodcarver and member of the Houma Indian tribe. He was born & raised in Dulac, LA along Grand Caillou Bayou in Terrebonne Parish. Roy grew up around the tradition of carving wood. His grandfather was a carver & he began carving in 1976, making small wooden animals & miniature pirogues. He found that he was especially interested in carving animals, & he is well known today for his long-necked geese, ducks, beavers, rabbits, birds, fish, turtles, panthers, pelicans, owls, rabbits and frogs. He has twice demonstrated wood carving at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife and other ven- ues such as the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, Silver Dollar City, the Native Crafts Festi- val in Lafayette, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, and many other festivals throughout Louisiana and the South. He has also been invited to France twice to demonstrate and sell his work. He was inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Cen- ter’s Hall of Master Folk Artists in 2002. Roy Parfait , woodcarving

Juanita Leonard Juanita Leonard’s paintings and sculptures often resonate with the joy she finds in her deep Christian faith. A self-taught artist living outside of Montgomery, Louisiana, Leonard constructs hand painted sculptures out of a variety of materials, such as plaster of Paris, clay, wood, and metal, as well as discarded materials. While some of her art shows the influence of Clementine Hunter, one of her inspirations, much of Leonard’s art displays her unique stamp, such as her “Chicken Tree of Life” motif. Leonard is also a memory painter, with many of her pieces highlighting incidents from throughout her life.

Christy Benoit Castille

Mrs. Castille is currently a member of the Louisiana crafts guild, International Organi- zation of Lace, and Tatters across Time. She has also demonstrated her craft at the LSU Rural Life Museum- Harvest Days 2016 and at the Experience Louisiana Festi- val. Castille developed an interest in tatting through admiring her great grand- mother’s tatting shuttle and pieces. This then led to Castille attending a workshop in her early teens which taught the basics of tatting. Christy says, “The beauty, love and history that is shared through each piece is unique and cannot be duplicated.” This is why she has such a strong belief in passing on heritage from generation to generation: “Today, I proudly share the history, teach others how to shuttle tat, and preserve their family heirlooms for generations to come.”

Gene Tomko

Gene Tomko is an award-winning artist, writer and photographer based in Lafayette, Loui- siana. He has been photographing and writing about traditional roots music for more than twenty years. His work has appeared in dozens of international publications such as Liv- ing Blues and Down Beat as well as on numerous releases by artists such as B.B. King, and Big Jay McNeely. In 2006 he co-authored the book Black Hoboes: What’s the Use of Walking If There’s a Freight Train Going Your Way with esteemed writ- er Paul Garon of Chicago. Recently Tomko has combined his music scholarship with his artistic talents to create the Louisiana Music Map, a visual tribute to the music and musi- cians of Louisiana. The work is both artistic as well as academic, featuring the birthplac- Gene Tomko , LA. Music Map es of more than 1500 native musicians who performed in a style of music indigenous to Louisiana such as jazz, blues, Cajun, zydeco, la la, swamp pop and gospel. He also cre- ates his own custom wood frames for the maps.

23 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts  Festival Crafts

John Colson John Colson has been producing filé in the same two-hundred year old tradition as the Clifton-Choctaw Indians. He learned to make filé from his parents who taught him to collect the sassafras leaves on August 15th every year, dry them by hang- ing them in a cool dry place, remove the stems and grind the leaves by hand for optimum flavor.

John Colson, filé maker R.V. Couch R.V. Couch is self taught and has been building musical instruments and hand-carving fiddles for many years. As a child he would carve animals, toy guns, and knives. Later, he carved axe handles and hammer handles. He was introduced to instrument making in 2005 and was fascinated with the carving and shaping of the wood. He soon learned that it was not just about size, shape, or looks of the instrument, but the sound had to be carved into the instruments also. He sometimes cuts his own trees and saws the wood for the instrument in his circle saw mill. He builds travel (acoustic or electric), pik- a-sticks (acoustic or electric), and teardrop violins. When he finds time he works at building , regular guitars and dulcimers. All of his fiddles/violins are gradu- ated to a 1720 Stradivarius. Couch says, “When you can stand back and hear someone play one of your instruments and everyone smiles at the sound, it does something to you. The two to three months of work is worth it all.”

Barbara Franklin

Ms. Franklin, who began working with her hands at the young age of 7 or 8 years old, has been creating cloth dolls for the past 40 years. She is a Master multicul- tural self-taught cloth folk doll artist. She was inspired to create cloth dolls as she was passing through the French Quarter admiring a variety of little black dolls. Barbara has been handcrafting all of her dolls from her home and renting a space at a local flea market where she continues to sell cloth dolls. Ms. Franklin also sells her dolls at many different craft fairs and festivals throughout Louisiana. In addition to displaying and selling her dolls, Ms. Franklin has been inducted into the Hall of Master Folk Artists.

Judy Allen

Judy Gallion Allen is a from Cloutierville, LA and grew up in a large family with 9 siblings. Their parents were sharecroppers. With very little money for toys she and her siblings had to improvise by making their own. Judy made jewelry using flowers found in the yard and in the wild. As a teenager she began collecting old and broken jewelry from relatives. She followed her parents' wishes, attended NSU, and graduated with a degree in Art Education. Judy continued collecting old jewelry from family members, friends, garage sales, and thrift stores to accumulate a collection of over 45 years. After retiring from teach- ing, she moved back to Natchitoches, Louisiana. She continues to create new pieces, some using parts of this jewelry collection, while adding new beads, fleur de lis and other findings.

24 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival

Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures

This project is supported in part by awards from:

41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Festival Contributors

Member Sponsor

Dr. L.C. & Linda Guilbeau Father Frank Fuller McCain Properties, LLC Natchitoches Wood Preserving, LLC. Maye Foster John Clifton Conine, Atty. David Morris S.B. Evans Hines, Squyres & Associates Weaver Brothers Land & Timber Co. John & Sarah Luster

Patron Grand Patron

City of Natchitoches CLECO C&H Precision Machining, LLC City Bank and Trust Co.

26 41st Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Celebrating Louisiana’s French Cultures Many Thanks To Katrice LaCour, Honorary Festival Chair Dr. Chris Maggio, NSU President Ronnie Williams, Mayor of the City of Natchitoches 2020 Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Steering Committee Folk Festival Volunteers

Festival Steering Committee

Dr. Lisa Abney Dr. Pete Gregory Dr. James J. Mischler Henry Beasley Captain Wesley Harrell Dr. Shane Rasmussen, Chair Donald Choate Dr. Donald Hatley Rick Seale Helen Dalme Sue Hatley Ashley Smith Matt DeFord Jon Lentz David West Arlene Gould Mike McConathy Dale Wohletz

Louisiana Folklife Center Director: Dr. Shane Rasmussen Crafts: Dr. Pete Gregory Publicity: Jackson, David West and the Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau Poster, Program Cover, & T-shirt Design: Matthew DeFord Website and Social Media: Paige Parks, Ashley Smith, & Dylan Trahan Program: Paige Parks, Ashley Smith, & Dylan Trahan, LFC Staff: Armani Heckard, LeT’Anna Ledet, Aaron Malone, Paige Parks, Matthew Phillips, Meghan Quaglino, Nathaniel Rachal, Terra Schulze, Olivia Sipes, Ashley Smith, Dylan Trahan, and Terra Schulze

27