Cajun Spotlight

Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance in the Upper Midwest
April 2002

ZYDECO DANCE LESSONS

Maurine McCort regularly offers Cajun and zydeco dance lessons. Coming up in April and May are the second and third level zydeco series. Classes are held on Saturday from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. The location is the Oddfellows Lodge at 2382 Hampden in Saint Paul. For information and to confirm the dates and time contact Maurine at 651-488-6269 or at maurine@spacestar.com. The schedule:

Zydeco ll: April 6, 13, 20
Zydeco lll: April 27, May 4, 11

FIDDLERS FOUR

Touring around the country this spring are three of the finest fiddle players in contemporary folk circles. Beasuoleil-stalwart Michael Doucet, old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky and jazz and bluegrass legend Darol Anger have joined forces for a tour. Also featured on these gigs is talented cellist Rushad Eggleston. One of their appearances will be at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, April 17. They play at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on Friday, April 19. You can also hear them on A Prairie Home Companion from New York City on April 20.

CALVIN CARRIERE GONE AT 80

Creole fiddler Calvin Carriere passed away in early March at the age of 80. He suffered from lung cancer. He was one of the last of his generation of performers of Creole music. His father Eraste and uncle "Bebe" Carriere recorded as the Les Freres Carriere. Calvin began to play fiddle as a youngster, watching his uncle and secretly playing his fiddle while his uncle was working (Bebe Carriere passed away last year). Calvin Carriere recorded with the Lawtell Playboys in the 1970's and most recently as c. This group last played at a holiday party in Frilot Cove, near Lawtell. He had been scheduled to play in Iota at Mardi Gras and at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

CAJUN ZYDECO IN THE NETHERLANDS

The 10th Annual International Cajun and Zydeco Festival takes place June 7-9 in Raamsdonksveer, Holland. Besides bands from the England, Holland, France and Denmark, appearing from the USA will be the Hackberry Ramblers, Lisa Haley & the Zydecats and Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band.

CAJUN HOT SOLES BACK IN DALBO

There will be another great evening of music and dance at the Town Hall in Dalbo, Minnesota on Saturday, April 6. Featured will be The Cajun Hot Soles and The Mad Cow Band. There will be a basic Cajun dance lesson at the start of the evening. Music this evening includes Cajun, Creole, Irish, old-time and a few surprises. Dalbo is located north of Princeton about an hour from the Twin Cities. Admission is $5 and free for children. For more information call Amy at 763-444-8390 or email asabrina@ecenet.com. From Dalbo, take Highway 47 north about 3.3 miles to County 16. Go west (left) 1.8 miles to Jaspar St. Go left .2 miles to 399th Ave. Go right .2 miles to Nacre St. Go left to Town Hall.

CAJUN FEST IN NEBRASKA

For four years now the Taste Louisiana Cajun Fest has been a Memorial Day Weekend destination for hundreds of folks from around the Midwest (see article below). Now there's another Cajun Fest planned by the same folks for Lincoln, Nebraska the weekend of April 27 and 28. Appearing at the Lancaster Event Center will be Hadley Castille and the Sharecroppers Cajun Band, Sheryl Cormier, The Treater Band, Curtis Coubello and The Zydeco Boneshakers. Expect great music, food, dancing and surprises. For more information check out www.cajunfest.net.

CAJUN FEST IN IOWA

The Fifth Annual Budweiser Taste Louisiana Cajun Fest in Amana, Iowa is May 25-27. On slate are Hadley Castille & the Sharecroppers Cajun Band, Chubby Carrier, Egan, Lormand & Garnier, Lisa Haley & the Zydekats and the Dixie Power Trio. There's sure to be a large contingent of Twin Cities' dancers heading south for this festival. For more information check out www.cajunfest.net .

MIDWAY RAMBLERS PLAY APRIL 5

The Midway Ramblers, a fine Cajun band from the Chicago area, will perform in Chicago at the Irish-American Center on Friday, April 5. The center is located at 4626 North Knox. Music starts at 8 pm and lasts until 11 pm. For more information call 773-282-7035 or 630-833-3515.

FORT LAUDERDALE CRAWFISH FESTIVAL

One of the major Cajun and zydeco festivals outside of Louisiana is the Fort Lauderdale Crawfish Festival, held this year May 10-12. It attracts about 100,000 people to five separate performance areas. The lineup this year is impressive again; it would be easier to list the popular Louisiana bands NOT appearing than to list those that are. Making the trip to Florida for this event are Steve Riley, Geno Delafose, Roy Carrier, Bruce Daigrepont, Chubby Carrier, Sean Ardoin, Andre Thierry, The Red Stick Ramblers, Leroy Thomas, Lil' Brian, Hadley Castille, The Magnolia Sisters, The Savoy Family and more. For details check out the festival Web site at www.ci.fort-lauderdale.fl.us/festivals/

FROM THE KREWE DE WALLEYE

About 60 hardy dancers braved a mid-March snowstorm on March 14 to hear Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys at the Polish American Hall in Saint Paul. The dance was sponsored by The Minnesota Cajun & Zydeco Music & Dance Association (the Krewe de Walleye) The band had driven through part of the storm after an appearance in the Green Bay area. The set had more traditional tunes in it than in their last appearance in the Twin Cities a year ago. It was a good time despite the smaller-than-expected crowd.
Next item on the Krewe calendar is another Cajun Cruise out of Stillwater. The date is Saturday, June 15 and the live band is The Bone Tones. There will again be an hors d'oeuvres dinner. but the Krewe is working to avoid the long lines experienced last year. Cost is $35 per person. You can order tickets now by sending a check to Carroll Franco at 1455 Osceola Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (be sure to include your phone number). You can also reserve tickets by emailing cafzydeco@yahoo.com. All tickets must be paid for by May 15. The Krewe needs volunteers to help out at upcoming events. You don't have to be a member and you earn credits towards free admission to future dances. For information on membership in the Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association (The Krewe de Walleye) and other news check out the web site at www.krewedewalleye.com.

UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

April 05 - The Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
April 06 - The Cajun Hot Soles, others: DALBO TOWN HALL, DALBO, MN
April 07 - Cajun Hot Soles: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
April 14 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
April 17 - Fiddlers 4 (w/ Michael Doucet): CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
April 19 - Fiddlers 4 (w/ Michael Doucet): OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC, CHICAGO
April 19 - The New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
April 21 - Jumbo Ya Ya: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
April 27-28 - Taste Louisiana Festival : LANCASTER EVENT CENTER, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
April 28 - The New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 03 - The Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
May 05 - Karl & Gary's Name This Band: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 11 - The New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
May 12 - Cajun Hot Soles: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 18 - Buckwheat Zydeco: FIRST AVENUE, MINNEAPOLIS
May 19 - The New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 24-26 - The New Riverside Ramblers: WHEATLAND TRADITIONAL ARTS WEEKEND, REMUS, MI
May 25-27 - Fifth Annual Budweiser Taste Louisiana Cajun Fest: AMANA, IA
May 26 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
June 02 - The New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
June 09 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
June 15 - Cajun Cruise w/ The Bone Tones: ON THE ST. CROIX OUT OF STILLWATER
June 16 - Jumbo Ya Ya: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
June 20 - The New Riverside Ramblers: MARKETFEST, DOWNTOWN WHITE BEAR LAKE (6-9 PM)
June 23 - Karl & Gary's Name This Band: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
June 29 - The New Riverside Ramblers: TAPESTRY FOLKDANCE CENTER
June 30 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
July 19 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: â€|AND ALL THAT JAZZ, DUBUQUE, IA
July 19 - C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band: JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL, SIOUX FALLS, SD
July 21 - St. Paul Saints pregame w/ The Cajun Hot Soles: MIDWAY STADIUM (11:30 AM)
July 26 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: MUSIC AT HARRY'S PLACE, BELOIT, WI
July 27 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: SUMMERDANCE, CHICAGO, IL
August 20 - St. Paul Saints pregame w/ The Cajun Hot Soles: MIDWAY STADIUM (5:30 PM)

NOTE: Please call to confirm events more than six weeks from first item on calendar.

LOSERS WEEPER

While the staff here at NOTES & STEPS is not especially religious, they do enjoy many of the traditions and pastimes of many various spiritual paths. Often these observances are limited to special meals and feasts, but they sometimes extend to music, dancing and games. This year, however, we have decided to not have the traditional Easter egg hunt in our office. We take this step because last year at the event we let one staffer hide a couple of dozen eggs late one evening. The next day he flew overseas to a hiking trek through Nepal. We searched high and low in the office but could only locate about 20 of the 24 eggs. Within a few days the smell was pretty bad; our trekker in Nepal was out of reach and we had the windows open despite the cool temperatures. This month's quiz is about losing and finding. Can you match the performer with the song?

01) I'M A LOSER	a) R.E.M.
02) I FOUND A LOVE	b) Marvin Rainwater
03) RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER	c) The Beatles
04) GONNA FIND ME A BLUEBIRD	d) Wilson Pickett
05) LOSING MY RELIGION	e) The Temptations
06) FIND THE COST OF FREEDOM	f) Steely Dan
07) LOST HIGHWAY	g) Blind Faith
08) FOR EMILY WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER	h) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
09) YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING	i) Hank Williams
10) CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME	j) The Righteous Brothers
*11) I'M LOSING YOU	k)Simon & Garfunkel

* Special Internet Bonus Question

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NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT is an independent newsletter about Cajun, zydeco and other traditional music & dance events and news in the upper Midwest and beyond. A one year subscription is $10.00. E-mail: Notessteps@aol.com or NOTES & STEPS/CAJUN SPOTLIGHT, John Tallaksen, P. O. Box 582192, Minneapolis, MN 55458-2192