Cajun Spotlight

Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance in the Upper Midwest
March 2003

CAJUN/ZYDECO DANCE LESSONS

Maurine McCort has announced the schedule for her upcoming zydeco dance lessons. Classes are held at the Oddfellows Lodge at 2382 Hampden in Saint Paul on Saturdays from 4 to 5:30 pm. For more information call Maurine at 651-488-6269 or email her at maurine@spacestar.com.

Zydeco I: Gettin' in the Groove - March 08,15, 22
Zydeco II: Movin' w/ the Music - March 29, April 05,12
Zydeco III: Rockin' w/ the Rhythm - April 19,26, May 03

NEW RIVERSIDE RAMBLERS AT MOOSEJAW

MooseJaw is a weekend of old time music and dance presented each March by the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers at Maplelag Resort near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Guests this year include The New Riverside Ramblers (see above story) and the New Southern Ramblers, a great old-time band from North Carolina. Teaching dance will be Maureen Mullen and Tom Kendrick. There are workshops, jams, dances and a chance to enjoy the outdoors. The dates are March 7-9. You can get more information and a flyer from wildgoosechasecloggers.org or contact CAJUN SPOTLIGHT.

THE KREWE PRESENTS...

The Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association offers a free dance lesson before each of the regular Sunday night dances at the Half Time Rec in Saint Paul. The lesson is from 7 to 7:45 pm. Bands will start playing at 8:00 pm. The Half Time is located at 1013 Front Avenue.
On Saturday, March 15 the Krewe presents Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic. This great band from the Houston, Texas-area was a hit at their last appearance in town. The dance is at the Everett McClay VFW in Bloomington. There will be a zydeco dance lesson at 8 pm and dancing starts at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for Krewe members and $12 for others. For information on membership in the Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association (The Krewe de Walleye) check out www.krewedewalleye.com.

CAJUN WEEKEND AT FOLKLORE VILLAGE

Special guests for the Cajun Music, Dance and Culture Weekend at Folklore Village near Dodgeville, Wisconsin will be Balfa Toujours. The dates are March 28-30. Joining the members of Balfa Toujours will be Gene Losey, Charlie Terr, Will Whedbee, Chris Voigt, Claire Hedlund, Kirby Jambon and Jolen Adam. Contact CAJUN SPOTLIGHT for a brochure or call Folklore at 608-924-4000.

TASTE LOUISIANA CAJUN FESTS

April 25-27, Lincoln, Nebraska - Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Hadley Castille & the Sharecroppers Cajun Band, C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys.
May 24-26, Amana Colonies, Iowa - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Kevin Naquin & the Ossun Playboys, The Treater Band, Curtis Coubello.
For more information you can go to:
showcase.netins.net/web/cajunfest/index.html

CAJUN CREOLE WEEK AT AUGUSTA

This year Cajun/Creole Week at Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia is July 6-11. Staff includes John & Jane Vidrine, Charlie Terr, Paul Daigle, Edward Poullard, Dirk Powell, Joe Hall, Michelle Kaminsky, Tracy Schwarz, D'Jalma Garnier, Mitchell Reed, Joel Savoy, Ann Savoy, Christine Balfa, Courtney Granger, Claire Hedlund, Wilson Savoy, John Terr, Jesse Lege, Marc Savoy, Mona Wilson, Joely Bias, Chester Gremillion, Tina Bias, The Creole Connection, Jackie & Larry Miller and Goldman Thibodeaux.

ACCORDION FOR SALE

Art Brown, who lives in in the Nisswa, Minnesota area, has a Hohner accordion for sale. It is an HA114 model in the key of C with 4 stops and good for learning Cajun music. He is asking $350. You can call him at 218-963-3804 or email him at abrown@brainerd.net

UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

March 01 - The Faux Playboys: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
March 02 - New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
March 02 - Midway Ramblers: SIMON'S TAVERN, CHICAGO, IL (9:OO PM)
March 03 - Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas: FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
March 04 - Lil' Band O' Gold: FITZGERALD'S, BERWYN, IL
March 04 - Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas: LUTHER'S BLUES, MADISON, WI
March 04 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: DIXIE'S ON GRAND, ST. PAUL (6 -10 PM)
March 04 - Bayou Hazard: NARROWS SALOON, NAVARRE, MN (8:30 PM)
March 07 - Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
March 07 - Mojo & the Bayou Gypsies: LAKE OF THE TORCHES CASINO, LAC DU FLAMBEAU, WI
March 07 - Lil' Brian & the Zydeco Travelers: FAMOUS DAVE'S UPTOWN, MINNEAPOLIS
March 07-09 - New Riverside Ramblers: MOOSEJAW DANCE WEEKEND, MAPLELAG RESORT
March 08 - Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Cajun Deuces: CASINO, LAC DU FLAMBEAU, WI
March 08 - Bayou Hazard: FLOYD'S BAR, VICTORIA, MN
March 09 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
March 12 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7-9 PM)
March 15 - Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic: EVERETT MCCLAY VFW, BLOOMINGTON, MN
March 16 - Frogtown Hotshots: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
March 20 - Bayou Hazard: WASHINGTON SQUARE BAR & GRILLE, WHITE BEAR LAKE
March 21 - New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
March 21 - Bayou Hazard: VIKING BAR, MINNEAPOLIS
March 23 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
March 28-30 - Cajun Weekend w/ Balfa Toujours: FOLKLORE VILLAGE, DODGEVILLE, WI
March 28 - Bayou Hazard: VIKING BAR, MINNEAPOLIS
March 29 - Bayou Hazard: TOM REID'S HOCKEY CITY PUB, ST. PAUL
March 30 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
April 04 - Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
April 05 - C. J. Chenier: KRUEGER ARTS CENTER, SHEBOYGAN, WI
April 05 - The Faux Playboys: POLISH AMERICAN CLUB, ST. PAUL
April 09 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7-9 PM)
April 11 - The Cajun Strangers: FLYNN HALL, COTTAGE GROVE, WISCONSIN
April 19 - New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS
April 25-27 - Taste Louisiana CajunFest: LANCASTER EVENT CENTER, LINCOLN, NE
April 26 - The Cajun Hot Soles: LAKE HARRIET SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY, MINNEAPOLIS
April 27 - New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 02 - Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO
May 09 - The Cajun Strangers: FLYNN HALL, COTTAGE GROVE, WISCONSIN
May 10 - Beausoleil: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, SPRINGFIELD, IL
May 11 - The Cajun Hot Soles: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL
May 14 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7-9 PM)
May 17 - The Cajun Strangers: TYRANENA BREWERY, LAKE MILLS, WI
May 24-26 - Taste Louisiana CajunFest: AMANA CONVENTION CENTER, AMANA, IOWA

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

YEAR OF THE BLUES

Last September the United State Congress passed a resolution naming the12 months starting February 1, 2003 as the "Year of the Blues". This is, in case you are wondering, a commemoration of blues music, not a commentary on the mood of the electorate. It was in 1903 that W. C. Handy, the so-called "Father of the Blues", heard a blues singer at a Mississippi train station and was inspired to write and publish tunes like St. Louis Blues and Beale Street Blues. The songs in the quiz this month all have "blues" in the title. Can you match the singer with the song?

01) BELL BOTTOM BLUES	a) Bessie Smith
02) FOLSOM PRISON BLUES	b) Son House
03) LOVESICK BLUES	c) Carriere Brothers
04) SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES	d) Clifton Cenier
05) SUMMERTIME BLUES	e) Boozoo Chavis
06) WORKINGMAN BLUES	f) Amede Ardoin
07) DEEP RIVER BLUES	g) Eddie Cochrane
08) DEATH LETTER BLUE	h) Derek & the Dominoes
09) EMPTY BED BLUES	i) Bob Dylan
10) LE BLUES DE VOYAGE	j) Merle Haggard
*11) BLUES A' BEBE	k) Johnny Cash
*12) TELEPHONE BLUES	l) Hank Williams
*13) BLACK SNAKE BLUES	m) Delmore Brothers

* 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