Cajun Spotlight


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

ZYDECO DANCE LESSONS WITH MAURINE

Maurine McCort offers zydeco lessons this fall. Classes are held at the Oddfellows Lodge Hall at 2382 Hampden in St. Paul on Saturdays from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. Cost is $10 per person per class. Here's the schedule:
  • Zydeco I (Getting the Groove) October 18, 25, Nov 1
  • Zydeco II Moving with Music) November 8, 15, 22
  • Zydeco III (Rocking With The Rhythm) Dec 6,13,19

LALA GALA BENEFIT IN NOVEMBER

The First Annual Lala Gala for the Huntington's Disease Society of America is Saturday, November 8. It takes place at the Polish-American Club at 1003 Arcade Street in Saint Paul. Playing will be Bayou Hazard and The Cajun Hot Soles. The evening includes Cajun food available for purchase, a cake walk, door prizes and plenty of great music. There will be a dance lesson at 7:30 pm and dancing from 8 to 11 pm. Come on out and support a fine cause and have a good time doing it.

DALBO DANCE IN NOVEMBER

The next Dalbo Town Hall dance will be Saturday, November 15 from 7 to 11 pm. Music will be by Skandilous and the Cajun Hot Soles. Skandilous plays traditional music from Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Cajun Hot Soles perform Cajun and Creole music from Louisiana. They will give a dance lesson before their set. Admission is $7 for adults and children are admitted free The Dalbo Town Hall is wheelchair accessible and smoke free. Mom's Food Co-op of Cambridge will sell tasty refreshments. Dalbo is located about an hour north of the Twin Cities between Cambridge and Princeton. From Dalbo, take Highway 47 north approx. 3.3 miles to County 16. Go west (left) 1.8 miles to Jaspar St. Go left .2 mile to 399th Ave. Go right .2 mile to Nacre St. Go left to Town Hall. For more information contact Amy at 763-444-8390 or asabrina@ecenet.com
 

THE KREWE PRESENTS...

The Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association (the Krewe de Walleye) has a busy schedule of dances in the months ahead. On Halloween (Friday, October 31) JJ's Zydeco Paydirt play for a dance at the Polish American Club at 1003 Arcade in Saint Paul. There will be a dance lesson at 8:00 pm; dancing is from 8:30 to midnight. 
Two weeks later (Friday, November 14) Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys return to the Twin Cities for a dance. It will be held at the Marian Knights of Columbus Hall at 1114 West 79th Street in Bloomington. There will be a Cajun dance lesson at 8:00 pm; dancing will be from 8:30 to midnight. There will be special admission prices for this dance to help celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Krewe (check the Web site for details).
The Krewe also presents a Thanksgiving Eve Dance at the Polish American Club on Wednesday, November 26. Playing will be the Faux Playboys
Don't forget that before zydeco dances at the Half Time Rec on Sunday night the Krewe presents a zydeco lesson by Maurine McCort. To learn about the Minnesota Cajun and Zydeco Music and Dance Association and to view other useful information check out www.krewedewalleye.com.
 

CAJUN/ZYDECO DANCE LESSONS IN OSHKOSH

Lynn Stephany is offering two series of classes in Cajun-Zydeco Dancing this fall through Fox Valley Technical College in eastern Wisconsin. They will take place at the Oshkosh Seniors Center Annex in Oshkosh. Both series meet on Tuesdays. The first runs from September 9 to October 14; the second from November 4 through December 9. For more information call Lynn at 920-233- 0931.
 

CAJUN JAMS STILL GOING STRONG

The regular Cajun Jams at Homestead Pickin' Parlor continue to attract a small but loyal group of musicians. Jams are held the second Wednesday of each month from 7 to 9 pm. Homestead is located at 6625 Penn Avenue South in Richfield. Regrettably there is no room for dancing, but if you want to play some Cajun tunes stop by on any second Wednesday.
 

STEVE RILEY NEWS

Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys have a new album out on Rounder Records. Bon Reve should be available at stores now. Also new: Mary Elise Riley was born on September 8 to Lisa Stafford and Steve Riley in Lafayette, Louisiana. She weighed 7 lb. 11 oz. and is doing well.
 

WISCONSIN CAJUN DANCES

  1. On Saturday, November 1 a dance featuring Middle Eastern group Salaam and The Cajun Strangers takes place in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be on campus at the UW Union South starting at 7:00 pm. A Cajun dance lesson by Deb Bachman will be provided. This is part of the Dance Alive! series
  2. The Chicago Cajun Aces play for a dance at Folklore Village near Dodgeville, Wisconsin on Saturday, November 8. There will be a dance workshop at 7:00 pm; dancing begins at 8:00 pm.

    UPCOMING CAJUN AND ZYDECO EVENTS

  • October 31 - Halloween Dance w/ JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: POLISH AMERICAN CLUB, ST. PAUL (7:30 PM)
  • October 31 - Bayou Hazard: FLOYD'S BAR, VICTORIA, MN (8:30 PM)
  • November 01 - Cajun Strangers & Salaam: UNION SOUTH, UW CAMPUS, MADISON, WI (7:00 PM)
  • November 02 - Jumbo Ya Ya: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • November 07 - Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO, IL (8:00 PM)
  • November 08 - Chicago Cajun Aces: FOLKLORE VILLAGE, DODGEVILLE, WI (8:00 PM)
  • November 08 - Benefit w/ Bayou Hazard, Cajun Hot Soles: POLISH-AMERICAN CLUB (7:30 PM)
  • November 09 - New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • November 12 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7:00-9:00 PM)
  • November 14 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: MARIAN KC HALL, BLOOMINGTON (8:00 PM)
  • November 15 - Cajun Hot Soles, Skandilous: TOWN HALL, DALBO, MN (7:00 PM)
  • November 15 - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys: T. B. SHELDON THEATER, RED WING, MN
  • November 16 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • November 23 - Faux Playboys: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • November 26 - Thanksgiving Eve Dance w/ The Faux Playboys: POLISH AMERICAN CLUB, ST. PAUL
  • November 29 - New Riverside Ramblers: TAPESTRY FOLKDANCE CENTER, MPLS (7:30 PM)
  • November 30 - Buffalo Gals: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • December 05 - Midway Ramblers: IRISH AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER, CHICAGO, IL (8:00 PM)
  • December 07 - Faux Playboys: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • December 06 - New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER (7:30 PM)
  • December 10 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7:00-9:00 PM)
  • December 14 - New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • December 21 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • December 28 - Cajun Hot Soles: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • December 31 - New Year's Eve Dance-New Riverside Ramblers: POLISH AMERICAN CLUB, ST. PAUL
  • January 04 - JJ's Zydeco Paydirt: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • January 11 - Jumbo Ya Ya: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • January 14 - Cajun Jam: HOMESTEAD PICKIN' PARLOR, RICHFIELD (7:00-9:00 PM)
  • January 18 - New Riverside Ramblers: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • January 25 - Bayou Hazard: HALF TIME REC, ST. PAUL (8:00 PM)
  • January 30 - New Riverside Ramblers: CEDAR CULTURAL CENTER (7:30 PM)
  • February 28 - KREWE Mardi Gras Celebration: MARIAN KC HALL, BLOOMINGTON
  • March 13 - Cajun Hot Soles, Crawfish Hotdish: TOWN HALL, DALBO (7:00 PM)
NOTE: Please call to confirm events more than six weeks from first item on calendar.
 

TREND WATCHING

For many years the pop music charts have reflected many of the fads and fashions that have come and gone in American culture. These trends have included clothing, recreation, television shows, haircuts and possessions (like the Pet Rock). Frequently the songs were performed by "One-Hit Wonders"- Artists who disappeared almost as quickly as the fad they sang about. In the quiz this month we feature songs about items that were hot at the time. Sometimes these things are still around in one form or another, in other instances they are pop culture footnotes. Can you match the performer with the song?
 
01) KUNG FU FIGHTING a)  Buckner & Garcia
02) CONVOY  b)  Gerry Granahan
03) DISCO DUCK  c)  Jan & Dean
04) TRANSISTOR SISTER d)  Carl Douglas
05) NO CHEMISE, PLEASE e)  The Royal Teens
06) PAC-MAN FEVER f)  The Tornadoes
07) SIDEWALK SURFIN' g)  Freddy Cannon
08) THE HAPPENING h)  Chubby Checker
09)  TELSTAR i)  The Supremes
10) LIMBO ROCK j)  C. W. McCall
*11) (WHO WEARS) SHORT SHORTS k) Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots
 * 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