Cajun and Zydeco Bands That Perform in Florida

the musically unexpected thrown in for spice. Al Berard of Cecilia, Louisiana is Cajun, and has been playing music since he was a boy. He is the fiddle player with the Basin Brothers and performed on their Grammy-nominated recording. He tours as well with the Al Berard Cajun Combo (www.cajuncombo.com), a fiddle and mandolin-based Cajun string trio. He has played with many of the greats of Cajun music and produced the DVD Al Berard Teaches Cajun Fiddle Basics. He is often one of the most in-demand fiddle instructors for adults at the annual weeklong Louisiana Folkroots Music Camp (www.lafolkroots.org), and also at Augusta Heritage Cajun/Creole Week (www.augustaheritage.com) in West Virginia. He has taught workshops at many major music festivals throughout the U.S. over the years. Al is available for workshops in Cajun style fiddle, mandolin, and guitar at every level and can present a workshop in ensemble form with Mark and Lisa as well, demonstrating and adding backup techniques.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Since their inception in 1975, BeauSoleil has not only spearheaded a cultural Renaissance but has elevated Cajun music to one of domestic and international acclaim. Along the way, they have appeared regularly on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion and garnered ten Grammy nominations. In 1998, they became the first Cajun band to win a Grammy for their L'Amour Ou La Folie effort in the traditional folk category. While they've introduced their sources of inspiration, Dennis McGee, Canray Fontenot, Varise Connor, Wade Fruge, Dewey Balfa, Amedee Ardoin and Freeman Fontenot, to new audiences, they've also daringly blended zydeco, Tex-Mex, western swing, blues, New Orleans traditional jazz and Caribbean calypso into their framework. Yet, it all begins with the preservation of a sacred culture, the lifelong calling of fiddling frontman Michael Doucet. "In the beginning, we mainly tried to get this music to the people in Louisiana. When I graduated from high school in 1969, we noticed that when people died, so did the culture, whatever culture they had with them. It was a transitional time, the old world French and the New World. So we had time to hang out with people of our grandparent's generation who could teach us the songs." Whereas most Cajun bands revolve around their accordionist, BeauSoleil's emphasis has always been on fiddle, showcasing it heavily in their arrangements. The wooden stringed instrument played with a horsehair bow was the lead instrument of choice before the advent of the diatonic accordion in the late 19th century when the repertoire consisted largely of fiddle tunes. BeauSoleil became a Cajun band of many firsts. They were the first to play the frottoir, the rubboard that's a staple in Cajun music's cousin genre zydeco. BeauSoleil was also the first Cajun band to record an Amedee Ardoin and a Dennis McGee song, the first to feature a female vocalist and the first to feature an acoustic guitarist, Doucet's brother David, who flatpicked his lead parts in place of the proverbial steel guitar. BeauSoleil has played Florida events such as Ybor City's Tropical HeatWave festival.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cajun Dave's music is exciting & exhilarating -- you just can't get enough! His performances will have you out of your seats & coming back for more. Cajun Dave is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and plays many instruments, including Electric & Acoustic Guitars (6 & 12 string), Banjo, Mandolin, Harmonica, Slide Flute, Bongos, Percussion, Bass, Triangle (Tetfer), Spoons, Scrubboard (Frottier) and Squeezebox. Also major lead & background harmony vocals, and last but not least of course THE FIDDLE! He must have ants in his pants, cause he can never stay in one spot for a long time.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

One of the brightest young talents to emerge in Cajun, Creole and Zydeco (Louisiana French) music over the last decade, Cedric Watson is a four-time Grammy-nominated fiddler, singer, accordionist & songwriter with seemingly unlimited potential. Originally from San Felipe, TX (population 868), Cedric made his first appearance at the age of 19 at the Zydeco Jam at The Big Easy in Houston, TX. Just two years later, he moved to south Louisiana, quickly immersing himself in French music and language. Over the next several years, Cedric performed French music in 17 countries and on 7 full-length albums with various groups, including the Pine Leaf Boys, Corey Ledet, Les Amis Creole with Ed Poullard and J.B. Adams, and with his own group, Bijou Creole. Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole will play at the 2011 Cajun Zydeco Festival in Hollywood, FL.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What do you get when the women of NY's top Cajun bands combine their musical talents? An all-girl, northeast Cajun dance band with attitude! The three original Cri Du Bayou members, Barbara Sanders on accordion, and Susi Mills (Bayou Road Krewe) and Jane DeLisa on twin fiddles, Betsy Fuller (All Night Ramblers) on guitar, and Evelyn Schneider (Jesse Lege & Bayou Brew) on bass. These harmonious sisters have been singing and playing Cajun music in the northeast for the last seventeen years, keeping the spirit alive and well. The will rock the house and keep you dancing all night long! C'est Bon Cajun Dance Band will play at the 2011 Cajun Zydeco Festival in Hollywood, FL.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chubby is the third generation of zydeco artists with such famous relatives as Roy Carrier (father), Warren Carrier (grandfather), and cousins Bebe and Calvin Carrier who are presently considered legends in zydeco history. Chubby began his musical career at the age of 12 by playing drums with his father's band. He began playing the accordion at the age of 15. By age 17, Chubby had begun to play with Terrance Siemien and toured the world for 2 1/2 years, before forming his own band in 1989. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band have recorded ten CDs over the past 22 years of Chubby's professional career. His band has traveled all over the world, performing to audiences in all parts of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada. North Africa and Europe. Chubby and the band travel 150-175 days a year, taking his act to big festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz Fest, the Chicago Blues Fest. Summerfest (Milwaukee), Memphis in May, and several festivals in Europe. Carrier has appeared at Mojo Kitchen in Jacksonville Beach and other Florida venues.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Band tours east coast, and will appear at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa on New Years Eve. "Legendary" is a word that gets tossed around pretty loosely these days, but if there ever was an occasion worthy of that superlative, Donna the Buffalo's recent two-night run at the recently-reopened State Bridge Lodge in Colorado is it. On Thursday, 8/18, the band came onstage at about 8:45 pm and played until close to 4 am --- a 7+ hour set! The setlist started out normally enough with Everyday and also included a new Jeb tune, Look to the Future, Tennessee River, an instrumental jam, On Our Way On, Rockin in the Weary Land, WV Rastafari, Little Wing, a cover of Lay Lady Lay, and more. The later portion of the night primarily featured Jeb solo, doing songs such as the Place That Lovers Do, Step it Up To Life, The Mystery, and In The Middle Distance. The next night, the band turned in a set that was "only" two hours and forty minutes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to the world of Feufollet, a band both deeply rooted in the francophone soil of Louisiana and pushing boldly into unexplored yet utterly natural varieties of Cajun experience. Though famous for their renditions of heartbreaking songs and rollicking tunes, the quintet broke new ground on En Couleurs featuring originals that draw on deep roots tempered by a cutting edge of contemporary life. "We have always been about experimenting with Cajun music," explains Chris Stafford, who plays fiddle, accordion, and just about anything else he can get his hands on, "and that means adding new material to the genre. It was a decision; as we talked about the album, we knew we had to do as many original songs as possible.... Out of context, I'm not sure that if you heard songs like 'Les Jours Sont Longs (The Days are Long)' on an album with no accordion or fiddle that you'd ever peg them as Cajun," Stafford reflects with a smile. "But they make sense with other, more traditional songs and lyrically they're in Cajun French. I guess you could call it Cajun pop."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Geno Delafose was born and raised in Eunice, Louisiana. At the age of eight, he joined his father's band, the Eunice Playboys, as a rubboard player and continued to play with the band until his father's death in 1994. He also appeared on the several of the bands recordings. He switched to the accordion in the early 1990s and started to play as an opening act for his father. In 1994, he debuted with album French Rockin' Boogie on Rounder Records. The name of this album also became the name of his band with whom he still plays today. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album" category for his Le Cowboy Creole album (2007).

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Led by James LeBlanc on vocals and accordion, this well-established Cajun/zydeco band has been setting dance floors a-fire throughout Florida since 1994. A native of LaFayette, LA, LeBlanc has played with many of the Bayou State's top musicians in his 25 years of as a professional musician, infusing his playing with an authenticity that can't be learned from a book - it must be lived. As further proofs, LeBlanc speaks and sings in authentic Cajun French, his first language growing up in the heart of Acadiana. In addition to its authentic Cajun and zydeco repertoire, Gris Gris also offers country, blues and rock 'n' roll as appropriate for the booking and venue.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Gulfport Ramblers Cajun Band plays the lively ' of the Cajun and Creole people of southwest Louisiana. Whether it's a heart-breakingly sad waltz, a swingy Creole blues, or a bouncy Cajun two-step, it'll make you want to dance. Although the Gulfport Ramblers Cajun Band is newly-formed, its players have been performing traditional acoustic music for many years. The core of the band are Larry Enlow (accordion & vocals) and Maureen Kilroy (guitar & vocals), founding members of the popular Atlanta Swamp Opera Cajun Band; and David Massey (fiddle & vocals) and Marietta Massey (percussion & harmony vocals) of Florida's Gumbo Limbo Cajun band. Rounding out the sound is well-known veteran of Tampa Bay's traditional music scene, John McEwen, on bass guitar. They are sometimes joined by classical and traditional musician Kathie Aagaard fiddle.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Gumbo Boogie Band was first cooked up in the summer of 1995. The group started with a primary acoustic, jug band flavored sound. From the very beginning however, the band was strongly influenced by the music of South Louisiana. During the summer of 1996 the group released its first CD, No Electric Guitars. It received very respectable attention. They added a generous helping bass guitar, turned the drummer up a taste louder and made the hard drive of Zydeco style accordion, a more noticeable flavor. Soon the group began to refer to its sound as "Creole Style Rock-n-Roll", aptly describing a spicy blend of New Orleans Rhythm-n-Blues, Zydeco, Oldies & Classic Rock with a swamp water twist and the band's original material. They serve up this musical stew with a good time, street party, tent revival presentation that leaves audiences hungry for more. The band is known for its appeal to a wide cross section of age groups and musical tastes, and has been a hit with audiences at music festival, corporate events, food festivals, fund raisers, restaurants, art fairs, night clubs and honky tonks.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hard rockin' Zydeco locomotive labeled 'ridiculously danceable' by the Tallahassee Democrat. They have released two CDs of smokin' ZydecoZoo originals. The band also covers Zydeco standards by Clifton Chenier, Beau Jocque, Buckwheat Zydeco, Keith Frank, C.J. Chenier, Boozoo Chavis, and many more. The band has played Tallahassee Jazz and Blues Festival, City of Jacksonville, FL. Sail Jacksonville, City of St Petersburg First Night, Pensacola's Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, The Three Rivers Music Festival in Columbia, S.C., Shreveport, LA's Mudbug Maddness, Mardi Gras Maddness on Clematis in West Palm Beach, FL, Deerfield Beach, FL Cajun and Zydeco Festival.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rosie hails from the rural town of Church Point, Louisiana, and learned to play the accordion by watching her husband and then practicing on his accordion while he worked during the day. With her self-penned tunes, Ledet provides a unique female presence in the male-dominated zydeco world. She sings in both Creole French and in English. Her songs are often sly and lusty, and combined with her natural good looks and distinctive, bluesy singing voice, she wows audiences wherever she goes. Since her interest in music began in the mid-1980's, Rosie Ledet and her husband/producer, Morris, have truly traveled the Zydeco Road. Rosie's performances have carried her throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, and her tours include Florida venues including Tallahassee's Bradfordville Blues Club. 2011 Florida Tour dates: 11/10: Goodland, FL; 11/11 Cape Coral, FL; 11/12 Cajun-Zydeco Festival in Hollywood, FL.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Magnolia Sisters is a band of women who can play the whole gamut of musical styles from southwest Louisiana: Cajun, Creole, dancehall favorites, and front porch ballads. Because of their many rhythmic styles they are loved by dancers, who marvel at the variety of fun grooves they play. All being multi-instrumentalists they switch from instruments to instrument during their shows. Much of the Magnolia Sisters music has been gleaned from long-buried Cajun musical jewels found their extensive archives. While these older songs are the more unusual aspect of their sound, they also love to play energetic Cajun dancehall and Creole numbers that bring the audience to their feet which they will undoubted do at Cajun-Zydeco Festival in Hollywood, FL in November.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys have arrived! This time, the swamps of Southwest Louisiana have given birth to a young Cajun band that's definitely the "Real Deal." These guys play Cajun music the way it's supposed to be played, keeping true to their traditional heritage, yet pushing the limits of groove with a mature experimentation that's guaranteed to keep you dancing. Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys pack the dance floor every time with his pumping accordion rising like steam from the hot gumbo he calls the Ossun Playboys.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Porchdogs have been playing Cajun and zydeco music since 1992, when Andy Burr (guitar, harmonica, vocals) and Greg Taillon (Cajun squeezebox, fiddle, vocals) formed the band in order to perform the kind of music they loved but rarely heard in Central Florida. Though Andy and Greg often perform as a duo, the band also often includes fiddle, bass, and drums. They have released seven albums of mostly C/Z standards, and are available to perform at any events in the southeast US. The band is the only act that played all 15 years of the original Ft Lauderdale Cajun Zydeco Festival; they also have performed five years daily at the Florida State Fair, and 12 years daily during Bike Week and Biketoberfest at the Iron Horse Saloon in Ormond Beach. They've had repeat or long-term engagements at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, Cypress Gardens, Silver Springs, Bok Tower Gardens, and shows at many Fairs and Festivals throughout Florida.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The band is called Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. The guy in the middle holds a button-box that squeezes like an accordion, but shouts hallelujah like a big brass band. The fiddle cracks wise and warm, the guitar falls off the edge of the earth, and the rhythm section is purring rumble like a Coupe DeVille of shark-fin vintage. It all flows as a liquid-smooth groove, topped with three heartfelt voices harmonizing in 17th-century French from the steamy sub-tropics. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys began over twenty years ago with a reputation for excellence. Their stunningly clean and cohesive performance of Cajun French music from the backwaters of Southwest Louisiana propelled them into the world music limelight early on, and by their third release had garnered them a Grammy nomination in the worldwide field of traditional folk music, another in 2004, and then another in 2009. From the day they started, they have gone from strength to strength. Never before in Cajun music has a comparable wealth of skills been brought to the same table. When all that heart and all that skill focus on the revelry of a hot two-step, then turn on a dime and deliver an a cappella ballad, then play something that sounds like Howlin' Wolf fell in lust with a Creole girl, you've found the most Cajun music you can find in any one spot. You've found Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Back in the early 1950s, traditional Cajun and Creole music collided with the rocking Rhythm and Blues sounds that were sweeping the country, and a new style of music emerged. It was christened Zydeco, from a song popularized by Zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier. The Zydeco we hear in Louisiana today is a popular and exciting dance music that owes much to Chenier and his contemporaries. River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs bring the exuberant sounds of the steamy bayous of southwestern Louisiana to the hills of New England. The Zydeco Hogs cook up a spicy musical gumbo that combines the traditional sounds of the button accordion and washboard with a driving, syncopated beat.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Savoy Family Cajun Band plays honed down, hard-core Cajun music laced with an earthy sensuality. In their hands, the old tunes have been revived and returned to new life. Marc and Ann Savoy and their sons Joel and Wilson are strong individual musicians working together to create a tight, intense sound. Marc and Ann have been performing and recording together since 1977. They have traveled all over the world, appearing in such prestigious venues as the Newport Folk Festival, the Berlin Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian Institution, the Getty Museum, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Ann and Joel appeared in the film Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood and they performed on the Warner Brothers Soundtrack, as well as at the film's premiere in Los Angeles. Maintaining a more acoustic approach to Cajun music, the Savoy Family Cajun Band can nonetheless hold its own among Cajun music lovers everywhere, and takes pride in drawing considerable power from four acoustic instruments. The Savoy Family Cajun Band brings the raw energy of the dancehalls of southwest Louisiana to the stage, peppered with humorous and informative anecdotes about life in the Cajun heartland.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slippery Sneakers is a high energy Zydeco dance band that brings together traditional and contemporary Cajun/Zydeco roots music originating from Southwest Louisiana. Their sound is a spicy mixture of up-tempo Zydeco, Blues and Soul, Cajun waltzes, and a bit of Rock'n Roll, with a heavy emphasis on 'the groove' to keep crowds dancing. Slippery Sneakers has performed at nationally known Zydeco festivals all over the country, including almost every dance festival in New England, always to wide acclaim.

Copyright James Hance 2011, 2012 --- Please send listing updates to j-hance@wowpromotions.com