Festival Acadiens et Creole: The People

Festival Acadiens et Creole
Lafayette, Louisiana
October 13 - 14, 2012

THE PEOPLE

Yes, they're dancing in the dirt. After a few hours, the grass underfoot was ground down, leaving the kicked up parched earth to swirl underfoot like a low level Kansas dust storm. After every act, an attendant hosed down the "dance floor". Fifteen minutes later, dust was flying again.

Louisiana native Jackie Simien (white top), News Anchor at KBMT12 Houston, TX drove up for the festival. She wrote "Bonjour Tee Belle," a book for kids about Creole culture. October is Creole Heritage Month.

Music, socializing, eating, dancing - a way of life in southern Louisiana

Preston Frank, Ed Poullard and Friends are on the Scene Ma Louisiane stage. "See that man playing fiddle, that's my cousin Ed Poullard. His mother is my grandmother's sister," says Kathy Willis, the tall woman I'm dancing with.

I swear, everyone around here knows everyone else, is related to them or has been married to them, lives near them, works with them or knows someone who does.

Kathy points to a man walking by her. "Hey,  you look familiar, don't you live in Lawtell?" This sets off a five-minute conversation. Within a matter of minutes, they know who each other's mother is, who they married, where they live, and who they're connected to now. "Really, Terrence Simeon’s brother is a bishop?" Kathy Willis exclaims to the man from Lawtell during their genealogical conversation.

"My Lord, here's my former high school principal!" Kathy Willis says and hugs Larry Miller who now lives in Iota, Louisiana. After a few minutes of reminiscing, the man from Lawtell looks at Miller and says, "I met you down in Florida wants where you were selling accordions, I was about 11 years old. You asked me, 'Can you play this thing,' and I said "In my dreams!"

Turns out that Larry G. Miller is also the maker of Bon Cajun handmade accordions,T fers, Cajun Spoons, and Scrub boards. Larry is on his way to see his grandson Blake Miller, a founding member of The Red Stick Ramblers, playing at the Heritage Stage on the other side of Girard Park. Small world. Gotta love it.

Dance with a drink in your hand? No problem.

Start 'em young and teach 'em to dance.

As I said, start 'em young...

Time to go home

Comments

[Alan Barrry]

Paul, love your articles. Have you flown the coop again to Louisiana again?

[May Louise White]

Wonderful story! All true, it's always that way.

[Jackie Simien]

Paul,

It was a pleasure dancing with you at the festival! That was a really fun weekend. If only they could all be like that.

I appreciate your interest in my book. Below is the press release and book cover design. Let's please keep in touch!

Jackie