2008 Bands & Performers
Pain d'Maïs (France)
This band played at Gloucester Cajun & Zydeco Festival and The Baasem Cajun Festival in Germany in 2007 and rocked the house from the first note. It's hardly surprising when you consider the pedigree of the band. It's made up of some of biggest names on the French Cajun Music scene of the last 30 years. With Vincent Giarrusso on Fiddle (Vermenton-Plage), Alain Serres on Guitar (Vermenton-Plage), Olivier Sarreau on bass, Eric Martin on accordion and Jean–Louis Laubry on drums this band cook like a well seasoned gumbo. Their groove is second to none and their instrumental virtuosity means they play a wide variety of two steps, waltzes, zydeco and cajun blues any old way they choose it with a backbeat you can't lose!
K-Zee Zydeco Band
K-Zee played at the inaugural Bristol Cajun & Zydeco Festival in 2004 and we just had to have them back for the 5th anniversary! Based in Devon, K-Zee is a 6-piece band consisting of Ann Jackson (fiddle), Phil Rossiter (accordeon), Steve Moore (drums), Nick Smirnoff (guitar), Phil Brown (bass) and Amanda Hesford (rubboard) who play zydeco dance music occasionally interspersed with hot country and swamp rock for your dancing pleasure!
Whiskey River Boys
Firm festival favourites, the versatile musicians/vocalists "The Whiskey River Boys" are in reality Martin and Aidan from the UK zydecajun band "Whiskey River". They play Louisiana swamp music from the Deep South plus Old Timey, Bluegrass, Country-Blues and whatever else they fancy... and they play with a genuine passion for the music. They perform in the UK and elsewhere. Meet them at their friendly and inclusive jam sessions in the festival bar for singing, dancing and playing. You'll have a good time just listening, but more so if you JOIN IN.
"The Whiskey River Boys... Magic, sheer magic... a storming triumph!" Folk
Wales, 2008.
Cajun Company (Holland)
The Cajun Company has been playing traditional Cajun music for over 14 years. They play this music the old timey way, in the spirit of early Cajun tradition, with all the raw edges and emotions right up front. They maintain the basic instrumental setup of the 20's and 30's: accordion, fiddle, acoustic guitar and 'tit fer. They're digging for the roots of Cajun music and as such they delve back through dancehall classics, rare fiddle tunes and old Creole songs. Led by Bas van der Poll, one of the most acclaimed accordion players outside of Louisiana, the Cajun Company's solid acoustic sound has earned them a place at the top of the European Cajun scene. Over the years they have performed at every Cajun festival in Europe, toured in Louisiana many times to perform at the Cajun Awards festival in the Blackham Coliseum, Lafayette, in the Liberty Theatre in Eunice and at the Festivals Acadiens, Lafayette.
Cajun Company Website
Bearcats Trio
The Bearcats are a traditional Cajun band with a reputation throughout Europe as the band to see when it comes to authenticity and an ability to put smiles on faces and feet on the dancefloor. Equally at home in concert or dance situations they have become many peoples first choice for Cajun music, combining skilled musicianship with depth, knowledge, sensitivity and soul. The trio line up features Chris Hall – Cajun accordion, vocals. Mitch Proctor – fiddle, vocals. Murray Brailsford – guitar. This combination of some of the best-known Cajun musicians in the country makes them one of the most sought after outfits in their field for venues and festivals looking for a high quality band who can really get into the heart of Cajun music.
For more information, see Swampmusic Website
Joe Le Taxi & The Zydeco Band
"Hot Zydeco Dance Music from the Welsh Frontier!" Joe Le Taxi & The Zydeco Band play hardcore Louisiana Zydeco, authentic Creole blues, sleazy shuffles and old school waltzes, heavily influenced by the raw dance music of such Zydeco legends as John Delafose, Boozoo Chavis and Bebe Carriere. Now in it’s third successive incarnation, Joe le Taxi’s Zydeco Band continues to combine this irresistible Zydeco groove with mantric melodies and crazy twisted love lyrics, to create a stunning original sound which has packed the dance halls from Sidmouth to Shetland; plus the occasional foray into Holland, France and Belgium.
Joe Le Taxi & The Zydeco Band MySpace
Carol Wilson (Cajun Dance Workshops)
Carol Wilson first discovered Cajun dancing in Los Angeles where by chance
she saw CJ Chenier in a bar and to her amazement young couples got up to
dance together! Since then she has made regular trips to Louisiana. As the
drummer in the Cajun band Zigazag she has studied Cajun music and played with some of the top musicians there. Over the years Carol has also watched the changing nature of their dances. She has refined her own techniques and has taught at a number of festivals and classes throughout the UK and Europe. Carol aims to
make her classes simple and accessible to all because “Dancing should be about
having fun and enjoying the music.”
Kay Anderson (Zydeco Dance Workshops)
Sadly Phil Underwood has had to pull out due to family commitments but never fear! Who better to step in than firm festival favourite Kay!
Kay Anderson has been dancing all her life but got hooked on cajun and zydeco music a number of years ago at Broadstairs Folk Festival. Finding gigs and workshops locally proved difficult so she started her own regular dance workshops in Kent where she offered to share what she had learnt. She has led the cajun dance workshops at the Bristol Cajun & Zydeco Festival between 2004 and 2007, at the Gloucester International Cajun & Zydeco Festival in 2006 to 2008 and each year at the Broadstairs Folk Festival since 2001 - as well as teaching a monthly cajun and zydeco dance workshops in Kent! If you’re down south, look up www.kentcajun.org.uk and come and join in the fun. "You learn by doing!"