The page is dedicated to spreading Cajun and Zydeco music and dance. The World Wide Web is an every expanding resource and it is often difficult to find the important information. I hope to point out the most interesting and useful resources, and I also try to arrange them in a logical way. When I started this page in 1996, there was not much out there on Cajun or Zydeco. Now there are thousands of pages and well as countless references in articles and such. The page does not and can not hope to catalogue every mention of Cajun or Zydeco on the web. Moreover, the web is very fluid with pages and their address changing frequently, a feature that renders an up to date catalogue near impossible.
Who am I and how did I get into this music?
I started this page in 1996 when I was in Graduate school and had first seen the World Wide Web. At this time, I had become enthralled with Cajun music after hearing Filé play at a local bar in Baltimore, MD. After that I took a trip to the New Orleans Jazz Fest and got a swamp bug on my back, so to speak. Now I mainly travel to Lafayette area to hear music. I also promote Cajun and Zydeco on the East Coast as well as teaching dance lessons.
Do I make money from this page?
No, this is a labor of love, and I make no money and accept no advertising. My wish is only to promote Cajun and Zydeco music.
Is it a lot of work?
Yes and No. Keeping a single web page that has to constantly updated is very labor intensive. For example, my New York/New England schedule is one such page. However, many of my other pages contain information that does not change on a daily basis. I am a strong believer that the power of the web comes from the larger community contributing to the whole. In this way, I do my local work and link to others doing their local schedules and newsletters, band websites, etc.
How can I contribute? How can I get listed?
If you have a web site that is pertinent to Cajun and Zydeco music or dance, please e-mail me with the URL and a short description. If you have a have an idea about a free website and need help setting it up, I will lend whatever assistance I can. If you have information on specific events, unless it is for a major event, I would prefer not to list it unless it is in the area.
Where can I find song lyrics and instructional videos?
A good source of instructional books and videos is What Bayou Trading Company (153 W. Landry, Opelousas, LA 70570, Phone: Toll Free 1-888- 942-2575, outside USA 1-337-942-2575). If you are looking for lyrics for Cajun songs, try Yé Yaille Chere! From the What Bayou Trading Company book page "This is the most comprehensive book on Cajun songs. Includes the most common lyrics and the melody in standard notation. Some controversy over some of the songs, but this is folk music after all and it is hard to pin down the definitive versions of many of the songs".
Where can I find instructional dance videos?
A good source of videos is What Bayou Trading Company or Floyd's Record Shop(PO Drawer 10 -434 East Main, Ville Platte, LA 70586, 800-738-8668) . If you are looking for information on the some of the videos available, I have some of that information listed here on a dance instruction page. I also have a list of great mailorder sources that lists other sources of videos.
I'm going to Lafayette or New Orleans - what should I do?
I have a couple of page devoted to places to go in Southwest Louisiana and New Orleans to see and hear Cajun and zydeco music. The first page is mostly a list of clubs, venues, and local resources. The second page is more of a travel guide to Southwest Louisiana and surrounding areas (near Lafayette). For New Orleans, you should see the guide provided by Ben Pagac.
Why don' t the pages play Cajun music?
My pages don't play music because I find it annoying, not because I don't know how to add it. I listen a lot music on my computer, and I don't like when page I am browsing overrides my choice and plays music that I 'm not interested in hearing. Also, I try to keep my pages free of frivolous stuff that increases download time. If you do want to hear Cajun and Zydeco, please see my online audio page. I highly recommend that you check out KBON - great music from Louisiana, 24 hours a day.
How can I get free email newsletters?
For local information, I suggest trying join one of the newletters on my page of local schedules and newsletters. For a large and comprehensive newsletter of national and international news, see Gary Hayman's amazing Zyd-Ezine. This is a one-way newsletter; however, there is also a large two-way mailing list (everyone on the list gets your email and vice versa). With this list, you can read and post questions, news items, etc. This is a great way to share thoughts with an incredible number of Cajun and Zydeco fans. It take only a moment to join the CajunZydecoDance group by clicking here.
How can I find out more about musical instruments in Cajun and Zydeco?
Here is a quick list of place to look some places to find more information for both beginning and advanced musicians:
