This year, the poster for Festivals Acadiens et Créoles celebrates a moment of hope, optimism and awakening for Cajun and Creole music.
50 years ago, the “Hommage a la Musique Acadienne” concert, then held in Blackham Coliseum on the University of Southwestern Louisiana’s campus, was only in its second year. Stars like Zachary Richard and Clifton Chenier were gathered, set to rock what was then an unusual paradigm in Louisiana music: a proto arena-style concert in front of a rapt audience. What followed was a night that no one would ever forget.
“That was the night, that was the show, that Clifton Chenier put a crown on his head and made a statement about being the king of zydeco,” said Cajun folklorist and cultural historian, and Festivals Acadiens founder, Barry Ancelet…