Cajun French Music Association

Cajun French Music Association
Name	Cajun French Music Association
Formation	1984
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Lafayette, Louisiana
Region served	Acadiana
Language	Cajun French, English

Cajun French Music Association

The Cajun French Music Association is an American nonprofit devoted to the preservation, promotion, and performance of Cajun music and Cajun French culture in Acadiana, Louisiana. Founded in the 1980s in Lafayette, Louisiana, the organization connects musicians, scholars, cultural institutions, and community groups including performers from Evangeline Parish, St. Landry Parish, St. Martin Parish, and Vermilion Parish. It works alongside entities such as the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, Smithsonian Folkways, Library of Congress, and regional festivals to sustain the living traditions associated with figures like Cléoma Breaux, Dennis McGee, and Amede Breaux.

History

The association emerged in the context of revived interest in Cajun culture spurred by events involving Cajun revivalists, folklorists associated with Lafayette Parish, and academic programs at institutions such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Nicholls State University. Early organizers consulted with elders from communities linked to historic performers like Iry LeJeune, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc, and Dewey Balfa, while coordinating with preservation initiatives at the Acadiana Center for the Arts and archival projects at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Edith Garland Dupré Library. The association’s formation paralleled the growth of regional events including the Festival Acadiens et Créoles and collaborations with broadcasters such as KRVS and KLFY-TV.

Mission and Activities

The association’s mission emphasizes perpetuation of Cajun French language and music through partnerships with cultural landmarks like the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve and educational entities such as Louisiana State University programs in folklore and ethnomusicology. Activities encompass live performances featuring repertoire from houses and halls tied to names like Clifton Chenier, Beausoleil, and The Balfa Brothers; archival documentation akin to projects by the Library of Congress American Folklife Center; and advocacy with municipal bodies in Lafayette, Louisiana and state agencies including the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

Festivals and Events

The association organizes and supports festivals that draw connections to major gatherings such as Festival International de Louisiane, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and parish fêtes in Crowley, Louisiana and Rayne, Louisiana. Signature events include local dance socials (fais-do-do) and concert series that showcase musicians influenced by legends like Lawrence Walker, Amédé Ardoin, Bois Sec Ardoin, and contemporary artists associated with labels such as Rounder Records and Arhoolie Records. The association’s calendar often aligns with regional commemorations at venues like the Lafayette Cajundome and community centers in St. Martinville, Louisiana.

Awards and Recognition

The organization confers honors that echo state and national recognitions such as the National Endowment for the Arts’s folk awards and listings on the National Register of Historic Places for culturally significant sites. Award recipients have included ensembles and individuals connected to recorded legacies of Dewey Balfa, Hunter Hayes-era collaborators, and veterans of the Avery Island-era Cajun scene. The association’s prizes amplify nominees who also receive accolades from institutions like Smithsonian Institution programs and regional bodies including the Acadiana Arts Council.

Publications and Recordings

The association issues newsletters, program booklets, and curated compilations that document material akin to collections archived by Smithsonian Folkways and Rounder Records. Publications detail research by folklorists linked to Alan Lomax-style fieldwork, interviews with elders from St. Landry Parish and Acadia Parish, and discographies referencing seminal recordings by Clifton Chenier, Cousin Joe, and Dewey Balfa. Collaborative recordings have featured sessions with guest artists drawn from the networks of Zydeco and Cajun musicians, and are promoted through partnerships with Louisiana Public Broadcasting and station archives like KLSU.

Education and Preservation Programs

Education programs include workshops on accordion, fiddle, and French lyric traditions modeled after conservatory outreach seen at Tulane University and community courses similar to offerings at South Louisiana Community College. Preservation efforts coordinate with oral history projects at the Pelican State archives and with language revitalization initiatives linked to Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). The association sponsors youth scholarships, mentorship programs that pair elders from the Bayou Teche region with students, and school programs in parishes served by districts such as Lafayette Parish School System.

Organizational Structure and Membership

Governance includes a board of directors and committees, engaging members from municipalities like Lafayette, Louisiana, Breaux Bridge, and Eunice, Louisiana, and collaborating with nonprofit partners such as the Cultural Resources Division and local chambers of commerce. Membership spans performers, academics from institutions like Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and Nicholls State University, cultural workers, and enthusiasts residing throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. The association works with production crews, promoters, and archivists to maintain a network that supports ongoing documentation, performance, and transmission of Cajun French musical heritage.

Category:Cajun music Category:Non-profit organizations based in Louisiana