guest traveling diva wendy lemlin: getting my fix in lafayette …

 

getting my fix in lafayette
by wendy lemlin
photography by wendy lemlin

hello.  my name is wendy and i’m an addict.  

no, i’m not strung out on drugs.  i rarely take a drink.  haven’t had a cigarette since i was 19 years old (and that was many, many years ago!).  i’m not addicted to food, sex or adrenaline rushes.  i’m not even addicted to love, though i always did like that robert palmer song. no, my drug of choice, the thing that gets my heart and endorphins going like crazy, the thing that i crave constantly, is--- zydeco and cajun dancing! 

that’s me in the middle, feeding my addiction to zydeco. 

for those unacquainted with the genre, cajun and zydeco music have their roots in the traditions of the french acadians (aka cajuns), who settled southwest louisiana after their ouster from nova scotia (acadie) in the mid-1700s. this is music made for dancing, at parties known as fais dos dos, or in the clubs and dance halls, where dancers hold their partners and move in joyous coordination together. the wilder, looser sister to cajun music, zydeco stems from the mixed-race creole people, taking the airs and waltzes of the french-speaking cajuns, and infusing them with african, caribbean and even native american influences, resulting in a rollicking, up-tempo, heavily syncopated sound.   it’s impossible to listen to the highly infectious music and not want to dance for joy. and like any feel-good experience, the more i do it, the more i crave.  

i’ll go just about anywhere to get my zydeco and cajun fix---dances and festivals can now be found regularly in such diverse locations as san diego, boston, san francisco, houston, philadelphia, new york, and denver--- but the supplier of the best stuff is the city of lafayette, louisiana, in the heart of the area of southwest louisiana known as acadiana.

especially if it’s a festival weekend, there is music and dancing everywhere in lafayette.  and as one favorite zydeco song says about this addiction “it’s so hard to stop when you’re having fun…”

at festival acadiens et creoles, held this past october, it didn’t matter that it rained, that the outdoor festival grounds were at times a field of mud—as soon as the lively music started, everyone was grabbing a partner and moving to the beat, even if, like me, they had to trade in cowboy boots and dance shoes for rubber galoshes. the free, three day annual celebration of the culture, music, and food of acadiana, held annually since 1972, usually attracts about 100,000 participants--- not only locals, but an ever-growing swell of zydeco and cajun music aficionados from throughout the us who come to lafayette to dance, dance, and dance some more.

this year’s festival was dedicated to doug kershaw, joel sonnier and jimmy c. newman, musicians who were taking cajun music out to a national audience and into the future well before it was cool.  the all encompassing music line-up ranged from these long time legends to young new bands who are already garnering grammy nominations and international attention, such as cedric watson & bijou creole, feu follet, and the pine leaf boys.  they, along with other well known favorites, like steve riley and the mamou playboys, geno delafose and french rockin’ boogie, and nathan williams and the zydeco cha chas, had the crowd blithely ignoring the occasional rains and happily dancing up a storm in the muddy fields of girard park.

i indulge my addiction in lafayette and the surrounding towns at a number of other festivals during the year, as well. 

the biggest party of all, mardi gras, is celebrated in lafayette with rural cajun traditions, with the 2010 festival beginning on february 6 and culminating on the day of mardi gras, february 16.  parades, carnivals, a traditional “courir” (the mardi gras “run” where masked and costumed revelers ride on horseback throughout the countryside, begging for ingredients for a communal gumbo), dances, musical events and parties galore all add spice to this most raucous of holiday seasons, when every home and business is decorated in purple, green and gold, king cake is consumed by the ton, everyone is adorned with beads, boas and masks, and the strains of “the mardi gras song” continually issue forth from every radio and cd player.  

the eclectic festival international de louisiane, held april 21-25, 2010, celebrates french-speaking cultures from all over the world.  music, food, and the arts experienced at the free celebration transport festival goers from paris to quebec, haiti to zaire, louisiana to mali.  

the following weekend, april 30- may 2, the neighboring town of breaux bridge hosts its 40^th annual crawfish festival, when thousands of pounds of crawfish will be enjoyed in every imaginable way --- boiled or fried, in étouffée and jambalaya, in pies and bisques, in stews and gumbo. of course, there will be continuous music and dancing!

zydeco brunch at cafe des amis

the best part of dancing my socks off in lafayette?  i don’t have to wait for a festival to get my fix!  there is so much music in the dance halls, bars and cafes all around the city and in the surrounding towns, that the dancing seems to go on non-stop.  on weekends at the blue moon saloon, or el sido’s zydeco and blues club, the dance floors are often so crowded, that the packed-in crowds can barely move. undaunted and getting off on the frenetic energy, i squeeze in wherever i can, even if it means just dancing in place. vermillionville, grant street dance hall, whisky river landing, randol’s, la poussiere—so many places to dance, so little time!

proving that, for me, there’s no such thing as too much zydeco when i visit southwest louisiana,   on saturday mornings, no matter how late i was out dancing the night before, i haul my butt out of bed at some ungodly hour, so that i can enjoy my omelet with a side of zydeco at the zydeco breakfast at café des amis in breaux bridge, about 10 miles east of lafayette.  well before the band starts up at 8:30---yes, that’s am---i’m joining the long line of hungry dancers waiting to get in the door, hoping to start my day with some great food and energetic 2-steps during the three hours when the band plays.  when the music and dancing is this good, nobody minds waiting for a table, and after i’ve totally pigged out on everything from beignets to boudin (cajun sausage), i can just work it off with more dancing!

when i travel to lafayette from my home in san diego, i usually fly into new orleans, partially because it’s easier and more economical, but mostly so that i can get a head start on indulging my dance addiction at mid city lanes rock’n’bowl.  every thursday, some of the top names in zydeco music play at this legendary dance hall/ bowling alley, where locals and visitors alike go to dance until the wee hours, and the air is filled with the sounds of not only accordions, rubboards, guitars and drums, but also rolling bowling balls and falling pins.  if i schedule my flight into nola right, i arrive in time to meet some of my fellow addicts for a fantastic dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, the newly remodeled ye olde college inn, which shares a parking lot with rock’n’bowl.  while my plane is touching down, i’m already thinking about oyster po boys, succulent gulf shrimp, fried green tomatoes, and decadent bread pudding.

geno delafose playing at rock ‘n’ bowl in new orleans

so my fellow divas, pack that carryon with your best dance boots and join me in a fais dos dos in lafayette.  heed this warning, though: it will become habit forming!  but as they say there, “it’s all good”!

 

good to know:

want to see some zydeco and cajun dance footage and music?  there’s plenty on youtube, including videos from festival acadiens!

lafayette convention and visitors commission:
www.lafayettetravel.com 800-346-1958

new orleans visitor and convention bureau:
www.neworleanscvb.com 800-672-6124

blue moon saloon:
215 e convent st., lafayette
www.bluemoonhostel.com

el sido’s zydeco & blues club:
1523 n saint antoine st, lafayette

mid city lanes rock’n’bowl: 3016 s.carrollton ave., new orleans
www.rocknbowl.com

ye olde college inn in new orleans is a great place to stop in for food and atmosphere.

ye olde college inn restaurant & bar:
3000 s.carrollton ave., new orleans
www.collegeinn1933.com

café des amis:
111 washington st.  breaux bridge
www.cafedesamis.com

hotels:

in new orleans, the perfect place to stay is the inn on bourbon, a ramada plaza hotel smack dab in the middle of all the action in the french quarter. outside—the party on bourbon street never stops; inside—an oasis of peace and sophisticated comfort.  if you’re a party animal, ask for a room with a balcony fronting bourbon street, if you want to get away from all the frenzy, ask for the much quieter back courtyard rooms.
541 bourbon st.  1-800-535-7891  www.innonbourbon.com

hint: the extremely convenient airport shuttle new orleans will transport you door-to-door to and from the airport for a very reasonable $38 round trip.
866-596-2699 www.airportshuttleneworleans.com

lafayette has a number of moderately priced lodging options.  an inexpensive option favored by visiting dancers is the la quinta inn.
2100 ne evangeline throughway 800- 531-5900

***

about wendy …

guest traveling diva, wendy lemlin

wendy lemlin has lived in all four corners of the country, including several places in between, but has enjoyed calling san diego home since 2004.  a well-published writer, copywriter and photographer, she has enjoyed immersing herself in everything her new home has to offer, including a surprising amount of zydeco dancing.  whether traveling to the far-flung parts of the globe, or the near-flung corners of her own backyard, wendy is constantly seeking out, and writing about, new experiences, often in the company of her favorite companion, sophie the wander-dog.  for her part, sophie can't believe that she actually gets to live someplace with so many dog parks, yappy hours and dog beaches! she might even learn to dance one of these days.  learn more about wendy at her website: www.wendylemlin.com.