Home for the holidays, Balfa-style

Dan McKain

St. Martinville — The famous Balfa clan gathered for a family reunion at the home of Dirk and Christine Balfa Powell here on the Sunday before Christmas.

Quite naturally there soon arose the sounds of an accordion, guitars, a fiddle and triangle.

Christine is the daughter of the late Dewey Balfa, one of the famous Balfa Brothers from Mamou, widely known Cajun musicians.

Over 70 people attended the reunion, and although most now live in or around St. Martin Parish, one, fiddler Michael Ball, came all the way from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Seafood gumbo with large shrimp and big blue crabs, turkey jambalaya, okra, and green beans were served. Desert was pecan pie and red velvet cake. After eating, the family assembled for a group picture, and then the adults enjoyed an impromptu jam session while the children descended on other parts of the Balfa compound for play.

Christine has toured widely with her own band, Balfa Toujours, and was featured in the movie “The Big Easy” with Dennis Quaid. Her husband, Dirk, is an accomplished fiddler with his own Hollywood connections, having composed music for and acted in the movie “Cold Mountain” as well as working on numerous other dramatic films and documentaries.

Known as an ambassador for Cajun music, Dewey Balfa, who died in 1992, ) was a driving force in the revival of traditional Cajun music. He and his brothers Will, Rodney, Harry, and Burkeman grew famous playing dance halls on the Cajun prairie in the 1940s.