Cajun life savers

While most of the country is following the popular culture that is trending from New York and Los Angeles, many of the communities are losing their local cultures that make them unique. In the midst of this shift in cultures, one community in south central Louisiana is doing its part to foster its unique Cajun culture and thus keeping it alive.
Mamou is located in Evangeline Parish and is a 20-minute drive down Louisiana Highway 104 from the parish seat of Ville Platte. The scenic highway winds its way through an area known as Pine Point, or Pointe Aux Pines as it is locally known.
The Cajun culture was first brought to the Mamou area by those Acadians who were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British during Le Grand Dérangement.
Many of the locals in Mamou are doing their part to foster this culture through the food, the language, and the music. “The food’s great, and the music’s great,” said Terral Aymond. He, along with his wife Sheila, have a grocery store in the area called Mel’s Grocery.
All of the elements of the Cajun culture in Mamou came together on the second weekend in September during the 46th Annual Cajun Music Festival. “The festival started in 1972, and at that time it was the Mamou Jaycees that were sponsoring it,” said Aymond who is the president of the festival. “Then after a few years, the Jaycees handed it over to us to continue to promote the Cajun language and music.”
Martel Ardoin, or Mark Layne as he is known on KVPI radio, was born and raised in Mamou. He shared his memories about the first Cajun Music Festival. “The first year Jimmy C. Newman was honored, and Tom T. Hall came,” he said. “It was on the Mamou football field. Jim Soileau did a live broadcast over there, and we’ve been following this festival ever since.”
“This is one of the traditional Cajun music festivals,” he added. “They keep the traditional sounds and not all of the extra high powered sounds. It’s the old traditional sounds. That’s why I admire them for keeping the tradition going.”
Layne described what Jimmy C. Newman meant to Cajun music. “He was the first ambassador of Cajun music,” he said. “When he got to the Grand Ole Opry, he started performing Cajun music along with his Country music. He was never ashamed of Cajun music, and he was never ashamed of Mamou.”
Mike Fontenot is a school board member representing the Mamou area. He is a festival staff member and works in the press box during Mamou High School home football games. According to him, “Cajun culture is having a good time with your neighbors and friends. It is also looking out for every one.”
Emily Fontenot, who also serves as a staff member shared a similar definition. “Cajun culture here is fun loving, family oriented, and faith oriented,” she said. “It’s about lots of family and friends helping each other out and coming together in good times and in bad times.”
She touched on the faith aspect of those residents living in Mamou. Like their Cajun ancestors, many in the town follow the Roman Catholic faith and have a deep devotion to Mary, the Blessed Mother. This is prevalent in the name of the Catholic church in town, St. Anne’s, who is the mother of Mary who is the mother of Jesus.
“Cajun culture in Mamou is Mardi Gras, Fred’s Lounge, and French music,” said Assistant Police Chief and festival staff member Phyllis Soileau. “Cajun music is real big over here, and Mamou is the capital of it.”
Phyllis Soileau mentioned parts of the culture that truly make Mamou unique compared to other places with similar Cajun backgrounds.
“Mardi Gras usually starts on the Friday after work,” she said. “On Monday and Tuesday we have different activities in town. Tuesday morning the Mardi Gras riders meet at the American Legion Hall, and they go on their route.”
“We have a French band playing all day Tuesday,” she added. “When the Mardi Gras riders come back in town, they dance on their horses. Awards are given to them, and they stay in town for about another 45 minutes. Usually by dark, it’s over.”
The local Courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras run, traces its origins back to medieval France and was revitalized in the area by Revon Reed following World War II in a period known as the French Renaissance in Louisiana. These masked Mardi Gras riders ride along the countryside asking for ingredients and chasing chickens to cook for the night’s gumbo.
Fred’s Lounge in Mamou opened November 20, 1946, when Alfred “Fred” Tate bought Tate’s Bar. Since 1962 it had been hosting live remote broadcasts from the radio station in Ville Platte KVPI on Saturday mornings. These broadcasts feature Cajun bands that attract people worldwide to come experience the local culture in Mamou.
“Fred’s Lounge is known worldwide,” said Mike Fontenot. “It’s huge for Mamou because people are coming every weekend to Mamou and supporting our community.”
“When I was traveling overseas, I was on a German Lufthansa flight one year,” Aymond then added. “They had a commercial on the screen, and it was Taunt Sue talking about Fred’s Lounge.”
At this year’s Cajun Music Festival, the special honoree was Cajun musician Reggie Matte from Church Point. He shared his definition of Cajun culture. “Cajun culture is something that is special because the people all come together as a family,” he said. “The Acadians have been through a lot coming down here from Nova Scotia in the exile. I think that’s one of the reasons we’re so proud of our heritage because of the fight and everything that they went through to keep their heritage alive.”
Today’s generation of Cajuns has a similar fight of keeping the culture alive. “This is our heritage,” said Layne. “This is what we’re known for. Our ancestors loved this music, and we have to do everything in our power to keep it going. I admire Eric (Soileau) and all these young men and women who all believe that it’s important to keep our heritage, our language, and our music alive.”
“You talk to a lot of older people that really believe the culture is dying, and it is,” said Eric Soileau, who is a festival staff member and a member of the Evangeline Parish Police Jury. “We’re trying to keep it alive by doing this festival and bringing an awareness to the people that it really needs to stay.”
Other staff members explained why it is important to keep the Cajun Music Festival going in Mamou. “It’s very important because we bring back our culture, and hopefully we can restore it for many, many years and that the younger generation picks up where we left off,” said Phyllis Soileau.
“It’s very big that we promote our culture through our music and our language because it’s our heritage,” said festival staff member and educator Wanda Verrette. “That’s what we grew up with, and we want our next generation to be proud of it too.”
In Matte’s mind, the Cajun culture will be kept alive through its music. “I know it’s going to continue because of all of the young musicians that we have coming up,” he said. “When I started playing accordion back in 1967, there were maybe three or four young accordion players. Most of the accordion players and even most of the Cajun musicians were up in their 60s and 70s. As the years went on, young ones started learning again, and the music has been continuing because of all the young musicians you see coming up.”
When it comes to continuing the Cajun traditions, Eric Soileau said that it is all about keeping the people interested. “If we can get the young people interested in the Cajun culture, we’re going to make this thing last for a long time,” he concluded.