Festival International de Louisiane Announces Line-Up

Louisiana is picking up the pace on the festival season! Festival International has announced their lineup. Festival International de Louisiane, is Southwest Louisiana's answer to JazzFest, usually falling on one of the weekends of JazzFest. This year it falls on April 26-30, the first weekend of JazzFest, so people can easily catch both festivals on a week-long vacation to Louisiana.

The lineup this year is typically mindblowing: it is the premiere francophone event in the United States, and other cultures are incorporated as well. Just a few of the bands performing are: Skatalites (Jamaica), Ricardo Lemvo & Makina (Congo), Ceux Qui Marchent Debout (France), La Bottine Souriante (Québec), Gangbé Brass Band (Benin), The Cottars (Cape Breton), Väsen (Sweden), Tinariwen (Mali), Maria de Barros (Cape Verde), Diry Dozen Brass Band (Louisiana), Ballet Ngalam (Senegal), Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble (Japan), Ryan School of Irish Dance (Louisiana), Bertrand Laurence (France), as well as lots and lots of Cajun and Zydeco music.

In light of last year's censorship scandal, we'll see how the attendance this year is. Many people vowed never to attend again until Festival International revised their policies; the Festival itself rebutted by threatening to put an "offensive lyrical content" clause in the band contracts. While I'm not pleased with this attitude (I believe if musicians can't speak their minds, there will very quickly be no more music), I will be attending. The lineup is just too enticing for me.