Cajun band Les FrÃ¨res Michot concert & dance

Home > August 2009 Archive

Past Event ....... August 20^th, 2009 — 7:00 pm

Thursday, August 20, at 7 p.m. in Callahan Hall, the Louisiana Cajun band Les FrÃ¨res Michot will perform a one-hour concert set followed by another hour of waltz tunes and two-steps for dancing. Admission: $5. For more information: 513-3050.

Further details: The Lewiston Library will resonate with the sultry sounds of the Louisiana bayous this Thursday, Aug. 20, when the celebrated Cajun band Les FrÃ¨res Michot performs for an evening of both listening and dancing in the library’s third-floor Callahan Hall.

The group, which hails from Lafayette in the heart of Louisiana’s French Cajun country, will be passing through Maine on their way back from the Congres Mondial des Acadiens festival in New Brunswick and contacted the library on a whim just days ago offering to make a quick detour to share their music with citizens in Lewiston, known as one of the largest Franco-American communities in the Northeast.

LPL cultural coordinator Cindy Larock jumped on the chance to host the trio, which has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, appearing at such prestigious venues as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, and the Festival International des Francophonies in Limousin, France. Their concerts have ranged from a special performance for U.S. President George W. Bush to a private party for Princess Anne and Princess Margaret of England, and they have been honored as a “living legend” by the Cajun Museum in Erath, La.

Brothers Rick and Tommy Michot – who ply the fiddle and accordion, respectively – started playing together as part of a larger all-brothers band in 1986, although they and their siblings have performed in numerous other combinations since about 1968. Currently backed by Rick’s 19-year-old son Patrick on guitar, the two FrÃ¨res Michot play traditional Cajun music in the all-acoustic “bal de maison” (house dance) style that was prevalent before the advent of electric amplification, and the Michots’ mission is to preserve this style of Cajun music. They use no drums or electric instruments, and their music has a strong vocal component with all lyrics sung in French. For dancing, they typically add extra rhythm via upright bass and triangle, or – as it’s known in Louisiana – “‘ti-fer” (little iron).

Les FrÃ¨res Michot’s recordings have attracted much critical acclaim over the years. One reviewer hailed the group as “probably the best traditional Acadian band in the world,” citing their finely honed harmonies, Rick’s stellar songwriting skills, and an “honest sound that doesn’t obscure the emotional content or sound picture- perfect (or) over practiced.”

For their Lewiston appearance – their Maine debut and their one-and-only U.S. show on this tour – they will play an hour-long concert set, followed by a 15-minute intermission during which the chairs will be cleared from the middle of the hall to allow for another hour of waltz tunes and two-steps geared for dancing. Larock, a veteran teacher of folk and ballroom dancing, including Cajun dance styles, will be on hand to provide a bit of basic instruction for those who desire it. She points out that Callahan Hall is air-conditioned, so “although the music will evoke the steamy swamps of southern Louisiana, the dancing will be cool and comfortable.”

The event begins at 7 p.m., and carries an admission fee of $5. Seating is on a first-come/first-served basis, with no advance tickets or reservations available. The doors will open at 6:45 p.m.

Copies of the band’s latest CD, “La Caroline,” released last September, will be available for purchase. The Lewiston Public Library is located at 200 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston. More information is available by calling 513-3050.

Posted: Thursday, August 13th, 2009 in Dance, Music, Seniors, Teens, Teens and Kids