Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! No. 61 (Feb. 2018)

Florida — T ACajun B L O Zydeco I D E D Update!

ITION —

— FEBRUARY 2018 —

Mardi Gras Celebrations

No.

Turn to page 40

Cycle Zydeco April 4–8, 2018 Let’s Eat! Let’s Dance! Let’s Cycle Zydeco!

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Feb. 2018

#61 |

Contents

WHAT’S HAPPENING

4 Cajun Zydeco Dances in St. Pete

Feb. 6 & 20 @ Caddy’s on Central — “Zyde-Gras” Celebration 2/6

6 Tab Benoit in Florida

Feb. 2 and 3 @ Skipper’s; Jan. 31 @ The Moon

7 Gumbo Limbo Cajun Band in Gainesville Feb. 9 @ Heartwood Soundstage

8 Waylon Thibodeaux in Florida

Feb. 8, Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 performances

10 Chubby Carrier and Bayou Swamp Band in Fort Myers

Sunday, Jan. 28 @ Gumbo Fest, Shell Factory, N. Fort Myers, FL

11 Dance For Plants in Gulfport

Friday, Mar. 2 @ Gulfport Casino

Antonio Balaguer Soler / 123rf.com

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

FEATURE STORIES 12 Terry Domingue of Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys

Young Creole musician released his fourth album, Allons Zydeco.

16 Suwannee Spring Reunion Mar. 22–25, 2018 in Live Oak

Donna The Buffalo and David Bromberg are among featured artists.

20 Cycle Zydeco Bicycle Tour Explores SW Louisiana

One reporter’s experience taking this bicycling tour.

34 Mother and Son Graduate with Doctorates on Same Day

A remarkable story of achievement for Black History Month.

CAJUN ZYDECO COMMUNITY 38 Festival-O-Rama

From 2018 listings at floridacajunzydeco.com/festivals.html

40 Mardi Gras Celebrations

Florida and elsewhere

42 Gumbo Boogie Band

Tampa Bay Area Florida Dance Parties

42 Dance Communities Outside of Florida

CZ dance opportunities outside Florida and Louisiana

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First and Third Tuesday in Saint Petersburg, FL

Cajun Zydeco Dance at Caddy’s on Central

217 Central Ave., 33701 Tuesday, Feb. 6 (Zyde-Gras!)

Tuesday, Feb. 20 6 P. M . TO 9:30 P.M. Twice monthly Cajun and zydeco dance at Caddy’s on Central in downtown St. Pete. Good mix of danceable music by Cajun and zydeco artists singing about death, divorce, drinking and dancing. As Boozoo sang, “Dance all night, stay a little longer.”

No cover charge. Caddy’s is at 217 Central Ave., St. Pete 33701.

Visit www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com for more information.

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

TUESDAY FEB. 6 | TUESDAY FEB. 20

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Photo by Jim Hance

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Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018 @ The Moon, Tallahassee Feb. 2, 2018 | Feb. 3, 2018 @ Skipper’s Smokehouse Feb. 4–11, 2018 @ Legendary R&B Cruise (SOLD OUT)

Tab Benoit in Florida

8 P. M. Tab Benoit (pronounced ben-wah) is a blues guitarist, musician, and singer. His playing combines a number of blues styles, primarily Delta blues. He plays a Fender Telecaster Thinline electric guitar and writes his own musical compositions. Tab has recorded his own versions of several zydeco tunes. In 2003, he formed “Voice of the Wetlands,” an organization promoting awareness of coastal wetlands preservation. Tab’s passion for Louisiana culture runs through his music, art, and lyrics. BBC World aired a special where Tab is featured talking about some of the things that he loves about the state while promoting its tourism to the rest of the world. Tickets $25/$30 for Saturday, and $35/$40 for Sunday. Tickets available at skipperssmokehouse.com.

Also, check out https://www.facebook.com/tabbenoitfloridafanclub/

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Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 @ Heartwood Soundstage, Gainesville

Gumbo Limbo Cajun Band

7 P. M. Cajun, Creole, zydeco, and swamp pop music and dance, with a little country thrown in for good measure. They love to play traditional Cajun waltzes and two-steps. The hard-driving rhythms, exciting vocals and powerful melodies of Gumbo Limbo’s music brings smiles to faces and gets folks moving. Gumbo Limbo is: Mike Stapleton (accordion, fiddle and vocals), Marietta Massey (percussion and vocals), David Massey (fiddle and vocals), Susan Marynowski (drums and vocals), Bill Paine (guitar), and Bob Stone (steel guitar). Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gumbolimbocajunband/

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 @ Ralph’s Travel Park, Zephyrhills Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 @ Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa Saturay, Feb. 10, 2018 @ Panama City Beach Mardi Gras

Waylon Thibodeaux in Florida Born in Louisiana’s ‘Bayou Country’ just a few miles southwest of New Orleans, Houma native Waylon Thibodeaux has been dubbed “Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler”.

Today, this talented, self-taught Cajun musician has gained a notable reputation as one of Louisiana’s best known recording artists. His rollicking, crowdpleasing performance on stage is exactly what one would expect from someone who, at age 16, was Louisiana’s state fiddle champion. He never fails to serve up a good helping of spicy, high-energy Louisiana and Cajun/zydeco music. His unique musical style is best described by Thibodeaux himself: “It’s a mixture — it’s Cajun, but not too traditional.

It’s zydeco with a pinch of New Orleans’ sound. A small pinch of South Louisiana swamp pop. A taste of country, and a little rock n’ roll that’s sure to get you on your feet and dancing.”

See www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com for calendar details.

Photo by David Simpson

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Waylon Thibodeaux playing to the dancers.

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Sunday, Jan. 28 — North Fort Myers

Chubby Carrier at Gumbo Fest

The Shell Factory & Nature Park presents the 16th Annual Gumbo Fest January 28th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Continuous live entertainment headlined by Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band and The Porchdogs. Admission is free. Children will also receive free admission to The Nature Park the day of the event. The Shell Factory Fun Park, Nature Park, and Retail Store will all be open. For information about Gumbo Fest and all The Shell Factory, visit www.shellfactory.com or The Shell Factory Facebook page. Venue: Shell Factory Nature Park, 2787 North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers, Florida 33903 .

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Friday, Mar. 2 @ Gulfport Casino

Dance For Plants 7 P. M. Carolina Shag Lesson with Renee Lipman 8–11 P.M. Open dancing to swing, shag, soul, zydeco and freestyle with DJ Cheryl Mogul of WMNF’s Saturday Soulful Soiree Event raises funds for Gulfport Community Garden. Silent raffle, free milkweed and other pollinator plants, garden experts available to answer gardening questions. Plant inspired costume contest.

Tickets available in advance for $10 at check-in at Gulfport Casino.

Gulfport Casino is located at 5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL 33707.

Info: George Zarillo, 845-242-7452.

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Photo by David Simpson

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TERRY DOMINGUE

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ou could call Terry Domingue a self-made accordionist. “I never had a formal lesson in my life,” he says while explaining his passion for the music he has made his own.

“Growing up in southwest Louisiana, I’d go to those trail rides with my dad when I was a little kid, and there was always zydeco and Creole music playing, and I’d stand by the stage and watch those guys, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I loved that zydeco music Latest CD released in 2017 from the first time I heard it, and that has never changed.”

When he was around 10 years old, his dad bought him his very own accordion, and Terry taught himself to play it. In 2001 he formed his own band, The Zydeco Bad Boys and they released their fourth album in 2017, Allons Zydeco.

“I’m in a minority of the younger Creole musicians because I speak and sing in French,” Terry notes. “My grandparents spoke it and taught me when I was young and I continued speaking it around them. I think that 75% of my songs are in French, and it feels authentic and old school to me to play that way, although our sound is also Continued on page 15

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Photo by David Simpson

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Mac Roberts with Terry Domingue of Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys perform at Liberty Theater in Eunice, LA. very contemporary.�

Along with Terry on accordion and vocals, the band includes Chuck Bush on bass guitar, Kent August on guitar, Erick Minix on drums, and Kendrick Domingue on frottoir. Bush and Minix were both members of the late legendary Beau Jocque’s High Rollers, and Bush has also played with Andre Thierry and Rosie Ledet. August also leads his own jazz band, and Kendrick Domingue is a true cowboy who has been known to spend his days roping and riding.

Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com

March 22–25, 2018

Suwannee Spring Reunion Featuring The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet & Donna The Buffalo For decades the onset of Spring meant gathering at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for a weekend of fun, family, Bluegrass and string music. A beloved tradition continues as the picturesque grounds play host to a new take on a classic familyfriendly gathering with the 2nd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion taking place Thursday through Sunday, March 22 – 25, 2018.

David Bromberg Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018 features The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass Is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, and Big Cosmo!

Most of these artists bring with them storied histories of epic Suwannee performances! Matching the history on the stage, long time David Bromberg Website

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! festival creators Beth Judy and Randy Judy along with an amazing staff, are partnering with the Spirit of the Suwannee to make sure that every piece needed to make an epic weekend of music and fun is in place and ready to write this next episode for this new legend.

Once again the beloved tree-lined amphitheater is home to early morning sing-a-longs and night time musical pyrotechnics from the park’s stellar cast of alumni and new favorites.

There will be music on four stages including the

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Contributed

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Donna the Buffalo Amphitheater, Porch, Music Hall, and Music Farmers Stages. Suwannee Spring Reunion attendees will also enjoy music in the campground with jamming at Slopryland and the Bill Monroe Shrine as well as camp pickin’ parties.

Hands-on and performance workshops will be held throughout the weekend with a variety of artists set to perform. Billy Strings will perform the music of Doc Watson and Dar Williams will share her music and maybe some tidbits from her newest book. There will be hands-on learning workshops led by Roy Book Binder, Tom Nelly, and many more teaching musicians.

Placing a strong emphasis on embracing the traditions that have made the park a national treasure, there will be a wide array of arts & crafts as well as an array of culinary delights ranging from healthy to decadent in the Vending Village. The park itself is a place where kids of all ages can remember why they fell in love with the magic mixture of sights, sounds, and sensations that constitutes a weekend of paradise

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

that is the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.

Tania & The Magic Moon Traveling Circus will lead the Kid’s Tent with music and activities, Rhonda Bell will lead Daily Yoga each morning at 9am, and folks can also experience the Park’s other many attractions including disc golf, miles of hiking and biking trails, the bat house, and the chance to venture Way Down Upon The Suwannee River.

Tickets are on sale now. Suwannee Spring Reunion offers a multi-day Weekend Ticket that includes festival admission for four days of music, as well as primitive camping on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights starting at $130. Single-day tickets do not include primitive camping.

Venue is located between Jacksonville and Tallahassee about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville. For more information and to reserve camping, visit suwanneespringreunion.com.

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April 4–8, 2018

Cycle Zydeco Let The Good Times Roll!

By Pam LeBlanc, Austin American-Statesman Note: This article was written and published in May 2015. Changes in the route destinations and other details have been made for 2018 (see page 32).

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magine a bike ride where speed doesn’t matter and every pedal stroke carries you closer to another helping of Louisiana music, food or drink.

I lived that dream at Cycle Zydeco, a 200-mile rolling Cajun culture festival. Po’boys, étouffée and jambalaya fueled four days of bicycling, punctuated by the sounds of rubboards, fiddles and accordions.

This was no endurance event to be feared. Mileage

Photos for this article courtesy of Cycle Zydeco

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com hovered between 40 and 65 absolutely flat miles per day, and no one hurried as we spun past crawfish ponds and cow pastures in the heart of Cajun Country.

“The priorities are dancing, eating and drinking, and (the participants) just happen to ride a bike,” says Scott Schilling, 43, president of Transportation Recreation Alternatives in Louisiana, which took over the event, now in its 14th year, in 2012.

This year’s ride drew 316 party-loving cyclists, mostly in their 50s and 60s, many from the Midwest; organizers hope to grow it to 1,000.

About half camped along the way; the rest booked hotels and used a shuttle service provided by ride organizers to get to the start each morning.

Here’s how my experience went down.

Wednesday: “Into Cajun Country” My friend Gretchen Sanders and I pass a dead alligator on the highway during the seven-hour drive from Austin, Texas, to Lafayette, La., where we unload our bicycles and queue up for pitroasted pork at a kick-off party. As we pig out, Grammywinning zydeco musician Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band fill Blackham Coliseum with the steamy sounds of Louisiana music.

“It’s our music, the music I grew up on,” says Todd

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Ortego, a disc jockey at radio station KBON in nearby Eunice who has come to watch the fun.

As Chubby belts out a rendition of “Who Stole the Hot Sauce?” Ortego explains a little about the Cajun, zydeco and swamp pop sounds we’ll hear this week. Sometimes, it’s still sung in French. Usually, it features the whirling sounds of fiddles and accordions, and often, you can hear traces of Irish jigs, rhythm and blues and even rock ‘n’ roll in it.

As the show winds down, some folks roll out sleeping bags inside the coliseum, and others pop tents outside. We’ve seen the forecast, though, and it calls for plenty of rain, so we head to a nearby hotel.

Thursday: “Hey, wanna boil some crawfish?”

Distance: 38 miles Chubby’s here bright and early, this time astride a shiny red beach cruiser. A police escort fires up its sirens, the musician climbs astride his bike and the whole parade rolls away with a cheer at 9 a.m.

Ride starts and finishes in Lafayette.

Each day has a main route that will average 38 miles, and a long route that will be 62 miles or greater.

Washington

Opelousas

DAY FOUR Sunset to Lafayette

DAY THREE

Long Route

Sunset

Breaux Bridge to Sunset

Main Route

Church Point

Arnaudville

Long Route

Cankton Carencro

Henderson

Main Route

Breaux Bridge

Scott

Lafayette

Long Route

Broussard Youngsville

DAY ONE Lafayette to New Iberia

Abbeville

Main Route

Jefferson Island Long Route

St. Martinville Main Route

Loreauville

New Iberia

DAY TWO

New Iberia to Breaux Bridge

Route Map by Jim Hance

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In less than an hour, we reach our first stop, Parish Brewing Co., where cyclists sample a little beer and I stuff a few Zydeco Bars, a Louisiana-made energy bar with an accordion on the wrapper, into my pocket.

We ride another hour or so, then pull off at Belle Ecorce Farms, where someone uncorks bottle after bottle of white wine and we dip crackers into crocks of goat cheese. That’s when Gretch lets out a squeal. She has found a days-old dairy goat with tiny rosebud ears, and I swear it smiles and bleats as we cradle it in our arms.

A few more miles, and we roll into St. Martinville, the heart of French Louisiana. There, we feast on crawfish étouffée, listen to more music and rest in the shade of Evangeline Oak, the subject of a romantic poem

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Then it’s back on our bikes. We roll past an old sugar refinery, then into Breaux Bridge, the selfproclaimed Crawfish Capital of the World. Cyclists are putting up tents and making their way to the shower truck, but Gretch and I are distracted by Mark Thibodeaux and Greg Latiolais of B&L Boiled Crawfish, who are preparing to cook up 300 pounds of crawfish for the group.

We’re innocent bystanders until suddenly we’re enlisted to help.

Soon, we’re slitting open sacks of crawfish and pouring them into boiling water, dumping in jars of okra and stirring the vat with giant paddles.

We wrap up the night with a visit to Pont Breaux’s, formerly known as Mulate’s, a famous Cajun restaurant where we meet a busload of tourists all the way from France and nibble hush puppies and grilled shrimp while couples swirl around the wooden dance floor.

Friday: “Swamp thing” Distance: 42 miles We head out on our bikes by 8:30 a.m. Soon, we’re streaking toward the Atchafalaya Basin, America’s largest wetland. Our agenda calls for a swamp tour, and we’re hoping to see some alligators.

At McGee’s Landing, we pedal up the levee and join the crowd of

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com cyclists piling onto boats for a 30-minute tour. The millionacre swamp looks like it’s filled with tea. We see lots of cypress trees and draping Spanish moss as we putter through the mist, and the guide spews Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes nearly nonstop, but not a single gator shows its head.

Back at the landing, we sample beignets, pass on the Bloody Marys and hop back on our bikes.

We whiz past a Piggly Wiggly and a bunch more crawfish ponds, and pull into Bayou Teche Brewery, where we take teeny tiny samples of passion fruit-infused wheat beer. Delicious.

Down the road in Arnaudville, where 40% of the population speaks French and an étouffée festival takes place every May, we park our bikes in front of the Little Big Cup cafe. We eat gumbo on the back porch as rain pounds like bullets on the metal roof. When the rain eases we strike out again, heading for the small town of Sunset, the newly declared Rubboard Capital of the World. There, I’m mesmerized by the accordion played by one of the members of the Back O’ Town Playboys.

The skies darken again, and it starts spitting as we ride over a highway overpass and merge onto a frontage road. We’re soaked by the time we arrive in Opelousas, Zydeco Capital of the World and birthplace of Clifton Chenier. The town’s Yambilee Building, where the defunct Yam Festival once took place, will serve as our headquarters for the night.

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Saturday: “Hot damn, we made it to Fred’s” Distance: 50 miles An hour in, we stop at T-Boy’s Slaughter House, where we sample boudin and cracklings and watch T-Boy himself whip up some sausage.

We don’t dally, because we’re on our way to Fred’s Lounge in Mamou, which is only open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays. A couple hundred bicycles are parked outside the unassuming little bar when we arrive. We swing open the door and are immediately hit with a sort of liquid Louisiana — it’s hot and dark, and people are swilling drinks, most notably little bottles of a cinnamon-flavored Schnapps called Hot Damn. And the music — some guy is bending over an accordion, squeezing it to within an inch of its life.

When we finally break back out into the sunshine, our ears are still ringing. Across the street, we sit down with bowls of homemade jambalaya served up by the Mamou Athletic Booster Club.

It’s 13 more miles to Eunice, home to the Cajun Music Hall of Fame. Along the way, we pass an array of road kill — nutria and armadillos, snakes, turtles and frogs. Per Cycle Zydeco tradition, many of the carcasses are adorned with Mardi Gras beads tossed there by passing bikers.

In Eunice, we clean up and

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grab platefuls of chicken and sausage sauce piquant and sweet potatoes before heading to the Liberty Theater. Zydeco legend D.L. Menard, who wrote the widely covered zydeco hit “The Back Door,” is celebrating his 83rd birthday tonight, and he’s the featured guest on the “Rendez-vous de Cajuns” radio show that’s being broadcast. The Cajun French accents are so thick, it’s hard to understand everything that’s said, but the music draws couples young and old to the floor in front of the stage.

When the show ends, we’re still humming, so we move down to Ruby’s, where we practically wear the soles off our shoes spinning around the dance floor.

Sunday: Rain or Boudin?

Distance: 0 miles It’s pouring when we wake up. A few hardy souls hop on their bikes, but we’re worried about slick streets and the forecast, which shows a 90% to 100% chance of rain, so instead, we pile onto a shuttle bus

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

headed back to our truck in Lafayette.

When we get back to Lafayette, we get in our car and take a much speedier ride to Scott, to catch the Boudin Festival, where we’d originally planned to ride. As it turns out, the rain isn’t so bad, and we feel a little sad that we didn’t pedal this last leg of our journey.

We take a few hours to salute the local sausage, traditionally made here with a mixture of pork and rice. There’s more music, too, of course. Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express are pounding away on the stage when the power blows, so they do what they have to do — they hop off the stage and into the crowd, where they play, enthusiastically and fantastically unamplified.

It’s a rousing finale to our leg-powered, two-wheel trip through Cajun Country. And we’re already plotting a way to do it again.

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April 4–8, 2018

Cycle Zydeco for 2018 Event organizers wish to say: • 2018 will be an exceptional year across the board, but we are honored to have Bernard Hinault attending and he will be the first “Capitaine de Cycle Zydeco.”

• Each day we now offer two distance options: the Main Route will average around 40 miles/day and the Long Route will stay over 62 miles/day with the longest of those coming in around 74 miles.

• Thursday evening the ride will finish in downtown New Iberia, the most beautiful down town in America acording to the author James Lee Burke. In addition to our nightly concert, we are working on having a light function at the Shadows on the Teche, an antebellum home that sits on the banks of the Bayou Teche.

• Friday we start with the ride heading through Loreauville, the resting place of Clifton Chenier. We finish in Breaux Bridge with post ride crawfish boil and concert with Rockin Dopsie Jr. • Saturday morning Breaux Bridge starts off with Zydeco Breakfast (music and bottomless mimosas & bloody marys). We lost Fred’s in the reroute but we were able to pick up the famous Zydeco Breakfast in Breaux Bridge.

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

• Saturday we will finish in Sunset, probably at the last cock fighting pit in Louisiana where we will have a catered dinner and concert.

• Sunday we will travel through Scott for the last day of the Boudin Festival with a 5 band line-up including Geno Delafonse and Lil Nate.

• Info: cyclezydeco.com

Bernard Hinault will be the first “Capitaine de Cycle Zydeco” For many years we have discussed introducing a King & Queen or Grand Marshall to Cycle Zydeco. The title “Capitaine” blends both a term common in cycling and is also used for the Mardi Gras of the Acadiana region, “Courir de Mardi Gras.”

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A First in American History

Mother and Son Earn Doctorate Degrees on Same Day Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. — MALCOLM X The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has designated February as Black History Month. This is a remarkable story about a unique educational achievement submitted to me for Black History Month. For more information on Black History Month and ASALH, visit asalh.org.

Story idea submitted by Bertha Lopez

“I

never thought I would get chance to see my mother walk across the stage. And then she turned around, and saw me walk across the stage,” Maurice McBride said.

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Maurice got his doctorate diploma at a ceremony in Minneapolis in August 2013, but the day wasn’t just about his accomplishment. It was about sharing the stage with his mother, Vickie, who also received her doctorate diploma the same day. ­———— ickie McBride was born to a teenage single mother who couldn’t afford a second child, so Vickie was put in foster care. Vickie was adopted, and her parents gave her a good life. Then in 1975, at the age of 13, she became pregnant. Still a child herself, she was not prepared to be a parent, and she felt she had brought shame on herself and her family. Nevertheless, the family together decided she would keep the child. She was sent to a home for unwed mothers in another state, and spent six months isolated from her immediate family and friends. While there, she gave birth to Maurice.

She was a young mother, still growing up in Waynesboro. She said, “It was shunned upon and of course the older people in the community were whispering.” But that didn’t stop her. Vickie stayed in school while her mother, a retired teacher, helped out with Maurice.

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com “As a teenager I continued my education. That was never an option [not to go to school],” Vickie said.

Vickie made it to college and graduate school, all while raising Maurice and eventually three other children.

“I had to figure out how to work and how to parent and how to manage school all at the same time.” she said. ­———— aurice had his own struggles. At 16 years of age, he dropped out of high school.

“I started hanging out with some of the wrong people and got into some trouble,” he explained.

After ending up in a juvenile probation facility, he knew it was time to turn his life around. He said, “I picked up the Bible and I started reading, and it all began to make sense. I see how it actually comes to fruition. I see how I ended up here.”

He got his GED and then pursued a music career. He signed a record deal with Capital Records, but he never stopped his education. It was something that was instilled in him by his mother and grandmother.

“As a recording artist I also attended school online,” said Maurice.

He kept his schooling going after he left the music world. He went on to graduate school, becoming a professor at Paine College. ­———— Then one day Maurice called his mom. “I said ‘hey I think I’m gonna get my PhD. You wanna do this with me?’” “‘No, that’s okay. You bumped your head, but you can go ahead and you can do it. I’m done with school,’” he recalled.

After talking it over, they decided to do it together. Vickie graduated

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Florida Cajun Zydeco Update! with her PhD in K-12 Education, and Maurice in Organizational Management from Capella University.

“I didn’t let my situation define who I was. I defined my situation. I looked at my situation and I told myself this is where we are going and this is what we are doing,” said Vickie.

Maurice McBride is the co-author of the children’s book, Oliver Vance, Pull Up Your Pants (published in 2011), and the creator of The Oliver Vance Project, a character education program that teaches children and teens positive individuality, goal setting, and decision making. Most recently, Dr. McBride re-entered the music industry with the release of the song, “Whoa Now!” As a professor, no one expected Dr. McBride to write, produce, and perform a hiphop song. With over 100,000 views on YouTube under the name Doc McBreezy, the family-friendly line dancing tune reflects Dr. McBride’s motto: Just because you’re educated doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. (Check it out @ youtube.com/ watch?v=yTstFsqIaHA) ­———— After earning their their doctorate degrees, Vickie and Maurice McBride were awarded the key to the city by the mayor of Waynesboro, Georgia, Pauline Jenkins. During Black History Month, they want to inspire others to pursue their education regardless of their age. It’s never too late to go back to school, they say. ­———— Maurice’s co-author on Oliver Vance, Pull Up Your Pants, Jessica Wallace McBride, wrote a book documenting the remarkable stories of Maurice and Vickie titled Almost a Statistic: The Remarkable Story of Drs. Vickie and Maurice McBride. The book is available at Amazon.com.

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Festival-O-Rama!

COMPLETE LIST of Festivals for 2018 at FloridaCajunZydeco.com/festivals.html

February 2018 February 9-12, 2018 Sounds of Mardi Gras 2018 (Fresno, CA) Bands include Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Sister Swing, Brian Casserole, Gator Nation, and various jazz bands. http://www.fresnodixie.com

February 24-25, 2018 Clearwater Sea Blues Festival (Clearwater, FL) Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, ZZ Ward, Ana Popovic, Torozo Cannon and others. Free general admission. Coachman Park in Clearwater.

Reserved seating purchase: http://www.etix.com/ticket/v/10151.

General information: http://www.myclearwaterevents.com/featuredevents/sea-blues-festival

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

March 2018 March 22 through 24, 2018 Suwannee Spring Reunion (Live Oak, FL) Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018 features Donna The Buffalo, David Bromberg Quintet and more. Venue is located between Jacksonville and Tallahassee about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville. For more information and to reserve camping, please visit www.suwanneespringreunion.com.

Mar. 24, 2018 Crawdebauchery Festival (Pompano Beach, FL) Bands include The Struts, Anders Osborn, Maggie Koerner, Southern Avenue, The Trongone Band. Activities include krewe competition, gumbo rumble, kidzone, and artists displaying their work at the festival. http://crawdebauchery.com

April 2018 April 4-8, 2018 Cycle Zydeco Bicycling Tour (Lafayette, FL) Bicycle, dine and dance your way through Acadiana.

Website: www.cyclezydeco.com

April 12-15, 2018 French Quarter Festival (New Orleans) Bands and participating venues not yet posted.

Website: http://fqfi.org/frenchquarter

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com

“Fat Tuesday” is February 13, 2018

Mardi Gras Celebrations Mardi Gras Season in Florida

Feb 2-3, 2018 — Mardi Gras Festival (Panama City) Fri. 7 p.m. True Soul; Sat. Feb. 3: 4 p.m. The Zydeco Gents 7 p.m. Panhandlers https://www.standrewsmardigras.com/

Feb. 9, 2018 — Waylon Thibodeaux at Skipper’s (Tampa) 910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL 33613; skipperssmokehouse.com

Feb. 10, 2018 — Fort Lauderdale Mardi Gras Bar Crawl (Ft. Lauderdale) BarCrawlNation.com/fortlauderdale

Feb. 13, 2018 — Dunedin Mardi Gras Parade and Festival (Dunedin) facebook.com/events/1562709703783567/

Likely Mardi Gras Party — Big Easy Bar (Ybor City, Tampa) 1704 E 7th Ave., Tampa, Florida 33605

Mardi Gras Outside Florida Jan. 27, 2018 — Cajun Mardi Gras Dance (Houston, TX) Cajun French Music Association Houston VFW Post 10352, 16035 Waverly Drive, Houston 77032

Florida Cajun Zydeco Update!

Feb. 9, 2018 — CJ Chenier (PA) At the TK Club, 521 E. Hector Street, Conshohocken, PA; allonsdanser.org

Feb 9-11, 2018 — Lil Nate’s L’Argent Chicken Run, Rodeo & Parade (Opelousas) Headliner bands include Lil Nate, Chris Ardoin, Brian Jack and Leon Chavis Yambilee Arena, 1939 W. Landry St. (Hwy. 190), Opelousas, LA. 337-319-0639

Feb. 9-13, 2018 — Cajun Country Mardi Gras (Eunice, LA) Bands and dancing at various locations This unique five-day celebration features men and women on horseback donned in hand-crafted wire masks, tall hats called capuchons, and very distinctive costumes. http://www.cajuntravel.com/mardigras

Feb. 10, 2018 — Mardi Gras Ball (Rhode Island) Bands include Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, and The Knickerbocker All-Stars. rhythmandroots.com/mardi-gras-ball; 401.783.3926

Feb. 10, 2018 — Mardi Gras Zydeco Dance (Lake Charles, LA) 3-5 p.m. at Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601

Feb. 10, 2018 — Billy Lee & The Swamp Critters (San Diego) War Memorial Hall, Balboa Park www.icajunzydeco.com

Feb. 11, 2018 — CJ Chenier (NYC) Connollys on 45th St., 121 West 45th Street (between 6th and 7th Ave) - 3rd Floor Doors: 6:30 pm for dinner, drinks or socializing http://www.letszydeco.com

Feb. 23, 2018 — Kevin Naquin (Philadelphia) Commodore Barry Club, 6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia http://www.allonsdanser.org

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Visit FloridaCajunZydeco.com Gumbo Boogie Band Sat. Feb. 10, 2017 — Gumbo Boogie (Treasure Island) 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Captain Bill’s Beach Kitchen, 145 107th Ave, Treasure Island, FL 33706. Website: captbillsbeachkitchen.com

Fri. Feb. 16, 2018 — Subdudes w/Gumbo Boogie (Tampa) 8 p.m. at Skipper’s Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa 33613

Fri. Feb. 23, 2018 — Gumbo Boogie (Sarasota) 7 p.m. at Cafe in the Park, 2010 Adams Ln, Sarasota, FL 34237 cafeinthepark.org

Sun. Feb. 25, 2018 — Gumbo Boogie (Bradenton) 5:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ace’s Live Music, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., Bradenton. aceslivemusic.com

Outside Florida Atlanta Cajun Zydeco Association Dance Sat., Feb. 3, 2018 — Dennis Stroughmatt and Creole Stomp Dorothy Benson Center, 6500 Vernon Woods Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30328. Phone: 404-613-4900. Check website for dance events in Atlanta area at http://aczadance.org/

NYC Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.letszydeco.com/

Philadelphia Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.allonsdanser.org

Houston Cajun Zydeco Events http://www.zydecoevents.com/texaszydecoevents.html

Southern California Events http://www.icajunzydeco.com