The small Louisiana coastal village of Dulac is 50 percent Houmas Indian, 50 percent cajun and 100 percent devastated, thanks to the one-two punches of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
While much media attention is given to the ongoing problems of rebuilding New Orleans, small communities such as Dulac continue to struggle as well, often without much aid from government agencies.
Dulac is not forgotten in our corner of the country, and Feb. 12 a group of musicians will again host a Louisiana-style fund-raiser for the village, with cajun cooking and lots of singing and dancing. A fund-raiser in November provided much needed assistance, but the town has a long road to recovery ahead.
The event at the Filipino-American Hall on Bainbridge Island centers around the Bainbridge-based cajun and zydeco band, Whozyamama, with former Dulac resident Claudette Boudreaux on accordion.
Boudreaux is a true cajun, tracing her family roots back to the historic deportation of the Acadians (or ‘cadians) from Nova Scotia in the 1700s.
When she’s not working as a nurse at the University of Washington Hospital, she plays accordion in the Bainbridge-based band, Les Femmes d’Enfer.
The band’s unusual name comes from a cajun custom of asking “whozyamama?†when meeting strangers. Translation: “who’s your mamma?†In the close-knit cajun community it doesn’t take long to find a common connection; there are often far less than six degrees of separation.
Tami Allen is also a member of Les Femmes d’Enfer, playing fiddle. For Whozyamama she switches to the unique cajun instrument, the frottoir, also known as a rubboard. It’s like a washboard/suit of armor, both worn and played.
Other Whozyamama members are Barbara Deering on guitar, Claudia Anastasio on bass and fiddle and Ian Turner on percussion.
The cajun and zydeco band doesn’t take the stage until 6 p.m., and there’s plenty of fun before then.
The day starts at 2 p.m. with a gospel concert featuring participants in last month’s Sing Out! workshop with the Total Experience Gospel Choir.
At 3 p.m. Dean Moller, member of Seattle’s Stranger by the Minute, takes the stage for a performance of bluesy funk-rock on resonator and acoustic guitar.
His performance is followed at 4 p.m. by an all-musicians’ jam. Bring your guitar, fiddle or spoons and join in the spontaneous session.
Put on your dancing shoes, at 5 p.m. dance instructor Marylee Lyles will lead lessons in the creole dance style, the zydeco two-step. It’s easy — after all, there’s only two steps to remember.
Once the crowd is warmed up and ready for dancing, Whozyamama comes on at 6 p.m. with music guaranteed to make you move.
The pace continues with the finale performance by Port Townsend swing band Modern Dinosaurs at 7:30 p.m.
The dancing will be accompanied by a beer garden and authentic jumbayala made by Chris St. Romain.
The Mardi Gras Dulac Dance event takes place from 2-9:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Filipino-American Hall, 7566 NE High School Rd., Bainbridge Island.
Suggested donation at the door is $20 per person.
Boudreaux will personally deliver the proceeds to her hometown of Dulac later this month. wu
