NEWS RELEASES

FESTIVAL TO SPOTLIGHT THE FIDDLE

Great food, music, carnival rides and more are in store for this year's Opelousas Spice and Music Festival, but for lovers of traditional Cajun music, the festival will host something special this year. Saturday, the festival will feature a free fiddle jam session featuring Opelousas native and internationally acclaimed Cajun fiddler Hadley Castille.

For the roughly two-hour program, Castille will be joined by a host of other area fiddlers, including Al Berard, Mitch Reed, John Buckelew, Terry Huval, Louis Michot and others. "It is going to be good show. These are all good fiddlers and good people. They are all looking forward to it," Castille said.

Also joining Castille for the day will be his son, Blake Castille, and his granddaughter, Sarah Jayde Williams, with Castille's own Sharecropper Band. Castille said the jam should be unique. "Every fiddler has his own style, his own take on the music. We will be pass it around to each fiddler. People will be able to hear all these different styles," Castille said.

Opelousas Tourism Director Melanie Lee said the festival is all about celebrating Opelousas' unique music and culture and you can't really talk about that culture without the fiddle. "The fiddle is an important part of a lot of our local music and Hadley is something Opelousas and all of Louisiana is proud of," Lee said. "This is a treat and an honor for us. We will have not only Hadley, who is a living legend, but all these other great fiddlers."

She said if the program works out as well as expected, it may become a regular downtown feature. "We are looking at doing a fiddle jam on the first Saturday of every month," Lee said. Born and raised in Pecaniere near Opelousas, Castille began singing and playing fiddles when he was 11 years old. "For more than 60 years, Castille has dazzled audiences worldwide with his Cajun melodies," Lee said.

While Castille may be a leader in the field, Lee said the other fiddlers are all impressive talents as well. Mitch Reed formed Charivari, a traditional Cajun band in the 1980s. "He also currently plays with Grammy-winner Beausoleil and the Racines," Lee said. "Although proficient in more than 12 instruments, Mitch is internationally known for his ability and style on the fiddle."

She said Al Berard, a founding member of The Basin Brothers band, is one of the most respected Cajun fiddle instructors in the United States. "Al is also noted as one of the top guitar players of the area," Lee said. She said Louis Michot is a young, energetic fiddler and vocalist for the Grammy-nominated Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers and John Buckelew, known as Buck, is a fiddler and vocalist with the unique Nouveau String Band. "Buck was influenced on the fiddle early on by Jimmy Choate, whose band, The Melody Aces, played the Louisiana Hayride in the late '40s and '50s," Lee said. Terry Huval, leader of the Jambalaya Cajun Band, is one of Cajun music's finest fiddlers and songwriters. "He is the composer of well-known tunes such as Huval's Reel and Oh Ma Belle. In addition to the fiddle, he plays the guitar, mandolin, dobro, steel guitar and bass guitar," Lee said. Also expected to perform is Spencer Nezat, who was born in Cajun country but now lives in Birmingham, Ala. "The 14-year-old traditional country singer was recently named the North America Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year," Lee said. Completing the musical mix are two members of Castille's own family, his son Blake and granddaughter Sarah Jayde. "Blake began playing in his father's band at the age of 19. An accomplished guitar player, he has been a presenter at numerous cultural events and workshops on the evolution of Cajun music. He currently plays with Hadley J. Castille and the Sharecroppers, The Lucky Playboys and Dexter Ardoin," Lee said. "Sarah Jayde was initially trained at the age of 4 as a classical violinist. She soon learned Cajun fiddle from her grandfather and has become a fine vocalist in her own right, singing fluently in both Cajun French and English," Lee said.

While the fiddle jam is a not to be missed event, Lee said visitors to Opelousas need to check out the other great acts that will be performing during the festival, which will be held in the downtown area Friday through June 7. For more information, go to the festival's Web site at www.opelousasspiceandmusicfestival.com or call the tourism office at 948-5227 or 948-6263. Lee said there are still a few openings for vendors and if anyone would like to have a booth at the festival, they should call 948-2589.

-- DAILY WORLD
May 31, 2009