It is billed as an international festival. In the past, I was told, it was more Cajun, Arcadian and Creole. We went four of the five festival days and during that time I heard Burmese drummers, Haitian rara, french rock & roll, a little zydeco and various flavors of cajun music. Most of it was way too loud though some of it was intriguing, like the plastic pipe the rara band used as trumpets or the way flutes change cajun. And I enjoyed seeing youngsters playing with their families.
Today, the state park in Arkansas where I am staying had a different kind of musical celebration. Every spring they hold a one-day music festival that has traditionally been a blue-grass event. This year they invited a variety of groups, they said, in an effort to widen their appeal. I hadn’t planned on staying for it since they were booked however a cancellation occurred, they offered me the spot and I decided to stay on to hear what they had. - - -
s of the Loretta Lynn sound, a really, really terrible Dylan impersonation and lots of gospel. Some of it was excellent music, most of it was ok and one group wasn’t very musical any more. All of them clearly loved what they were doing.
The last group, made up mostly of retired ministers and their wives with one guy on death’s door, were interesting because of who they are. Lots of country singers learned how to perform at church and to hear and see their musical bones laid out in front of me was intriguing.
As I sit here writing this waiting for supper to cook, I asked myself if I would do either of these events again. No, I won’t; what I will do is make an effort to visit other events as I travel. Music seems to be a good way to get a feel for the place I’m visiting.
