Newsflash . . . TdR’s Virtual Salon on Nov. 8, French in North America, is going to be jam-packed with music, poetry, stories, and great conversation. Have you made your reservation? Non? Do it now!
We’ll be sharing an afternoon’s worth of delightful discoveries, from the Louisiana bayou to the east coast of Canada. For example . . .
Did you know that the first collection of African-American poetry ever published was in French? Non? Neither did I, until TdR friend Amy Blaise did some research and discovered Les Cenelles, a collection of Creole poetry published in Louisiana in 1845! We’ll explore these poets and perform their work in original videos created for the Salon.
And did you know that foot percussion is an integral part of French-Canadian music? Non? Well it is, and I’m thrilled to announce that master musician and foot percussionist Emmanuelle LeBlanc of the Acadian trio Vishtèn has agreed to join us!
Lauded as “traditional but fiercely up-to-the-moment,” this band from Canada’s east coast has been recognized as an ambassador of Francophone culture around the world. I first heard Vishtèn when they performed at the Rialto as part of Francophonie Atlanta 2019, and I was blown away by their energy and musicianship.
Since then I’ve had the pleasure of listening to their albums and following them online. All three band members – Emmanuelle LeBlanc, her sister Pastelle, and Pascal Miousse – are consummate multi-instrumentalists and singers, with a deep grounding in Acadian culture. I was thrilled Emmanuelle said she could join us live for the Salon. She even offered to give a short lesson in Acadian foot percussion, which I am determined to learn!
And as if all that weren’t exciting enough . . . we’ll wrap up the salon with live Cajun and Cajun-inspired music from Atlanta’s own Elise Witt and Mick Kinney! Elise is a singer-composer-educator-activist who speaks fluent French, Italian, German, Spanish, and English and sings in over a dozen languages. Mick plays Cajun fiddle and squeezebox as well as many other instruments and styles. Along his musical journey, he has played stride piano at Manhattan’s Swing 46, fiddle with Creole jazzman Al Broussard in New Orleans’ French Quarter, and lap steel at Louisiana’s Cajun Rendez-vous.
Enfin bref . . . this promises to be a truly magical afternoon. And who couldn’t use a little magic these days?
Please make plans to join us. You can register here with a donation of any size, from a buck to a bundle. (If you can’t afford the buck, email me and we’ll slip you in the virtual back door.) Let’s come together and celebrate our diverse, multilingual, fascinating Francophone world!
See you soon!
Carolyn, Eliana, and the TdR team