A Cajun dance lesson, live Cajun dance music and a Cajun-style electric jam!

1:30-2pm: Cajun dance lesson

2-5pm: Cajun dance to live music with the brilliant Joli Blon Cajun Band. The band, who take their name from a much-loved Cajun waltz, are a British women’s Cajun band who play traditional dance music from the swamps of Louisiana. Their stomping two-steps, mournful waltzes, Cajun French songs and three-part harmonies – with a bit of Blues in the mix, and a couple Guthrie classics – have proved popular with party people and roots music lovers. Their members include the core trio of Frome-based accordion player, Lucy Vines, fiddler, Fliss Premru (The Rosinators) and guitarist, Miriam Hogan (Flogan) from London who are joined by Cheryl McIlroy (Rough Chowder) from the Deep South (coast) on rubboard “froittoir” and Cajun triangle “ti-fer”, with Carol Wilson (Accadian Strings, Colin and the Crawfish) on drums when they go out as their fabulous five-piece.

4-5pm: Jam! For the last hour of the dance, the stage will open up & musicians will be welcome to join the band for a Cajun-style electric jam.

How does an “electric jam” work? A Cajun electric jam is different from acoustic jams you might be familiar with, since we maintain a dance band lineup and continue to play for dancers from the stage. That means the number of people who are playing for any given song is kept small, and musicians take turns on stage. There’ll be a signup list by the stage, where any musician with an instrument is welcome to sign up to play. Everyone who signs up will get a chance to join in and play one or more Cajun songs in the band. If you’re new to Cajun music or a less confident musician, don’t be intimidated by this! You’ll be fully supported by the band to play whatever you’re comfortable with.

If you want to choose a song (or several), we’ll play it with you. If you prefer just to sit in and play songs we choose, that’s fine too. If you’re not comfortable being amplified, that’s also ok. This is a fun way for anyone to experience playing with experienced Cajun musicians as part of a dance band. Everyone is welcome!