THE BRIDGE
VOL 7, No. 6November, 1997
The Cajun Connection is dedicated to bringing the good times of
South Louisiana to the Tampa Bay area;
the food, the music, and the dancing.
Join the Fun - Join The Cajun Connection
Louisiana Flashbacks - A Whirlwind Tour
Dave Borisenko
Drinking Bahama Mamas in Dave and Peggy's kitchen with Benny and Edwina at 5:00 A.M. on Friday morning.
Packed up in Dave's van, laughing all the way to the airport, meeting Dede who joined us for the flight.Finally setting foot on Louisiana soil in the Lafayette airport.
Finding an AM radio station playing Cajun music on the rental car radio.
Eating a mountain of delicious marinated turkey at Poche's in Breaux Bridge.
Downtown Alive, dancing to Beausoleil and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas at a free concert on Jefferson Street.
Running into Cajun Connection friends Roger, Andrea, Rudy, Eric, Nick, Kathy, Sara, Mark, and Mark.
Getting rejuvenated on the cool, slippery dance floor at Randol's to the great music of Jambalaya.
Getting up bright and early the next morning for the trip to Mamou.
Stopping at the Best Stop in Scott, buying boudin, cracklin's, dried shrimp, cold beer.
Arriving at Fred's Lounge and settling into a booth in the back, drinking Bloody Mary's and eating boudin and cracklin's, before 8:30 A.M.
Going on a souvenir buying frenzy in Fred's and dancing as best we could on the crowded dance floor. Vowing to return to Fred's as soon as possible.
Arriving at the festival to the sounds of great Cajun music. Dancing in the dust to Kevin Naquin, Thomas Big Hat Fields, Balfa Toujours, Geno Delafose, Sheryl Cormier, and Richard LeBeouf.
Later that night, dancing to Keith Frank at Hamilton's, later to Beau Jocque at El Sido's.
Heading back to Festivals Acadiens the next morning with another bag of boudin from the Best Stop.
Being saved by new Louisiana friends Ronnie and Sheila Decou who invited us in from the sun to sit under their tent.
Dancing to Horace Trahan, File', and Steve Riley.
Marveling at Hunter Hayes, a six-year-old that played accordion along with Steve and the boys.
Having an excellent dinner at Prejean's.
Heading back to Randol's and squeezing in the last dancing my feet could manage.
Flying back to Tampa, wondering if I will ever be able to adjust back to the old routine.
Happy Hours & Fais Do Dos - Past & Future
The Club has been trying some new places and a new night for the past two Happy Hours. Old man weather was extremely uncooperative for the first experimental Friday evening happy hour this past September 26 held at, appropriately, Friday's on Fowler Avenue.
But over thirty hearty Cajun music lovers braved the heavy rains and flooded streets and were rewarded with good music and jambalaya. Friday's set us up with a private room in the back and did a great job of making us feel welcome. We will be glad to return there someday.The next Happy Hour was held on October 10th at Cafe Creole in Ybor City. The restaurant set us up in a private courtyard and the setting was beautiful, especially in the balmy Fall weather that finally arrived and hopefully has set in for the duration. Another 30 to 40 members attended and enjoyed dancing together.
There was a minor inconvenience at Cafe Creole when the party was broken up shortly before 9:00. It seems the restaurant misunderstood our intention to dance until late in the evening and booked a party in the same area that began well before we were ready to call it quits. But the management was very apologetic and promised that there would be free drinks and food the next time we held our Happy Hour at their restaurant!The next event was the Fais Do Do of the month at Café on the Bayou on October 18th. The events kicked off with a Gumbo cook-off that began at noon. Delicious aromas drifted out into the parking lot all afternoon from the over 100 pots of gumbo created by the entrants that came from all over the country. The judges, Randy and Pam Herbert and Joe Thibideaux, had a difficult time selecting a winner, but eventually selected Kelly Arcenaux of Lafayette. Cajun Connection members can be proud of their representatives - Benny Sylvester (alias Lee Ray Comeaux) and Dave Borisenko (alias Johnny Duga') who tied for second. Other notable finishers were Paul Prudhomme (14th) and Justin Wilson (63rd). AAAAIIEEEeeeeee
The Porch Dogs kicked off the music at 7:00 p.m., and played for over five hours with just one break! The dancers wore themselves out and really enjoyed the many new songs that the Dogs had added to the repetoire since their last appearance. More than 100 people enjoyed themselves, and the event was a financial success as well as a great time. Board member Edwina Sylvester put it best when she said,"At least we didn't lose any money."Next month we will be trying another new location that is truly new, the recently opened Club More in Clearwater.
Flash and Jo, the proprietors, have renovated a warehouse and adjacent studio into a first-class night club. It is comfortable, roomy, and has a great dance floor.
Happy Hour festivities will begin in the studio at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 7th and last until 9:00. For those of you that can't get enough dancing, there will be a live band cranking up in the warehouse shortly after the happy hour breaks up.
Club More is located at 703 Franklin Street in Downtown Clearwater.
Take Cleveland Street west to Myrtle Avenue, south on Myrtle three blocks to Franklin, then west on Franklin. The sign out front says "Green Benches and More". Parking is directly across the street.
November Fais Do Do
We hope you like Club More enough to come back for more, because they will also be hosting the Porch Dogs on November 15th for our monthly fais do do. Dance lessons will be held at 7:00 p.m., and music will crank up at 8:00 p.m. and last till midnight. There will be a $5.00 charge for members and an $8.00 charge for non-members. See you there!
~Conchon de Lait~
Saturday - December 6, 1997
Sons of Italy Hall, 3315 Lemon Street, Tampa Members with blue membership card enter free.
Dinner served from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Music and dancing - 8:00 until midnight
Menu
Conchon de Lait and/or Fried Turkey
Collard Greens
Corn Bread
Sweet Potatoes
Non-Member entrance fee - $20.00 (includes food)
The Sheryl Cormier Story
by Edwina Sylvester
I thought I would give you all some background on Sheryl Cormier. Hope this will fire everyone up for the great Christmas party on December 6th.Sheryl Cormier was born into music and took it upon herself to learn. When her folks were out working, she'd pick up the accordion and practice. Fi Fi Poncho was the first song she mastered - single note style as she recalls.
Sheryl Cormier
The Queen of Cajun Music!!
(note: there will be a pic here as soon as Benny sends it!)
She also notes that her father didn't exactly like the idea of her playing music at first, so Sheryl would practice on the side. Later on she'd help serve the wine to the musicians at family gumbos and after she'd become brave enough, she'd play while they were on break.
She was afraid at first but her momma said, "Don't worry, go ahead and play." Daddy got excited but then instructed her not to mess around with his accordion without permission. Sheryl's path had been set. Her life was to be filled with music.
There were interruptions - family obligations to honor and tradition to go against. Women were just not musicians. They were wives and mothers. A musician's life was too hard. But some things were meant to be, even if only in spurts.
One of those occasions must have been quite a sight. It was her wedding day and, amid all the festivities at her wedding dance (at Jay's Lounge and cockpit in Cankton, LA), the great Aldus Roger called her to the bandstand. There in her wedding dress with all that money pinned all over her (a Cajun tradition to pay tribute to the new couple), and Aldus hands her the accordion and gets her to play.
Her commitment to her family kept the playing to (very) part time for years until Blackie Forestier called her up to the bandstand one night in Lewisburg. The flame was lit again and he convinced her to record her father's tune, The Guilbeau Waltz.
Later after the illness of her husband Russell, she decided to return to work. There was but one route for Sheryl - back to music.
First, she played in a male group, then there was an all-girl band. Now, her son Russell Jr. plays drums with her and Russell Sr. plays fratoir, sings, and helps manage business as the coast-to-coast tours and awards begin to accumulate.
The circle is coming around for Sheryl Cormier and her progressive, high energy approach to real life and real Cajun music. We are lucky to be getting Sheryl for our Christmas party. She is on tour and making a special trip to Tampa from Chicago to play for The Cajun Connection. In November, she will be inducted into the Cajun Hall of Fame in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sheryl is internationally known as the First Lady of Cajun Music.
See all of you at the party. It's gonna be fun!
Volunteers for the Conchon de Lait
"He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help."Abraham Lincoln
Let's get together on this! We still need lots of help with the Christmas Party, so we'll have a great event and everyone will have time for fun! Give of your talent and time, and leave a great legacy. Being a volunteer brings a sense of self-satisfaction that no other action can create.
Thanks in Advance!
Your Board Member, Edwina Sylvester
Boudreau and the Trooper
One evening Boudreau was going to Crowley on I-10 from Lafayette. He was listening to Cajun music and minding his own business, when he glanced in his rear view mirror and saw the flashing lights on a trooper's car coming up behind him. Instead of pulling over and stopping, he push down that full speeder and tried to outrun the state trooper. He almost made it to Crowley when his car ran out of gas. He got out of his car with his hands in the air saying "Don't shoot!""Why did you try to outrun me?" the trooper asked him. "You didn't see my lights?"
"Well, officer, fifteen years ago my wife run away with a state trooper an' I thought you was that trooper coming to bring her back!"
Recipe of the Month
CRAWFISH MACHOU
Combine 1 block margarine, onion, bell pepper, and tomato. Sauté. Add cream style corn and whole kernel corn. Season to taste. Stirring constantly, cook on high for ˝ hour. Lower heat to simmer. Add 2 lbs. crawfish tails with fat. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until crawfish tails curl.
- 1 block margarine
- ˝ bell pepper
- 2 cans cream style corn
- Season to taste
- 1 onion
- ˝ fresh tomato
- 2 cans whole kernel corn
- 2 lbs. Crawfish tails with fat
Cajun Food Co-op - Anyone Interested?
Tired of getting Cajun recipes with ingredients that are nearly impossible to find in Florida? Well, if you are interested, there may be an affordable solution.Crawfish Ben Cieslinski (another Polish Cajun) of the Cajun Crawfish Trading Company, is a local food broker that specializes in Southwest Louisiana specialties, including crawfish, andouille sausage, tasso, gator, turtle, file', etc.
Crawfish Ben sells wholesale in large quantities to restaurants or people having big parties, making it somewhat impractical for those of us who want some homecooked Cajun specialties but don't own meat lockers. But he would be willing to sell to a Cajun Connection Co-op if enough people were interested in participating.
Look at da time!!
Wings and Strings
The third annual Wings and Strings Festival will be held on November 7, 8, and 9th at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will be making their third appearance at this festival on Saturday - November 8.Steve's group is the only Cajun band playing the festival, but there is plenty of bluegrass, blues, and American roots music lined up, including Trout Fishing in America, Robert Earl Keen, Peter Rowan, Chesapeake, and more.
For more information, call (941) 984-3500 ext.222. Those of you on-line can visit their website at http://www.wingsandstrings.com
WMNF Pledges
The Cajun Connection did its part for radio station WMNF once again during their recent semi-annual fund-raising drive. The club donated $300.00 and will be doing two more guest host appearances on the afternoon drive-time "Traffic Jam" show. The first show will be take place on Thursday, December 3, right before the Conchon De Lait. The show will be hosted by Lee Ray and Marie Comeaux and Johnny and Clotile Dugas'. In addition to pledging money, many club members supported the station individually, by pledging and volunteering to answer phones. We are appreciated by the Station, and we should continue to appreciate and support WMNF, the only radio station in the area that plays our music.Note: To date - members have donated approximately half of the amount pledged to the radio station. If you wish to help contribute and help us avoid going into the club treasury, make out a check to The Cajun Connection and mail it to Edwina Sylvester, P.O. Box 447, Thonotosassa, FL 33592. Please note on the check that it is a contribution to WMNF.
Fort Lauderdale or Vinoy Park?
WMNF made a surprise announcement during the fundraising drive. They will be sponsoring a Louisiana music festival in Vinoy Park. Great news, right? But there is a kicker, it will be held the exact same weekend as the Fort Lauderdale Cajun Zydeco Festival.In the past, WMNF held the Tropical Heat Wave Concert on the second weekend in May. The Heat Wave format is to invite an eclectic mix of bands. It is a great concert, but Cajun Connection members weren't attending because they were understandably in Fort Lauderdale.
Randy Wynne, WMNF Program Director, explained that in the past he had many opportunities to sign great Cajun and Zydeco bands for Heat Wave, but could only select a limited number because of Heat Wave's commitment to diversity. He decided to take advantage of the Louisiana talent while it was available and hold Heat Wave the following month.
This presents The Cajun Connection with a difficult choice. Those of us who have attended the Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival have enjoyed some of the finest times of our lives. It is as much an opportunity for fellowship and camaraderie as it is for hearing great music and dancing.
But - we are The Cajun Connection of Tampa Bay and WMNF has presented us with an unprecedented opportunity to reach out to our own community. They have also invited the Club to take part in the planning of the event at a meeting scheduled for November 19th.
Fort Lauderdale is years ahead of WMNF, so even though they may have virtually the same musical line-up, it may take a while for the Tampa Bay festival to catch up. But with cooperation and the right attitude, we may be able to create the same ambiance we enjoy each year at the Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival.
With our input into the planning process, we could push for a covered dance floor that will enable us to keep our stamina up throughout the weekend. We could also set up a booth to promote the Club and enlist new members in exchange for dance lessons during the breaks.
We could organize a pre-festival brunch for Club members at Vinoy Park. For those of us who don't want to miss the fellowship we experience in Fort Lauderdale, maybe we could reserve a block of rooms at a hotel or motel near Vinoy Park and have the post-dance pool and hot tub parties we have enjoyed in the past.
The Board is interested in hearing from you on this topic. If you can't make it to an event to discuss it with us personally, call the Hotline or send us an e-mail at Olcajun@ij.net.
Dance Workshop
Dance lessons will resume in November in a new place and under a new concept. Arrangements have been made to use the Omar K. Lightfoot Recreation Center - located at the corner of 56th Street and Whiteway in Temple Terrace. The lessons will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Wednesdays. They begin on November 5 and run through December 10 with a week off for Thanksgiving.Temple Terrace recreation facilities are normally only available to people who pay a user fee. Arrangements have been made to allow our Club to use the rec center for free. Club members are invited to come at 7:00 for an hour of workshop style dancing where everyone dances and changes partners frequently.
Then, the second hour will be devoted to beginners lessons and open to people who have paid a quarterly or annual fee to the Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation Department. The fees are reasonable for Temple Terrace residents, but steep for non-residents. Non-members might be discouraged. Tell them the best deal is to join The Cajun Connection and take the lessons for free!!If you are interested in taking part, call Dave and Lynn Lynn Borisenko at (813) 626-7928.
New Board Members
We will be electing new Board Members at the Cochon De Lait in December. You will vote with your old membership card by placing it in either a yea or nay ballot box. The slate is as follows:Members at Large
- Bob Hugenschmidt
- Benny Sylvester
- Joe Kopacz
- Jeanine Traycheff
We will be hiring a private detective to find the members who are still at large.
- Edwina Sylvester
- Peggy Hildebrand
- Nick Schneider
- Dave Hildebrand
- Barbara Cowen
- Ellen Whitworth
- David Borisenko
- Dede Peck
- Lynn Borisenko
This will be your last newsletter until January, 1998. Have a great holiday season.
Join Today
You can join right now by using the Membership Form.
We will confirm receipt of your membership by return email or phone.
Membership fees are:
$13.00 - Individual
$25.00 - Family
You can make your check payable to The Cajun Connection and mail to:
The Cajun Connection
PO Box 17431
Tampa, FL 33682-7431
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or complete our online membership form right now!
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