Cajun & Zydeco
Entertainers 2011
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We very excited to announce the Main Stage Entertainers for Cajun Fest 2011. Bring your dancin' shoes because these bands are sure to make you want to hit the dance floor! Click on the links provided for additional information and to preview some of the music you'll enjoy.
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
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Nathan Williams plays zydeco, the fast and furious accordion-driven dance music of the Creole people of South Louisiana, a relatively modern style that emerged after the Second World War. With its trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars and R&B influences, zydeco is distinct from the fiddle-driven music of neighboring Cajuns.
Nathan and the Cha Chas, a recent winner of the Big Easy Award and featuring one of our favorite rubboard players, Mark Williams, brings the party on both nights of the event. Get your costume on and load up an arm full of beads because Mardi Gras comes to Iowa Saturday and Sunday night of Cajun Fest and you'll want to be part of the fun!
Entertainers
Pine Leaf Boys
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Official Website: www.pineleafboys.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/pineleafboys
Louisiana’s finest, the four-time Grammy®-Nominated Pine Leaf Boys have made a name for presenting their own inimitable brand of Cajun music with youthful exuberance. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys, known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrangements, have breathed new life into Cajun music, reviving ancient songs and bringing them to the bandstand. 
Hadley J. Castille & The Sharecroppers
featuring Sarah Jayde Williams
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Websites: www.hadleyjcastille.com/index.html
Donnie & the Pooldoos
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Call it Zydeco, Swamp Pop, or good old Gulf Coast Rock and Roll, Donnie and the Pooldoos are lighting up the dance floors with their intoxicating sound that could only come from one place – the bayous and swamps of South Louisiana. The group consists of veteran musicians who honed their craft in front of some of the toughest critics around, the dancers and dancehall patrons of the “Crawfish Circuit” of the gulf coast. Longtime musician Don Carpenter leads the band on accordion and vocals. Don grew up in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin, down in Morgan City, Louisiana, where the congruence of all these Louisiana sounds occurs naturally. On bass and vocals is Phil Kaelin. Rounding out the group are two of the best known musicians to come out the roots music circuit of Louisiana – Blake Castille on guitar and Kenny Alleman on drums. Between the two of them they have played on dozens of recording sessions and performed with a who’s who of Louisiana Cajun, country, and zydeco musicians. 
Want Music?
Just click on the links below to listen!
Download music by clicking here:www.pineleafboys.com/festival_acadien_full.mp3
Being described as, “... the link that connects the young and the old generations,” and, “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time,” the Pine Leaf Boys are the perfect addition to our festival. We think they'll be one of those bands that people insist return year after year, just like Hadley, Nathan and others have become.
Hadley J. Castille is one of the finest exponents of authentic south Louisiana Cajun fiddle music. His incredible gift of expression and musical interpretations of turn of the century songs, along with a swing influenced sound captures both heart and soul, and creates an intoxicating blend of both, the traditional and contemporary. With rhythm driven two-steps, old time waltzes and award winning original compositions written by he and his son, Blake, this musical gumbo captivates and electrifies audiences worldwide.
Having been surrounded by music all her life, it's only natural that Sarah Jadye Williams would be the fourth generation of the musical Castille Clan to pick up an instrument and play. Initially trained at the age of four as a classical violinist, Jayde soon learned Cajun fiddle from her grandfather, acclaimed fiddler, Hadley J. Castille. After getting a handle on the Cajun way of making the fiddle sing, she soon branched out into the western swing that was also a staple on the Castille stereo.
LeRoy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners
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Leroy Thomas, also known as "the Jewel of the Bayou", is one of the most gifted, versatile, and dynamic musicians on the zydeco scene. With an unmatched repertoire of Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, R&B, and Country music he mixes an ideal combination of traditional zydeco with his own innovative, funky, hard-driving sound. Leroy's friendliness and accessibility make him especially popular with fans, and his professionalism and reliability are a real plus in the music industry. He is a masterful musician and a world class performer. No matter the size of the venue Leroy puts on a wholehearted show that will have you staring in awe, stomping your feet, and begging for more.Leroy and his band have performed in over 33 states and overseas and have released eight CDs. Leroy favors what he calls "Old School Zydeco." He likes keeping the tradition of Louisiana alive and flowing. He throws in his own flavor but always comes back to original zydeco, the real deal.
Mark Williams of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas will be dancin' an twirlin' and putting on a show during Mardi Gras Madness.
Practice up and enter our rubboard contest!
