Le Grenier musique, in collaboration with the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre and the City of Dieppe, is organizing Chaudière Noire (meaning blackpot) the first Cajun Music, Dance and Cooking Camp in Dieppe, in the heart of southeastern New Brunswick, from June 23 to 26, 2022. The Camp was supposed to take place in 2020 but had to be canceled for obvious reasons. The Camp is highly anticipated by a lot of passionate people from both Canada and the United States!
The Camp, entitled “Chaudière Noire”, is open to 14 years and older, beginners, intermediate or professional artists, and to everyone interested in Louisiana music, food, and dance. The camp will be bilingual. People can register for four days or per day. Workshops will be offered on various musical instruments, and there will be cooking and dance lessons. At the end of every day, jams and shows are scheduled.
“I’ve always wanted to create a bridge between Louisiana and Acadian artists. I already book shows for a few Cajun artists and bands – Zachary Richard, The Revelers, and Bruce Daigrepont – and I regularly bring Acadian artists to Louisiana”, says Carol Doucet, Le Grenier musique’s Director. “I would like to help create a real collaboration between Cajun artists and music lovers from Louisiana, the Maritimes and Quebec, and the public. I planned this camp based on a Louisiana model, the Blackpot Camp, organized by members of the band The Revelers, mainly Chas Justus and Chris Miller. The band will be in Dieppe to manage the Camp with us,” says Carol Doucet who was completely charmed by the camp she attended in Louisiana last year. “I was surprised to see a lot of participants that were beginners mixed with professional musicians,” explains Doucet.
For her part, Séverine Fox, Director of the Dieppe Arts and Culture Center, is honored not only to host this unique event, but also to participate in its organization. “This collaboration with Le Grenier musique allows us to welcome exceptional artists from Louisiana. In addition, the idea of a camp for adults, or for those 14 years and older, is very original. I am sure that many people want to learn the basics of a musical instrument or to learn how to cook Cajun food. It will certainly be a memorable and first of a long series,” she concludes.
Teachers and workshops
The Revelers, a Louisiana music group, is composed of founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys. They are unique in that they play all styles of Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, and Americana equally well. There is no leader, and everyone sings and writes music, in English and French. Other than Chas Justus and Chris Miller, other members of the band are Blake Miller, Glen Fields, Daniel Coolik, and Trey Boudreaux.
The two members of the group Nadine & Sammy, from Gaspésie, as well as the five members of the Quebec group the Winston Band, will be on site as trainers and members of house bands for the various workshops and shows. Acadian artists to be determined will also be part of the event.
Registration
Everybody can register for beginners, intermediate or professional lessons in music, dancing, and cooking. Master classes will also be offered. Everyone who attends will be fed by the chefs on site and their students. Attendees could be able to learn or improve their skills in fiddle, frottoir, ti-fer, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, accordion, bass, drum, singing, cooking, two-step, etc.
Registration for four days is $250 (until May 6, 2022 / $300 after that date). It is also possible to register for one day (Friday or Saturday) for $100 (until May 6, 2022 / $150 after that date). The registration fee includes classes, lunch, dinner, and evening performances. Registration is already open by visiting www.legreniermusique.com.
