Two Generations of Cajun Activists Take the Fais-Do-Do Stage During Jazz Fest Friday

Jourdan Thibodeaux, by Jeremey Lavoi and Abby Berendt Lavoi

Zachary Richard and Jourdan Thibodeaux have been outspoken in their support of Louisiana’s Cajun culture, and both perform at the Fair Grounds on Friday.

After Thursday’s Rolling Stones edition of Jazz Fest, the festival we recognize starts in earnest on Friday. The day will close with the return of Foo Fighters and the Irish blues rock of Hozier, and vibes player Stefon Harris and Blackout in the Jazz Tent. I’ll likely finish my day at the Sheraton New Orleans Fais-Do-Do Stage at 6 p.m. with Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs. Thibodeaux’s outspoken support for Cajun culture made him a compelling presence in the documentary Roots of Fire that I wrote about last week. The film will start streaming on all the major platforms on May 7.

Thibodeaux will also perform with Cedric Watson et Joel Savoy at 3:35 p.m. in the Rhythmpourium Tent, and at 1:40 another long-time activist for Cajun culture, Zachary Richard, will play the Sheraton New Orleans Fais-Do-Do Stage as well.

Friday at the Fair Grounds has a lot of New Orleans favorites and familiar acts including 79ers Gang (Congo Square Stage, 12:20 p.m.), Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns (Blues Tent, 1:30 p.m.), The Soul Rebels (Congo Square Stage, 4:05 p.m.) and Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet (WWOZ Jazz Tent, 4:10 p.m.). I missed Blanchard’s set last year so I’ll try to catch it this year.

I also missed Allison Russell’s set when she played Jazz Fest last year, and I hope to make that right too this year when she plays the Blues Tent at 3:55 p.m. But since that’s opposite Blanchard, The Soul Rebels, and Lulu and the Broadsides (Lagniappe Stage, 4:15 p.m.), who are featured in a very entertaining Milky Way today, the competition makes it hard to be sure where I’ll be.

Before Jazz Fest started, I picked the Colombian acts I most wanted to see this year, and they didn’t disappoint in the first weekend. Matachindé (Congo Square Stage, 11:15 a.m.; Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion, 2:05 p.m.) came highly recommended, and I’m interested to see Bejuco (Congo Square Stage, 1:30 p.m.; Expedia Cultural Exchange Pavilion, 5 p.m.), who fold traditional music from Colombia’s South Pacific region with Afrobeat among other things.