March 8, 2002
BEAUSOLEIL BRINGS "CAJUN CRAZE" TO LA CROSSE MARCH 26
LA CROSSE, Wis.—Cajun revolutionaries Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet will sing, dance, and let the good times roll on the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Stage on Tuesday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m.
Called "the best Cajun band in the world" by Garrison Keillor, Beausoleil got its start 25 years ago at a time when Cajun music and culture wasn't mainstream. Blackened fish didn’t appear on menus, you couldn’t find a good bottle of hot sauce outside of Louisiana, and there certainly wasn’t any Cajun music to be found. With music as their weapon, this Grammy award-winning recording group blends fiddles, guitar, bass, and drums into a spicy mix that embraces the joys and sorrows found in a centuries-old tradition.
Much of Beausoleil's music springs from the roots of Cajun culture—including its shared joys and sufferings. The group is led by talented singer, songwriter, and fast and furious fiddler Michael Doucet, who grew up speaking French and is a descendent of the Acadians, the culture from which Louisiana's Cajun population descended. Together with the other members of the band, he strives to preserve that history and link it with the present state of Cajun music.
As a result, Beausoleil has forever changed the landscape of music with its fiery blend of Cajun with elements of zydeco, New Orleans, jazz, Caribbean rhythm, Tex-Mex, country, blues, and more. Beausoleil is "the best damn dance band you'll ever hear," raves Rolling Stone.
Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet is part of the NexStar Season at Viterbo University and is sponsored by Centurytel. It is supported, in part, by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin. Tickets are $16/$22. To order tickets contact the Viterbo University Box Office at 796-3100, email boxoffice@viterbo.edu