Goldman Thibodeaux, a Creole musician in Mallet is among six honorees during Folklife Month in Louisiana.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announced October as Folklife Month. This year marks the sixth annual celebration of the state’s living traditions and the individuals who sustain them.
Organized by the Louisiana Folklife Commission, in partnership with the Louisiana Folklore Society, six tradition bearers will be honored. Selected by local folklorists and other cultural workers, the recipients share a record of continuing and exceptional accomplishment in perpetuating the state’s traditional cultures.
Folklife Month showcases diverse persons and groups from across the state, and often from overlooked cultural communities. The month-long program also increases appreciation for the vital role folklorists play in sustaining Louisiana’s folkways.
Nungesser emphasized the importance of the initiative saying, “Folklife Month is a time for us to celebrate our traditions and honor our culture. Each of our traditions trace back to our ancestors, and without that, we would not have the identity we have today.”
The following tradition bearers are the 2020 Folklife Month honorees:
Rick Adams, singer/songwriter in Alexandria;
Bogalusa Italian-American Club, St. Joseph’s Day Altar Tradition;
Goldman Thibodeaux, Creole musician in Mallet, St Landry Parish;
Grayhawk Perkins, Choctaw/Houma Nation Storyteller, Educator, and Musician in Mandeville;
Katrice LaCour, Zydeco musician in Natchitoches; and
Lawrence “Black” Ardoin, Traditional Creole accordion musician in Lake Charles.
A project of the Louisiana Folklife Commission in collaboration with the Louisiana Folklore Society and numerous community partners, Louisiana Folklife Month is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
Due to the pandemic, plans for Louisiana Folklife Month events remain uncertain. For more information about Louisiana Folklife Month and the effects the COVID-19 pandemic may have on events, visit LouisianaFolklife.org.