Creole accordionist Lawrence Ardoin returns for the second Tribute to Amédé Ardoin from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, I-49 exit 23, in Opelousas.
Ardoin will be joined by his son, Sean, a two-time Grammy nominee for his “Kreole Rock and Soul” album of 2018.
Lawrence and Sean Ardoin are descendants of Amédé, who was born March 11, 1898. In the 1920s and ‘30s, Ardoin and Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee recorded songs that formed the bedrock of Cajun music and zydeco.
Standards, like the “Eunice Two-Step,” “Lacassine Special” and many others, can be traced to Ardoin’s original recordings.
Ardoin died in 1942 after a severe, racial beating left him incapacitated at Central Louisiana State Hospital the mental health facility in Pineville. He is buried in an unmarked grave on the hospital grounds.
In 2018, a 1,500-pound steel sculpture of Ardoin was unveiled at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center. The statue was the result of the “Bring Amédé Home Project,” a series of fundraisers that former poet laureate Darrell Bourque and educator Patricia Cravins held throughout the area.
More than 75 years after his death, Ardoin continues to make news. In February, his life and music were featured in KLFY TV-10’s “Hidden History” series.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser hosts the Amédé Ardoin Lemon Tree Ceremony, set for 8 a.m. Thursday at the A. Z. Young Park, 800 N. Third St., in Baton Rouge. A breakfast reception in the Pentagon Barracks follows.
Lemons have become symbolic of Ardoin, who used them to soothe his throat between performances at house dances and dancehalls.
For more information, visit the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission web site at cajuntravel.com.
Tribute to Amédé Ardoin returns to Visitor Center
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