PRESENTING
A CONTEMPORARY ANTHOLOGY
OF LOUISIANA MUSIC IN
FRENCH AND CREOLE*
* PRESENTED WITH THE SUPPPORT OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
6 INTERVIEWS
118 PAGES
A MUSICAL ANTHOLOGY TO CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE.
EN MUSIQUE(S).
In 2024, we launched our independent label, Nous, including a record label, a film studio, and a publishing house — because we love creating. Our goal is to release one original publication a year to create original and contemporary content in French and Creole in Louisiana.
Our very first book, Musique(s), Le Livre, was published on May 7, 2025. For this publication, we interviewed — with the support of the Library of Congress — 6 musicians and musical ensembles from Louisiana (including two Grammy winners) in French, Creole, and English (read more about our Musique(s) projet here). Musique(s), Le Livre includes the transcriptions of each artist’s interview, along with the lyrics of the songs they recorded for us, merging music and language into one.
This book, which is available in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, is available for purchase online and at over 10 retailers in New Orleans and across the country.
2 GRAMMY WINNING MUSICIANS
4 MUSICIAN ENSEMBLES
28 ARTISTS
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Louis Michot is best known as the fiddle player and lead singer for the Grammy-award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers. He is passionate about Louisiana French and local folklore, and about sustainability in the fastest disappearing landmass in the world. With over 20 LPs to his name, his music career continues to push the boundaries of the Louisiana French music traditions.
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Leyla McCalla was born in New York City to Haitian emigrants and activists, and her music draws inspiration from the past and present: three centuries of history and contemporary influences from around the globe. McCalla is a master of the cello, tenor banjo, and guitar, as well as a multilingual singer and songwriter.A contemporary string ensemble exploring the Creole diaspora through melody and memory to honor Afro-descendent cultural ancestors and preserve the plurality of their experiences through a prismatic and contemporary lens.
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The New Orleans Baby Dolls tradition emerged around 1912 in the segregated red-light district of Black Storyville, as women of color challenged societal norms by parading during Mardi Gras in doll-like attire, expressing their identities and challenging taboos. Today, there are multiple groups of Baby Dolls who continue to participate in Mardi Gras and other events.
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‘Sunpie’ is a renowned musician, ethnographic photographer, actor, author, and former pro football player (Kansas City Chiefs) — and current Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang Mardi Gras group. Performing will fellow Louisiana Creole-singing musician, Leroy Etienne, Sunpie is one of New Orleans’s most beloved cultural advocates.
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A contemporary string ensemble exploring the Creole diaspora through melody and memory to honor Afro-descendent cultural ancestors and preserve the plurality of their experiences through a prismatic and contemporary lens.
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Sweet Crude are an indie pop and rock band formed in 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The lyrics of their songs combine English and Louisiana French, a variety of French spoken by members of singers’ Sam Chachere Craft and Alexis Marceaux’s families. The band released their debut album, Créatures, early in 2017, and have garnered a worldwide fan base.
PRESENTED BY NOUS,
OUR INDEPENDENT
PUBLISHING HOUSE
Edited by
Rudy Bazenet, Scott Tilton
Designed by
Katya Vaz, Rudy Bazenet
Photographs
Stills from Musique(s), Le Film (2025)
Director: Cory St. Ewart
Director of Photography: Autumn Palen
Translation & Transcription
French: Rudy Bazenet, Scott Tilton, Katya Vaz
Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini): Clif St. Laurent
Cover Art by Katya Vaz featuring a close-up cross-section of a bald cypress tree’s rings. This tree symbolizes not only resilience and adaptability but also strength. The outward motion of the rings mirrors the flow of sound waves, linking the concept of growth to music. Together, these elements reflect the enduring and evolving nature of both Louisiana’s music and our collective creativity.
This project was made possible thanks to a Community Collections Grant, awarded by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in 2024. We would also like to thank the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, the Gauthier Family Foundation, James Douglas Hislop, Denise & Jerry St Pierre, and Nicolle & Bob McGuiness.
ISBN: 979-8-9987930-0-4
Video
Excerpts from Musique(s)!, Le Film (2025)