Les Fêtes Chez Nous: France and North America
odd: label: Introduction
content: The 1989 Festival celebrated the bicentennial of the French Revolution by examining contemporary folk traditions of France and of French-speaking peoples of North America. The people of Britanny, Normandy, Poitou, Quebec, and the French-speaking communities of New England and Louisiana, North Dakota and Missouri share a common origin and linguistic affinity. Each of these communities had selectively preserved and modified this French cultural heritage in a specific historical and geographical setting despite pressures toward cultural homogenization and political attempts to restrict cultural continuity. Common and transformed elements of expressive culture continued to serve each group's own internally defined needs, including that of self-identification within a larger society.

Today's varied mosaic of French-derived or influenced oral traditions in North America resulted from various migrations: French who came to Quebec or Acadia, others who settled in Louisiana, Acadians who returned to France and then migrated again to Louisiana, French Canadians who came down the Mississippi and settled in Illinois and Missouri, French coureurs de bois (woodsmen) who intermarried with American Indians, slaves brought to French colonies to help meet agrarian needs, and Quebecois who immigrated to New England. In some communities a large number of active bearers of these traditions maintain them proudly; in other communities French-derived traditions are scarce, and the number of active bearers very small. In yet others, such as the Metis in North Dakota, French traditions have become part of a new cultural complex through the conscious creation of a new cultural lifestyle.

What all the communities presented at the Festival shared was a renewed interest in traditional repertoires. In some instances, younger performers and craftspeople were direct heirs to an unbroken tradition. Raised in a particular region and conscious of the importance and beauty of the traditions borne by their families, they acquired the skills of their forefathers. Others, having become conscious of the importance of their region's heritage, deliberately decided to carry on the tradition even though it may not have been present in their family or had been interrupted briefly. Other performers and craftspeople were more clearly "revivalists"; attracted by older traditions from their area or from other areas, they consciously decided to recreate these traditions whether or not their own ancestors subscribed to those traditions. What animates both the perpetuation of traditional forms and their revival is the desire of tradition bearers, individuals or communities, to assert their distinct identity, to fight against homogenization, to maintain the right vested in all human beings to express themselves in the manner that their ancestors bequeathed to them.

Winnie Lambrecht was Curator of the program, with Francesca McLean as Program Coordinator and Linda Breitag as Assistant Program Coordinator.

Les Fêtes Chez Nous: France and North America, a program on the occasion of the Bicentennial of the French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, was made possible by the American Committee on the French Revolution with the generous support of the following corporations and foundations: Archer-Daniels-Midland Foundation, Arthur Andersen & Co., General Electric Foundation, Gulf + Western Foundation, ITI Corporation, KPMG Peat Marwick, Lazard Freres, Warner-Lambert Company and the assistance of the government of the Republic of France and the province of Quebec.
label: Fieldworkers and consultants
content: Fieldworkers

Barry-Jean Ancelet, Robert Bouthillier, Ray Brassieur, Steven Green, Nick Hawes, Sheila Hogg, Lisa Ornstein, Catherine Perrier, Nicolas Vrooman, John Wright

Consultants

Barry Bergey, Guy Bouchard, Michel Colleu, Bernard Genest, Gilbert Guerin, Norman Legault, Nick Spitzer
label: Presenters
content: Ray Brassieur, Bruce Duthu, Andre Gladu, Veronique Perennou, Catherine Perrier, Nick Spitzer, John Wright
label: Participants
content: Brittany, France

Gilbert Bourdin, singer, accordionist, Rennes, France

Christian Dautel, singer, Point Aven, France

Jean Gauçon, 1921-, hurdy-gurdy player, Langueux, France

Olivier Glet, 1947-, instrument maker, biniou -- biniou --  & bombard player, Rieux, France

Gilbert Hervieux, 1947-, instrument maker,  -- biniou --  & bombard player, Rieux, France

Eric Marchand, singer, clarinetist, Poullaouen, France

Albert Poulain, singer, storyteller, Pipriac, France

Joseph Quintin, hurdy-gurdy player, singer, Tregueux, France

Normandy, France

Pierre Boissel, 1946-, fiddler, Caen, France

Philippe Gleises, 1955-, fiddler, dancer, Bourgebus, France

Baptiste Guillard, 1972-, dancer, accordionist, Le Mans, France

Yves Guillard, dancer, accordionist, Le Mans, France

Regis Launay, dancer, Le Mans, France

Louis LeBellanger, 1912-, singer, dance caller, fiddler, storyteller, Marigny, France

Jean-Philippe Peccate, 1960-, dancer, Le Mans, France

Anne Piraud, 1959-, clarinetist, fiddler, dancer, Bourgebus, France

Poitou, France

Thierry Bertrand, 1961-,  -- veuze  -- maker and player, La Gamache, France

Bernadette Bidault, singer, storyteller, Saint-Benoit-sur-Mer, France

David Cousineau, 1965-, fiddler, accordionist, Vouille, France

Jean-Loec LeQuellec, fiddler, accordionist, Saint-Benoit-sur-Mer, France

Michel Raballand, 1939-, dancer, Challans, France

Yvette Raballand, 1925-, dancer, Challans, France

Québec, Canada

Irene Berthiaume, 1918-, singer, Ste-Marie-de-Beauce, Québec

Emmanuel Cloutier, singer, St-Jules-de-Beauce, Québec

Marie-Rose Cloutier, 1920-, singer, St-Jules-de-Beauce, Québec

Lorraine Fortin, 1931-, weaver, Clermont, Charlevoix, Québec

Adela Imbault, rugmaker, St-Simion, Charlevoix, Québec

Dominique Lavallée, 1950-, woodcarver, Charlesbourg, Québec

Paul-Emile Lavallée, 1942-, woodcarver, Levis, Québec

Normand Legault, 1951-, step-dancer, caller, bones player, Breakeyville, Québec

Jean-Paul Loyer, 1952-2009, guitarist, Joliette, Québec

Noella Marquis, pianist, Beauce, Québec

Marcel Messervier, 1934-, accordionist, Montmagny, Québec

Marcel Messervier, Jr., 1959-, pianist, Montmagny, Québec

Normand Miron, 1955-, singer, accordionist, harmonica player, Ste-Beatrix, Québec

Raynald Ouellet, 1956-, accordionist, Montmagny, Québec

Francine Rehel, 1950-, pianist, Montréal, Québec

Hermas Rehel, 1920-, fiddler, step-dancer, Brossard, Québec

Bernard Simard, 1954-, guitarist, Québec, Québec

United States

Christine Balfa, triangle player, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Dewey Balfa, fiddler, singer, Basile, Louisiana

Edmond Boudreau, guitarist, mandolinist, Waltham, Massachusetts

Pierre Boyer, 1910-, storyteller, fiddler, Potosi, Missouri

Delton Broussard, 1927-, accordionist, Opelousas, Louisiana

Gerald Broussard, 1963-, accordionist, Opelousas, Louisiana

Calvin Carriere, fiddler, Lawtell, Louisiana

Phillip Carriere, drummer, Lawtell, Louisiana

Inez Catalan, 1913-1994, ballad singer, Kaplan, Louisiana

Marie Dean, 1916-, basket maker, doll maker, Dulac, Louisiana

J.C. Gallow, 1944-,  -- frottoir  -- player, Opelousas, Louisiana

Ben Guillemette, fiddler, Sanford, Maine

Dudley Hebert, guitarist, Basile, Louisiana

Robert Jardell, accordionist, Crowley, Louisiana

John Keplin, guitarist, dancer, Belcourt, North Dakota

Lawrence Keplin, fiddler, Belcourt, North Dakota

Ryan Keplin, 1971-, fiddler, Belcourt, North Dakota

Marcelle Lacouture, 1949-, storyteller, Lafayette, Louisiana

Robert LaRoche, 1934-, singer, step-dancer, Alfred, Maine

Adrien Morin, 1916-, guitarist, Sanford, Maine

Anna Marie Parfait, 1939-, storyteller, Dulac, Louisiana

Roy A. Parfait, 1943-, palmetto weaver, Dulac, Louisiana

Maria Perrault, 1921-2006, singer, Rochester, New Hampshire

Mitchell Reed, 1971-, bass guitarist, Lafayette, Louisiana

Arcade Richard, 1927-, harmonica player, step-dancer, Leominster, Massachusetts

Gerry Robichaud, fiddler, Waltham, Massachusetts

Jeanne Trepanier, 1941-, step-dancer, singer, Rochester, New Hampshire

Errol Verret, accordion maker and player, Catahou, Louisiana
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1989 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1989, Series 4
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials