The second annual Wille Durisseau Music Festival was held over the past weekend at the Hotel Cazan in Mamou. Durisseau is a 101-year-old World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of Okinawa. He plays a style of fiddle called the Haitian Blues Fiddle that dates back to the 1700s.
The festival, which was originally billed as a fiddle competition, began Friday night with a reception honoring Durisseau.
In attendance Friday night were Norm Wohnesdorf and Andy Jennings, both of Australia. “We’ve been on a musical holiday, and we’re nearly at the end,” Wohnesdorf said as he and Jennings were checking into the hotel.
The two Australian visitors to Mamou were in town for a visit to Fred’s Lounge the next morning. “We heard about Fred’s, and we knew it was open early Saturday morning,” Wohnesdorf said. “A friend back home told me about it, and we’ve been in Lafayette for the past couple of nights. The people there have been telling us about Fred’s as well.”
Before stopping in Mamou, Wohnesdorf and Jennings enjoyed listening to music at places in Lafayette such as at the Blue Moon Saloon. When they were not experiencing the music, they experienced swamp tours.
Jennings said he and Wohnesdorf come from Melbourne which is the music capital of Australia. “It’s a very big music town,” he said. “We’re here for the music, and it’s certainly fulfilling.”
“We’re coming now to where the roots of Cajun music started,” Wohnesdorf said about coming to the Cajun Music Capital of the World.
Even though they had only been in Mamou for a short time before checking in at the hotel, both Wohnesdorf and Jennings agreed on their impressions of Mamou. As Wohnesdorf expressed, “It’s obviously a small country town, and everyone is very helpful and friendly.”
Wohnesdorf and Jennings went on to meet Durisseau and were among the other reception guests who heard him play a fiddle.
As for Durisseau, he said about again being honored for his brand of music on the fiddle and for his military service, “it feels good.”
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TONY MARKS Editor