When Leroy Etienne, a resident of Lafayette, LA, attended school in the 1950s, the teachers advised him not to speak “French” in school. Just as American English might sound odd to a British speaker, the language Etienne spoke had profound difference from the one spoken on the streets of Paris, yet the 1921 decision in Louisiana to outlaw francophone languages failed to make a distinction between standard French, Creole, Cajun and Houma French. 

In reality, though the biases espoused by the 1921 law are clear, the American francophonic languages are no more foreign to the United States than American English. As an attempt to save his language from extinction, Etienne began performing R&B and zydeco in dance halls, where performers could still sing in Creole.

Etienne’s story is just one of many featured in Le Kèr Creole (The Creole Heart): Creole Compositions and Stories from Louisiana, a new book/CD  collection, composed by Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and Rachel Breunlin, who discuss the musical ethnography of Creole LA. University of New Orleans Press is publishing the book, and it is due for release on September 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Ave.). 

The collection includes original songs by Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, along with traditional Creole music from south LA featuring the musicians of the Preservation Hall and Panorama Brass Bands. The book portion includes guides to the lyrics in both Creole and English and a series of essays written by cultural anthropoligist Rachel Breunin for contextualization. Also, interspersed throughout the book’s essays and interviews, lithophanes by Lafayette artist Francis X. Pavy, photography by Barnes and archival images from the New Orleans Jazz Museum illuminate its pages.

As a part of the book/CD release, an ensemble featuring Barnes (accordion), Etienne (drums), Matt Hampsey (guitar) and Michael Harris (bass) will perform music from the album. Alongside the ensemble, special guests include Ricky Monie (piano), Louis Ford (clarinet), Joe Lastie (drums), Detroit Brooks (guitar), Kerry Lewis (bass), Ben Schnek (clarinet), as well as the president of Black Men of Labor and former spyboy of the Yellow Pocahontas Fred Johnson, Big Chief Clarence Delcour of the Creole Osceola, Big Chief Donald “Dut” Claude of the Seventh Ward Warriors and the Second Chief of the Northside Skull and Bone Gang, Zohar Israel.

For more information, visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum website, here.