Heart of Louisiana: Tipitina’s Fais Do Do

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – It might not be the primary place you consider to expertise a cajun Fais Do Do (fay -doe doe), however an uptown New Orleans music membership has been placing on the cajun dances for greater than three many years. The musician who’s headlined the present for all these years is pure cajun.

The music is pure cajun, and the dwell present with Bruce Daigrepont packs the dance flooring, however this isn’t Louisiana’s cajun nation. It’s uptown New Orleans on the iconic Tipitina’s Music Membership. One Sunday a month, Daigrepont performs a cajun Fais Do Do, the phrase Fais Do Do comes from previous cajun home dances.

“Do Do is a slang expression for the phrase dormir, which suggests to sleep. The moms who had younger youngsters and infants wished to hitch the festivities, they wished to bop so they might encourage the kids to fall asleep and so they inform ‘em, Fais Do Have you learnt, to make them fall asleep,” Bruce Daigrepont

At this Fais Do Do, the music is nonstop. Daigrepont leads his four-piece band via a sequence of high-energy cajun two steps after which slows it down for a waltz.

“I simply play what comes pure, and other people begin dancing and the dance flooring often fills up,” Daigrepont stated.

Once I take into consideration Tipitina, I take into consideration professor longhair, I take into consideration rhythm and blues, rock and roll. I don’t take into consideration cajun, however you’re telling me that you simply’ve performed right here extra occasions by far than anyone else.

“The supervisor right here, Tank and I had been figuring, I most likely performed on this stage most likely about 1400 occasions,” Daigrepont stated.

“There are some folks which have been following Bruce for over three many years and dancing each time he comes out and performs, irrespective of the place he performs. Within the Fais Do Do right here at Tipitina’s does have its personal crowd of regulars,” Greenberg added.

Brian Greenberg is the final supervisor, however he’s additionally the prepare dinner for the Fais Do Do, serving up a giant pot of purple beans and rice.

“I’ve been cooking via these and filling up my largest pot with purple beans, and including andouille, pickled pork, all of the seasonings, and a trinity and every thing else. I spend my Sunday on Fais Do Do weeks simply stirring,” Greenberg stated.

Daigrepont grew up in New Orleans, and each of his mother and father had been cajun.

“I grew up in a house the place my mother and father spoke french day by day, sooner or later I made a decision I wish to play, that is my heritage,” Greenberg stated.

You hear that french language within the lyrics of the songs, however in the event you don’t converse french, it doesn’t matter. There isn’t a mistaking the sensation of this music.

“Cajun music is one thing that’s so uniquely Louisiana, that it’s completely inside what we’re making an attempt to do, what Tipitina’s,” Greenberg stated.

At this present, it’s the driving sound of the accordion and fiddle, the 2 steps and spins on the dance flooring that commemorate a wealthy cajun tradition.

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