Rayne to host CFMA le Cajun Music Festival

RAYNE - The 2019 Annual Le Cajun - CFMA Annual Cajun Awards and Music Festival will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 16-17, at the Rayne Civic Center.
Theme for the anticipated two-day event is Fier d’etre ‘Cadien (Proud to be Cajun).
The awards ceremony will be hosted by the Cajun-French Music Association of Louisiana, with Cajun musicians from throughout the area to be in attendance and honored.
The Le Cajun Award and Festival is a unique, two-day event will feature an awards ceremony honoring the best in Cajun music and Cajun musicians and includes a two-day dance festival with award winning Cajun bands providing the music.
The Grammy-style awards ceremony, to be held Friday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m., is sponsored by CFMA and includes awards for Band of the Year, Best Accordionist, Best Fiddler, Best Male and Female Vocalist, Song of the Year and Best Recording of the Year.
Highlighting the activities on Friday night will be the crowning of the new CFMA Queen.
A featured event at the annual festival will be the individuals to be inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame.
The 2018 winners were Ervin “Dick” Richard, Johnny Sonnier and Lawrence and Judith Patin, owners of La Poussier Authentic Cajun Dance Hall in Breaux Bridge.
Also to be included during the festival is a large arts and crafts show where numerous hand-made and unique items can be purchased.
Friday will conclude with live Cajun music provided by Dylan Aucoin and the Judice Ramblers.
And don’t forget the anticipated accordion raffle, along with assorted concessions and auctions.
Doors open Saturday, Aug. 17, at 9:30 a.m. with introductions, accordion and fiddle contests, and live entertainment into the evening hours.
Highlighting the entertainment will be Cameron Dupuy & The Cajun Troubadors featuring an “All-Star Family Tradition Extravaganza.”
The Cajun French Music Association is a non-profit organization comprised of Cajuns and non-Cajuns whose purpose is to promote and preserve, not only Cajun music, but also various aspects of the Acadian Heritage.
The CFMA was founded in Basile in November of 1984 with Harry LaFleur of Eunice as its founder. Since its beginning of less than 30 persons, it has grown to a membership of approximately 2,000 families serving seven chapters in Louisiana and four chapters in the Cajun Region of Southeast Texas and one in Chicago.