LAFAYETTE, LA – Unconfirmed reports surfaced today that the organizers behind the annual Festival International de Louisiane were truly planning on making the festival ‘international’, by cutting back on the number of its performing Cajun and zydeco bands, and replacing them with bands originating from outside of Acadiana.
The festival, located in Lafayette’s historic downtown district, attracts more than 32 million people per year (according to local sources) and is world-renowned for it’s ability to attract the top Cajun and zydeco acts in the area, as well as females in their late-teens wearing flowery headbands, jean shorts, and faux-leather backpacks.
The reports suggest that there would only be just under 600 local acts booked for next years festival, a huge cull on the previous years number of 874.
Louis Fouse, an ex-board member for Festival International, believes that he was actually ahead of the curve, and that he saw that plans coming that are being proposed.
“I was actually let go from the board for suggesting that we book international bands for Festival International” he stated. “So to see this idea being thrown around the boardroom is pretty bittersweet for me.
But despite his personal feelings, Mr. Fouse also believes that this would be a huge turning point for the festival.
“It would be a huge milestone. It would be great for the festival. I mean, holy fuck, Zydeco is like the musical version of heroin for some people around here. If there isn’t an over-saturation of it at a festival, it’s not worth going. There’d be riots. And don’t get me started on Cajun bands, I tell locals that it’s possible to dance to other genres of music, and they look at me as if I’ve just set their cat on fire.”
Festival International was unavailable for comment.
