Festival may bring back memories of Folklife Festival for Delafose

The Experience Louisiana Festival will no doubt bring back bittersweet memories for Eunice zydeco musician Geno Delafose.
“I used to play with my dad (the late John Delafose) at the Folklife Festival,” Delafosse said. “I hope we can get the Experience Louisiana Festival going and keep it going. It means a lot to me to have festival back and for it to be successful.”
“I hope there is a great turnout for Experience Louisiana.”
Delafose and his band, French Rockin’ Boogie, will play at the festival at LSUE from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17.
The musician started out playing the washboard in his dad’s band before taking up the accordion, and Delafose and his band have recorded five albums, including the Grammy Award-nominated Le Cowboy Creole. Delafose said he is inspired by his father and the late Clifton Chenier and the late Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin.
“I love Dewey Balfa and Nathan Abshire,” he said. “I like Mark Savoy and Steve Riley, too. Steve and I were actually classmates. We went to school together.”
Delafose said the City of Eunice has a lot to offer, and that preserving the Cajun culture is important.
“This is our culture — the traditions, the music, the food — that comes from here,” he said. “We need to be proud of and celebrate our culture. If we don’t do that, we will lose it.
“I hope people come out and enjoy the festival. Let’s keep Eunice on the map.”