Festival International de Louisiane is now the largest international music and arts festival in the United States. The pandemic did nothing to hinder its popularity, and as a result, it was able to return as an in-person event in 2022. This year marked the 36th annual celebration, lasting 5 days from 27th April to 1st May. Downtown Lafayette in Louisiana was transformed into a multicultural entertainment mecca. Musicians, artists and gourmet food vendors from across the globe came to sell their wares and entertain festival goers.
Below we recap the highlights of this magical weekend and highlight some of the special events the festival organised for this year.
2022’s official visual artist
Each year, Festival International de Louisiane commissions an artist as their Official Visual Artist. They are charged with creating a piece that captures the spirit of the festival and sets the tone for the weekend. This is no small order, but local Lafayette-based artist Dirk Guidry was able to do just that.
Dirk Guidry is a local artist through and through, being raised in Galliano, Louisiana. He relocated to Lafayette for further education, where he developed his unique style, which can be found in artworks and murals around Lafayette.
His piece was vibrant and full of life, just like the festival itself. After his commissioned artwork was officially presented at a celebratory party in February, it was used to create posters and pins for the event. This allowed festival goers to buy their own small pieces of the festival to take home with them and hopefully inspire their own creativity. As an added bonus, a percentage of each pin sale has been donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana.
The music at the festival
2022 was one for the books, with an astounding amount of talent on display from both local and international musicians. The festival kicked off on Wednesday with performances from Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas and Lil’ Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers. Lil’ Nathan’s unique vibe and mesmerising stage presence were the perfect combination to warm everyone up and get them ready for a weekend of diverse sounds.
Thursday night’s live music began with Natu Camara from Guinea taking to the stage, delivering an empowering message to young women through a mix of afro-rock, pop and soul. This inspiring blend led perfectly to the Opening Ceremony on the Scene LUS Internationale stage. Across 3 locations, there were performances from Louisiana based musicians as well as artists hailing from Russia, Haiti and Guadeloupe. Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated Locos Por Juana headlined Scene LUS Internationale with an energetic live show. Meanwhile, in the Lus La Craft Biergarten, The Iceman Special dropped a set of danceable jams well into the night.
Friday amped up, seeing headliners across 5 locations in the evening. A mix of Louisiana artists and bands from Mexico warmed up each audience. At Scene LUS Internationale, Ayrad performed a blended set from their first award-winning album and their second album, with a more accessible and contemporary vibe. Scene Laborde Earles Fais Do Do saw Delgres take to the stage to share French West Indian cultural heritage through their music with other Creole communities. Louisiana was well represented with the Lost Bayou Ramblers and KC Jones performing at other locations.
Saturday saw the festival step into its prime, with musicians performing across all 7 locations from lunchtime into the late hours. Most notably, Cimafunk headlined Scene LUS Internationale. As one of the most exciting new faces in Latin music, the singer, composer and producer laid down a set of bold funk, Cuban music with African rhythms. The Reminders also put a show on to remember with bilingual lyrics and palpable chemistry between band members Big Samir and Aja Black.
Sunday afternoon had something for everyone with a huge array of performers from Ukraine, Mali and Sudan to name just a few. Jamaican band, The Wailers, ended the night at Scene LUS Internationale, closing the festival for another year.
The arts scene
Just one of the ways to access and celebrate arts and craftsmanship during the festival was to visit one of its art markets. Each market was filled with a collection of beautiful and diverse pieces. Festival attendees found great joy in browsing these creations and discussing the artisan’s work with them.
Marche des Arts was a one-stop shop for everything fine arts. There were paintings, mixed media, pottery and jewellery of all kinds on display throughout the weekend. Marche du Monde was the place to find commercial imports of sculptures, clothing and even instruments. It was easy to be inspired by the wealth of creativity on display.
The Petit Marche was full of engaged 6-16 year olds, learning how to run a business and vend at a festival setting. It’s almost guaranteed that the young people in attendance will be artists and makers to watch in the future!
For more seasoned art aficionados, the Heterochronic Collages exhibit of Eugene James Martin was a big hit. It showcased pieces from the 90s that were created with photographs or previous artworks at their core. It was a beautiful celebration of the concept of visual art.
Gourmet grub
Gourmet food was available all weekend from a large range of vendors. Whatever you desired was on offer, from Greek food to grill and seafood to gourmet ice pops. There was a refreshment to tickle everyone’s fancy. There were also a series of Brewmaster Talks for festival goers to attend. These were hosted by local brewers and were perfect for anyone who loves beer.
Special events
If you think the festival couldn’t possibly pack any more magic into one weekend, then you would be sorely mistaken. Across the weekend, special events took place with as much vibrancy and gusto as the rest of the festival. There were sessions for people to craft their own instruments, from accordions to Cajun fiddles. The Pavillon Acadie in Parc de Lafayette hosted a range of musicians from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Festival goers could also attend a traditional French mass on Sunday morning at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist.
Cirque de la Rue was a festival favourite, with the Soul Express Brass Band, the Dragon Knights Stilt Show and Lee’s Golden Dragons taking to the street for a parade to be remembered. The street animation was captivating and full of dynamic colours and movement.
Courir du Festival 5k was another hit, with every place in the run taken by attendees. They ran or walked through the historic tree-lined streets of downtown Lafayette, crossing a finish line complete with live music, beer and food for participants and bystanders.
2022 was certainly a special year for Festival International de Louisiane. With a broad range of entertainment on offer, the festival continued to go from strength to strength. We’ll all be eagerly waiting to see the unique blend of creative magic that will be put together for 2023.
