PRESENTING

A CONTEMPORARY ANTHOLOGY
OF LOUISIANA MUSIC IN
FRENCH AND CREOLE*

* PRESENTED WITH THE SUPPPORT OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

12 TRACKS
37’40”

S
I
D
E
A

LOUIS MICHOT
LA VALSE DE MÈCHE PERDU

SUNPIE & THE LOUISIANA SUNSPOTS
SANG BRÛLÉ

THE BABY DOLLS
MO LEMMÉ TOI

LES CENELLES
MICHIÉ BANJO

LEYLA MCCALLA
LA COULÉE RODAIR

SWEET CRUDE
MON ESPRIT

LOUIS MICHOT
SUNPIE & THE LOUISIANA SUNSPOTS
THE BABY DOLLS
LES CENELLES
LEYLA MCCALLA
SWEET CRUDE

S
I
D
E
B

01
02
03
04
05
06

THE BABY DOLLS
EH LÀ-BAS

LEYLA MCCALLA
LAVI VYE NEG

LES CENELLES
MICHIÉ PREVALE

SUNPIE & THE LOUISIANA SUNSPOTS
MARIE LAVEAU

SWEET CRUDE
PORKUPINE

LOUIS MICHOT
L’ABANDONNÉ

01
02
03
04
05
06

THE BABY DOLLS
LEYLA MCCALLA
LES CENELLES
SUNPIE & THE LOUISIANA SUNSPOTS
SWEET CRUDE
LOUIS MICHOT

EH LÀ-BAS
LAVI VYE NEG
MICHIÉ PREVALE
MARIE LAVEAU
PORKUPINE
L’ABANDONNÉ

LA VALSE DE MÈCHE PERDU
SANG BRÛLÉ
MO LEMMÉ TOI
MICHIÉ BANJO
LA COULÉE RODAIR
MON ESPRIT

PRE-ORDER NOW!

A MUSICAL ANTHOLOGY TO CELEBRATE WHO WE ARE.

EN MUSIQUE(S).

In August 2024, we invited two Grammy-winning musicians & four musical ensembles from Louisiana — for a total of 28 artists — to record an original album to document their musical practices and show how they perpetuate a centuries-long tradition of music sung in French and Creole.

This project, which also includes a book, an exhibition, and a documentary, benefited from the support of the Library of Congress. Learn more about Musique(s) here.

Starting May 7, the album will be released as an original LP record (cover design by Katya Vaz). All songs will also be made available on streaming platforms (Spotify and Apple Music).

MEET THE ARTISTS

  • Leyla McCalla was born in New York City to Haitian emigrants and activists, and her music draws inspiration from the past and present: three centuries of history and contemporary influences from around the globe. McCalla is a master of the cello, tenor banjo, and guitar, as well as a multilingual singer and songwriter.

  • Louis Michot is best known as the fiddle player and lead singer for the Grammy-award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers. He is passionate about Louisiana French and local folklore, and about sustainability in the fastest disappearing landmass in the world. With over 20 LPs to his name, his music career continues to push the boundaries of the Louisiana French music traditions.

  • Sweet Crude are an indie pop and rock band formed in 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The lyrics of their songs combine English and Louisiana French, a variety of French spoken by members of singers’ Sam Chachere Craft and Alexis Marceaux’s families. The band released their debut album, Créatures, early in 2017, and have garnered a worldwide fan base.

  • ‘Sunpie’ is a renowned musician, ethnographic photographer, actor, author, and former pro football player (Kansas City Chiefs) — and current Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang Mardi Gras group. Performing will fellow Louisiana Creole-singing musician, Leroy Etienne, Sunpie is one of New Orleans’s most beloved cultural advocates.

  • The New Orleans Baby Dolls tradition emerged around 1912 in the segregated red-light district of Black Storyville, as women of color challenged societal norms by parading during Mardi Gras in doll-like attire, expressing their identities and challenging taboos. Today, there are multiple groups of Baby Dolls who continue to participate in Mardi Gras and other events.

  • A contemporary string ensemble exploring the Creole diaspora through melody and memory to honor Afro-descendent cultural ancestors and preserve the plurality of their experiences through a prismatic and contemporary lens.

TEAM

Produced by Rudy Bazenet and Scott Tilton for Nous, the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures’ independent recording label.

Engineered by Misha Kachkachishvili at Esplanade Studios in New Orleans.
Mixed by Sam Chachéré Craft.
Mastered by Ben Lorio.

Cover Art by Katya Vaz featuring a close-up cross-section of a bald cypress tree’s rings. This tree symbolizes not only resilience and adaptability but also strength. The outward motion of the rings mirrors the flow of sound waves, linking the concept of growth to music. Together, these elements reflect the enduring and evolving nature of both Louisiana’s music and our collective creativity.

Merci to our partners:

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

Gauthier Family Foundation

James Douglas Hislop

CreateLouisiana

TV5Monde

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Gauthier Family Foundation James Douglas Hislop CreateLouisiana TV5Monde

Video
Excerpts from Musique(s)!, Le Film (2025)