The pictures on this page were taken between September 1999 and June 2000. Click here for more recent information about the band.

La Bande Feufollet's first CD, produced by Steve Riley and released by Swallow Records, includes traditional Cajun favorites: "Lacassine Special," "Bosco Stomp," "Allons à Lafayette," "J'ai Passé Devant la Porte," "Travailler C'est Trop Dur," and others, plus new songs written by Chris Stafford. The CD received a nomination for the Best First Album Award from the Cajun French Music Association. The group's hauntingly beautiful version of "Travailler C'est Trop Dur," with Brittany Polaski singing lead vocals, seems to have become the band's most requested song when they perform in Acadiana.

"La Bande," incidentally, refers not to a musical group (which is "le band") but to any group that bands together. "Feufollet" is a will-o'-the-wisp, the crazy-looking ball of fire that can be produced by marsh gases.

Most of the members of La Bande Feufollet are students in French immersion programs at schools around Acadiana, and several had performed previously with other groups. During a trip to Canada in September 1999, La Bande Feufollet played for the Canadian prime minister, the president of France, and other leaders from Francophone countries. They have developed quite a following in French-speaking parts of Canada. When they perform locally, they always get an enthusiastic reception from Acadiana audiences not only because the crowds enjoy the great music but because they can see that their musical heritage is flourishing in a new generation.

The bilingual newspaper L'ACadjin described the following response from one famous Cajun musician who heard the band play at Festivals Acadiens: "Le vétéran musicien D.L. Menard n'a que des louanges pour les jeunes de Feufollet. 'C'est comme si on était après écouter un vieux band... C'est fantastique et vous savez, ça prend quelqu'un qui va take over quand nous autres on va être parti,' conclu-t-il en riant."

Click here for more recent information about the band.

Click here for pictures taken at the Eunice 1999 Fall Fest.

Click here for pictures from Mardi Gras 2000 in Mamou.

Click here for pictures from Mardi Gras 2001 in Mamou.

Pictured from top to bottom are Christopher Stafford on accordion, Chris Segura on fiddle, Brittany Polaski on triangle, Ashley Hayes on guitar. Stafford is also shown playing violin with Segura. Stafford, Polaski, and Hayes handle vocals for the group.

The top picture of the group shows La Bande Feufollet performing at the Liberty Theater June 17, 2000: Chris Segura, Michael Stafford, on drums, Christopher Stafford, Brittany Polaski, Matthew Cormier, who joined the group on bass, and Ashley Hayes. During summer 2000, in addition to playing in Acadiana, La Bande Feufollet performed at the Rassemblement des Enfants Francophones du Monde in Paris, France, and toured for 10 days in New Brunswick, Canada, applauded by enthusiastic crowds everywhere they went. In the bottom photo, taken in 1999 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice, Josh Hebert is on drums with  Michael Stafford sitting beside him. Craig Guillory is playing bass guitar. During the performance, Chris Segura received a standing ovation for a violin solo.

All photographs and text by David Simpson.

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