Note: At the start of 2007, Lisa and Mitchell Reed decided to close Louisiana Heritage and Gifts, and their lives have subsequently gone in different directions. The last jam session was held 3-5 p.m. Feb. 17, 2007.  You can still help "Save the Music," though, by purchasing recordings from other Louisiana retailers or from the bands themselves, either at venues or on-line.

Click for more photos of bands and photos of dancers.

Why do people love South Louisiana? Why do those of us who were raised here or who settled here actually love a place that offers sweltering summers, swarms of mosquitoes, and occasional visits by destructive hurricanes?

One big reason is the sense of community and concern for others that is at the heart of Cajun and Creole culture. When Wilson Savoy of the Pine Leaf Boys read Nick Pittman's cover story about the financial crisis facing independent stores selling Cajun and Zydeco music, he responded quickly. With the support and hard work of many, many friends, Savoy and musicians from across the region organized "Save the Music," an event to raise money to support Lafayette's main outlet for local music, Louisiana Heritage and Gifts, owned by Mitch and Lisa Reed.

About two weeks later, on April 2, 2006, the yard next to the store was filled with people who were there to offer support and–this is the key to why people love South Louisiana–pass a good time. All of the performers donated their time. Others donated items for a silent auction and worked as volunteers. Nick Pittman, entertainment editor of The Times of Acadiana, who wrote the article on the crisis facing independent music retailers, was also there to offer his support. By the end of the day, some $10,000 had been raised, enough to pay off a substantial portion of the debt of Mitch and Lisa's store.

The crisis, unfortunately, is not over. Not only do retailers like Louisiana Heritage and Gifts in Lafayette and Music Machine in Eunice face difficult times, but the musicians themselves lose out when people who may think of themselves as fans burn copies of CDs or exchange song files over the Internet with no compensation for the artists who created the music. In many cases, local bands that release CDs hope only to pay for production cost and distribute CDs to gain some recognition for the music they play in their spare time outside their regular jobs. In other cases, bands that try to support themselves through touring rely on CD sales as a significant source of income.

Many CDs by Cajun and Zydeco artists are not available through Internet retailers like Amazon.com, but, even if you can find a CD on Amazon, why not support the music you love more directly by ordering it from a Louisiana source?  And, by all means, never obtain recordings illegally. The musicians in Louisiana are doing everything they can to "save the music," but they need our help.

Harry Trahan, Lisa Reed's father, performed with his daughter and son-in-law Mitch Reed, shown above at left on fiddle. Joining them were members of Charivari, including Jono Frishberg, above, and Randy Vidrine on guitar, who also plays with the Lafayette Rhythm Devils. A couple of days after this event Mitch Reed, Michael Doucet invited Mitch to join BeauSoleil as a bass player, with an opportunity also to play second fiddle. Mitch now spends much of his time with BeauSoleil, but Charivari will still be doing occasional gigs. Jono Frishberg, who performs with Bayou Deville and other groups, has relocated to Lafayette from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.