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by Sheila Lennon
'Bottom-up' journalism from the pros

May 10, 2002 • Today's weblog

Weekend toonz: Net radio's roots reggae stations are my soundtrack on warm days. Among the reggae stations on Live365: ((R@sTa ViBraTioN)) and Dread 1.

Over on Shoutcast's reggae index, you can see what song each station is currently playing. When I explored the African category, [World African Reggae] at haiti FM #2 was playing the classic La Jolie Blonde (RealAudio clip) by late Cajun fiddle legend Dewey Balfa. How'd that get there? The fiddler's American, but the tune is in French, which is spoken in Haiti. Must be the French connection.

The Balfa family were mainstays of the early Cajun-Bluegrass Festivals at Steppingstone Ranch in Escoheag each Labor Day Weekend, and this year Balfa Toujours, led by Dewey's youngest daughter, Christine, will headline its successor, the Rhythm and Roots Festival.
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