.png)
AcadianaCasts Presents:
AcadianaCasts Presents:
Creole Cowboys and Louisiana Cultural Identities with Drake LeBlanc
In this episode of AcadianaCasts Presents, Filmmaker and Creative Director/Founder of Télé-Louisiane Drake LeBlanc takes us behind the scenes of his documentary Footwork, which shines a light on the untold stories of Black and Creole cowboys in Louisiana. From breaking cowboy stereotypes to exploring the rich tapestry of Creole culture through Zydeco music and dancing, we delve into the intersection of tradition and modernity.
We also discuss the unique role of storytelling in preserving Louisiana’s cultural heritage, the evolution of the modern cowboy, and how festivals and community events play a vital part in keeping these traditions alive. This is a celebration of Louisiana’s cultural identities and the power of its untold stories.
AcadianaCasts Presents: Drake LeBlanc
*******
"AcadianaCasts Presents" is the Flagship Podcast of the ACADIANACASTS NETWORK. Lafayette, LA based host, Carter Simoneaux talks with entertainers, business owners, athletes, chefs, and more - anyone who can help tell the story of Acadiana.
*******
If you want to watch this episode on YouTube, check out our channel!
Is it true? You can't get a DUI on a horse?
Speaker 2:That is so far from the truth. That is so far from the truth. Please, guys, do not drink and drive, and do not drink and ride. It is just as illegal.
Speaker 1:It's got a mind of its own. No, no, no, no, no, no. I didn't tell it to start moving, I just hopped on and started drinking.
Speaker 2:Don't do it. Don't do it, don't listen to you can trust me, I have a cowboy hat on.
Speaker 1:I haven't been doing intros like when I started this thing, like I would create like a whole intro where I like talk about the guests and why not. But right with like youtube and whatnot and like the tiny attention span.
Speaker 2:I'm just kind of just right, just get right into it.
Speaker 1:So, with that being said, the busiest man in acadiana is here, drake leblanc. First off, drake, thanks for being here and thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Man. How do you like my hat? I love it bro yeah, boy as fuck, I saw the belt too. Yeah, you saw that. Yeah, yeah, I was like. I was like I peeped, I peeped, I was like all right, all right, he got the memo.
Speaker 1:It's kind of stolen valor man from Covington. But yeah, we got some cowboys and farmers in Covington Probably not like the type of cowboys that you see in your new documentary Footwork.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's called Footwork. Newest documentary out.
Speaker 1:Just about just about 15 minutes long, easy, easy watch but pretty powerful and obviously your eye is like one to envy it's. Yeah, I love your camera skills and and your storytelling it's. It's been cool kind of seeing some of your work from when I first got put on you to you know this whole thing. So, yeah, just tell folks real quick what it's, what it's all about um, so footwork is.
Speaker 2:I always introduce it as not even really a film. I say it's a project because, being that it, I put so much time into the film, um, and the 15 minute version of it that exists now is not, it's not its final resting place, um, so currently I have like a photo exhibit series that's like going that's being put up in conjunction with the film, but it's an abstract portrait about black and creole cowboys in louisiana. Um, you know, because when you hear about the american cowboy, when you google the american cowboy, it isn't people that look like me that pop up there's like john wayne, right exactly, or yellowstone and they're always welled, which is amazing to me and I'm like I don't know too many.
Speaker 2:I mean not to say that cowboys can't clean up, but usually when you see them they're working. Yeah, they're working, you know. So I really just wanted to, you know, in the most positive way possible but still, you know, being positive but without hiding any truth to the American cowboy story. I wanted to highlight the importance of the in the role that black and Creole people, and specifically Louisiana people, play in that whole narrative of like what American cowboy is and you know, kind of tease where they came from a little bit. And, like I said, it's a project. It's going to live on past a short film, so footwork. The film as it is right now is literally just a first step, you know, to opening up that door and also to a conversation started to start. The conversation of like I can't tell you how many people outside of Louisiana were like two things.
Speaker 2:They were like there's cowboys in louisiana which I'm like that's kind of crazy, like you know right, but then the second thing, we are riding the alligators right right yeah, they think you know some guy with a you know camouflage and duck boots and a rope on an alligator, but shoot him, right, right. But the other thing was, um, you know, they, they, they definitely had no idea that there were black cowboys anywhere in.
Speaker 2:America. You know, it's just like unheard of to them. So there's a lot of history to uncover there and, like I said, I wanted to get the conversation started. And you know, like they say, I got some more in the chamber. You know, I got another one in the chamber, so I'm ready.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, it was a really great watch. Definitely left me wanting more, though, so that's exciting that it's kind of a continuation going to keep building and building, and right now, by the time this comes out in a couple weeks, it's not out yet for the general public, because you're on the film circuit, but when do you think folks should be on the lookout for it, the general public?
Speaker 2:the general public. Well, you know, while it's on the film festival circuit right now, it is pretty accessible because I post as much of the film or all the film festivals that it gets accepted in, and you know it's 2024, going into 25. So every film festival is also showing it virtually. So footwork had its world premiere at Blackstar, which is a really big film festival in philadelphia, but you know it was also available to watch online during that time too.
Speaker 1:So yeah, as it lives out, go in person.
Speaker 2:There's also a virtual yeah yeah, so like as it lives out um the rest of its film festival circuit life. You know people can follow me on social media and and find out where how they can stream it during these next few months and then I think it'll become available publicly, maybe like Q2, q3 of 2025.
Speaker 1:Okay, businessman, q2, q3.
Speaker 2:It's the only only way my brain functions. Don't know what day of the week it is, but I know what quarter we in. I think it's.
Speaker 1:Wednesday. Not so sure though myself, but you. But you know I want to get into. I'm really fascinated about this Creole cowboy culture and but just let's get the plugs out the way. How can people follow you and keep track of it on social media?
Speaker 2:Drake LeBlanc Facebook. Same thing on Instagram. My ad handles change, but if you Google Drake LeBlanc, it'll come up. And then Tele-Louisienne, which is my media company, my French media company, that is like the functioning production company for the film. So all updates will either be on my personal social media, which is all like public, and then also Tele-Louisiane, the website, the Facebook, the Instagram, the Twitter. You know all updates on both of those platforms at all times.
Speaker 1:So answer me this how much like writing experience or like trail rides did you grow up up going on? Or like what made you get into this topic and really sink your teeth in it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I definitely I didn't grow up as a rider. I grew up riding, but I would never say that I grew up as a rider because there was never a horse at my house until I became an adult. But you know I had very close cousins and uncles and family members and neighbors I would ride and you know my people are from Ridge, so you know a lot of people. You know, if you don't know about the big old town of Ridge, you know you could go to the corner store and see somebody like go and get their cold pop and their pack of cigarettes, like on their horse. You know that's awesome. You know it's very much in the middle of, like you know, sugar cane and rice fields and all that. So I always grew up surrounded by the culture.
Speaker 2:Um, it was kind of like one of the things me and my dad did a lot. We would go to the trail rides, like with my cousins, like my dad was kind of like the favorite uncle or whatever. So he would like take me and all my cousins and all the neighbor's kids or whatever, um, and we would go to trail rides like. So when I get back to school on, people will be talking about like their awesome time at like the bowling alley and a skate rink, and I'm like they're like, well, what did you do, drake? And I'm like, well, we went, get like dusty as hell and like you know, when some big field, somewhere where, like Keith Frank and Jay Paul and you know all these other cats were playing, you know live music, while people were just riding around on their horses and cutting up on their four wheelers, so, so like that was like our weekend pastime, even if we didn't have horses.
Speaker 2:It was like all of our friends were there and you know we'd go cook. You know we'd go, you know, listen to the music, dance to the music or whatever. So definitely grew up in that environment and I've always, always wanted to tell that story because I knew that it wasn't getting the spotlight that it deserved. And but one of my goals as an adult I was like man. As soon as I have the resources, like I'm getting a horse, because, like there's nothing I love more than being in a saddle, and then, once I got my horse, every time I go to the ride I'd be like man. I really should be filming this. Like this is amazing. You know I have I'm building this media company, like during this time, but I couldn't trade. I'm like I need to be in a saddle, like I want to go, you know, enjoy a cold beer and like you know, just go on a ride and you know like.
Speaker 1:is it true? You can't get a DUI on a horse?
Speaker 2:That is so far from the truth. That is so far from the truth. Please, guys, do not drink and drive, and do not drink and ride. It is just um horses.
Speaker 1:It's got a mind of its own. I didn't tell to start moving, I just hopped on started drinking.
Speaker 2:Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't listen to this guy, don't do it uh, trust me, I have a cowboy hat on yeah, no, it's definitely um horses, and most of the states are legal transportation, but you do have to abide by all of the same rules as if you're operating a motorized vehicle so well I know you did like the french immersion stuff growing up um and you are you completely fluent in in french yeah, I'm completely fluent in french.
Speaker 2:I'm learning um louisiana creole but, yeah, completely fluent in french was in the french immersion program, like all of my life.
Speaker 1:Then you host like a radio show at krvs, like right after high school and was it in french?
Speaker 2:yeah, so I did the franco mix on krvs. Um, we weak poinsettia for me. Doblin, that was my little thing. Yeah, I got that gig right out of high school from this lady named Val who's a good friend of mine, and moved away. She passed the show on to me and I was just like the young French immersion kid.
Speaker 2:I was already like DJing and stuff you know, because I was playing a lot of music at the time and I was like DJing like homecoming parties, so people just knew I had experience with audio sound tech, whatever, and it was like this guy you know he speaks French, like you know, give him radio show and I ran with it for, you know, as long as I could and had a great time still really good friends with everybody at KRVS and love that show and the station as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what I love about you is that you love where you're from and you're not afraid to show it and work to maintain or revitalize, wherever it is, the culture, the zeitgeist of you know this area that you love so much and the people that represent it, and so you know it's part of why you started Tele-Louisiane. Yeah, Is it Louisiana's first French media company, or, yeah, like all, louisiana's first French media company, or?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean it'd be hard, Like all French broadcasts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it'd be hard to argue differently. I mean, the state of Louisiana has had French programming scattered throughout, like over the decades.
Speaker 1:Like KLFY, used to have a broadcast in French.
Speaker 2:I believe that I didn't even know that I didn't know. I knew LPBs pretty much One of of the tv stations I think they did, but yeah, but I know lpb has pretty much like maintained french broadcasting as much as they were capable of like throughout the decades, um, but as far as like first private company like doing full-fledged um french media and marketing services, like I've studied that for a living and can't, I have not found one that you know has done that before us. You know.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. So through all that you know you go on this kind of adventure to learn more about the Creole Cowboys. Did you get the horse before or after the documentary?
Speaker 2:I got the horse before.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got the horse before and again always had it as an idea in my head that I would do this documentary. But yeah, I was like I was riding.
Speaker 1:What's something that you learned through this experience that you were surprised to discover or excited to learn more about?
Speaker 2:Selfishly. I learned a lot about horsemanship and cowboys and, just like you know, a lot of the people that are in the film and like in this work that I'm doing, specifically centered around Creole cowboys, are people that I already knew, or you know, like they're in my close circle, even if they aren't people that I knew directly, like they're friends of my friends. Or like you know, that one girl that I always dance with at the Zydeco. It's like you know her, her grandfather, her uncle, you know her uncle, you know. So I was familiar with a lot of those stories and a lot of those sentiments that existed in Creole cowboy culture and just in our history and like where we currently are as a Creole culture, because this is the same culture that I actively participate and socialize in. When I'm not on a clock, like that's where I'm at, I'm at a trail ride, I'm at a Zydeco show.
Speaker 1:Like that's what I've seen. So many videos and you in person like two-stepping with like beautiful women. I'm like this dude, like when did you first learn to step?
Speaker 2:man, you know nobody believes me when I say this. I started dancing pretty much like after the quarantine wow, yeah, man like my first time going out as an adult and be like, okay, like I'ma, like you know, knock the dust off these boots and like actually try to learn how to dance was like the week before everything shut down oh wow, how'd you learn?
Speaker 2:just going out, going out dancing yeah because I was going out so much um, just like networking and doing work for telly lou, you know, and I knew the music right, like I grew up around the music and you're a musician, so yeah, yeah right, you've got the feel and the groove yeah, but you know, I was like I really need to like learn the different steps and like learn how to dance with a partner, because my dad always told me dad's a wise man. He said if you want to get you a southern woman, you need to know how to cook and you need to know how to dance. He's like if you can do those two things, you could be broke, you could be ugly, you could be, you know, you could be anything else.
Speaker 1:But he's like if you could cook and you can dance, you got it I want to find someone to bring on the show to teach me on the show how to how to dance. Yeah, bros, I might have to go to their studio or something and make it more like less podcasty, more like a youtube travel show type thing. But dude.
Speaker 2:it's a beautiful thing, man. I've met some of the most amazing people on the dance floor and it's always like like I've had dance partners that I've been dancing with them like four years for like two or three years and then, like in year three, I find out that they're like a professor or a doctor or a surgeon or like something crazy, and I'm like what.
Speaker 2:No way, like you know. So it's really fun, man, I love it. It's one of my favorite parts about our culture and I love how it's shared across the different subcultures of Louisiana too, like Cajuns have you know their style of dance, and Creoles have their style of dance. And then you know, we got like these East Coast Zyde hippies. We call them, which we love them, like you know, they come down, they just love the music, they love everything about it and they have their style of dancing.
Speaker 1:Zyde hippies I love that, yeah, and I heard someone two and two together. But in other places around the country any sort of dancing is usually started by the women, but so many men down here are the ones who are initiating the dancing. Also, you could see that in a Texas club or something like that, like Texas Swing. But my dad, I think, got my mom on the dance floor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm definitely like, and if I, messed that up.
Speaker 1:Mom and dad like sorry, yeah, I wasn't there yeah, no, it's definitely a thing.
Speaker 2:It's like the whole, like you know, it's kind of like this. It's, you know, metaphorically but also literally, like the dance of, like you know, finding, like who do you want to dance with? You don't know how, if they dance good or bad, yet like you don't even know, and it's like figuring that out. You know it's fun, man.
Speaker 1:So back to the Creole Cowboys. What? Is like what constitutes a cowboy? Well, and are there any truly left in the, I guess, traditional sense?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's definitely a bunch of cowboys left in a traditional sense. I mean not a bunch relatively to what there used to be, but I personally know a lot of people that still work the land, work the animals, whether they do it from horseback or not. But farming, working livestock and all this other stuff, as far as in a traditional definition of what a cowboy is.
Speaker 2:But it really depends on who you ask, man. It depends on who you ask what their definition of a cowboy is. But it really depends on who you ask, man. It depends on who you ask, like, what their definition of a cowboy is. You know, some people just think it's, you know, if you dress this way, like, you know, they think it's a culture that you could easily, you know, just put on like a jacket or a shirt or a hat.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Which is fair, it's fair to you know, it's fair to assume that and it's fair to accept that if that works for like that person in their lifestyle. For me personally, I think the way I um, there's some people in my life that I would call cowboys, that they themselves don't label themselves as cowboys, like even some people like in the film right, which I'm not gonna call them out, but like some people in the film like wouldn't even call themselves a cowboy. But I think it's based upon values, moral character, and I feel like if you can do some pretty demanding, hard, intensive labor outside and that's what you do to make ends meet and take care of your family and it just happened to be a horse or a cow or a pig or somewhere, like you know, I'd call you a cowboy, and the boots and the hat and the belt is a plus, but you know.
Speaker 1:I got you what I didn't realize, and this is, you know, just my ignorance. But I didn't realize that, you know, louisiana Creole, language-wise, was different than Louisiana French.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Or Cajun, french or whatever we're calling it these days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you know, and that's the same situation as like with Cowboy, like it depends on who you ask, right? Because me and my colleagues and everybody in my workplace involved in like the French language, we try our best to use Louisiana French.
Speaker 2:It's going to bother some people, but we try to use Louisiana French as the most diverse, all-encompassing. Hey, we're not shunning Cajun French and we're not shunning Louisiana Creole or saying you know, but we're saying all of this is some version of Louisiana French, because now we're three generations into kids like me that are immersion kids. My family speaks Louisiana Creole, like my grandfather and his siblings like they speak Louisiana Creole, like Kudivini. That was their first language, right, but that's not what I speak though. So even though I'm a Creole man, like I identify as Louisiana Creole. I learned my French in school with French teachers from Canada, belgium, france, africa, south Louisiana and everything in between.
Speaker 1:Modern French.
Speaker 2:Which is also getting mixed with some of the French words that my grandfather would speak or that my uncles would speak or my aunts would speak, right. So Louisiana French is kind of like again me and my colleagues most politically correct term that we use. But I think Cajun French is probably more of a choice of vocabulary and Louisiana Creole is like actually, it's literally academically scientific. It's like a different language. It has different structure. You know way different writings. You know it's different. You know way different writings.
Speaker 1:You know it's different. Yeah, man, I mean, you've seen, we talked about this several months ago but after the Dr Barry Onsley episode came out, one of those clips you know went did some Louisiana numbies, and then all of a sudden I've got like some guy who I can't remember like the broadcast, but he some sort of Creole YouTube creator, video creator or something like, citing the episode from maybe the Jordan episode or the Dr Barry Onsley episode. Yeah, you have thoughts on that. But what I'm trying to just ascertain or figure out is what is it about those videos that I've? I've been able to capture some of these conversations, some of these staunch or hard takes about louisiana. What, what is it that just gets people like arguing and like?
Speaker 2:yeah, well, that's probably like fourth that's probably the easiest question to answer out of all of them about that topic of, like you know, creole versus cajun and the difference in the language and the difference in the culture is that all of them about that topic of like you know, creole versus Cajun, and the difference in the language and a difference in a culture is that all of these people, whether they, regardless of what they identify as if they're actually Cajun, if they're actually Creole or of that ancestry, somehow some shape or form somewhere on the timeline, they were oppressed. Somewhere somewhere on the timeline they were oppressed and they had extreme hardships and extreme difficulties, like making ends meet and like feeding themselves and taking care of their family. Like somewhere on the timeline. Regardless of how you identify, you know, unless you're just like straight up, pure european or like white american, les american, like you had hardships. You know and that was one of the that's one of the things that makes Louisiana really beautiful and unique is that a lot of those communities were getting along and collaborating and like making things happen. And you know collaborating with the Native Americans and the Indians, and you know sharing culture and sharing traditions and you know sharing religions and also sharing recipes Right and sharing music, also sharing recipes right and sharing music, um.
Speaker 2:But then you have these other moments in time.
Speaker 2:You know, um, like, with the Jim Crow era and desegregation and all that, that like started to undo a lot of that good groundwork that was done, um, and everybody remembers that.
Speaker 2:Most people remember that, but they remember it in very different ways and if they weren't alive during that time, they were taught it in very different ways because of whatever it was in that day and age, their ancestors were doing whatever they had to do to survive, right low minority, which would be black. And then, you know, depending on what side of the river you're on, if it wasn't a creole ran area or region, you know it's like creole, wasn't that? You know, being creole wasn't that hot either. So if I'm somebody that's super, super light, even though I'm creole, I may choose to identify as cajun if it means I can get this, um, crazy amount of land you know, donated to me, you know, to start my farm, you know, from this guy or whatever. It is right, everybody was doing what they had to do to um, to survive. But also a lot of people were trying to avoid shame, and that exists on all sides of the the rainbow.
Speaker 1:So to see you know so, through those stories passed down down, family lines and whatnot, the you know with people are, I guess, to answer the question. People are super passionate about this because their family went through this struggle and and they have their, the way they were taught or they had, whether it's like in school or by their parents, and you know, I guess that's like their truth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, it's their truth. And another thing I try to remind people of is that because I get asked this question a lot and I try my best to be neutral just because of my position in the workplace and politics and all that, but you know, it's like, hey, like, if let's say quote, you know this is theoretical but like, let's say, my late grandmother said, hey, like we're this, this is our culture, this is what you know. She didn't say this is what we identify, as she said like, hey, this is what we are, yeah, this is what you feel out on the census, this is what you know. If they ask you what you are in school, you say this I'm not going to question her as to why I'm not going to question her. As a child to you know, assume anything different.
Speaker 2:And so that when you fast forward, you know 50 to 100 years later and when this era of like technology and immediately an excessive amount of immediately accessible information, where people are trying to learn more and they have the tools to learn a lot quicker than what we did just two generations back, people are challenging things that never once had to be challenged. They never even once had to be challenged. Right, there was never an opportunity to be challenged. They never even once had to be challenged. Right, there was never an opportunity to challenge them. And who am I to go tell this person like, hey, I know you think that you're Cajun, but actually you really are Creole, because X, y, Z and a third. But who am I to tell them that, if it's their late grandmother that told them or taught them that they're Cajun in the first place and like all this other stuff, and their grandmother ain't here to defend herself, no more, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:When I was working for the news station. I can never remember the man's name, but I think he's an attorney in town and he got the Queen of England at some point to apologize on behalf of the Cajuns.
Speaker 2:I forget the man's name.
Speaker 1:But I'm telling him well, he was like Seminole. Huh, I was like, yeah, I'm super fascinated about you know this Cajun culture? You know parents my dad's side, they're Cajun. He's like well, no, you're Seminole. You guys came from France, but like not from Acadie, and I was like so I'm not Cajun.
Speaker 1:He was like no, I was like a whole thing, just like like a glass shattering moment, like, oh okay, I'm not this thing that I grew up being taught that I am right and so, and just to point that back to like, when you asked me, like, um, you know what do I define as a cowboy?
Speaker 2:like, you know what's the definition of a cowboy? It's the same thing, right, because you know it's like okay, like yeah, your dad may not have came from akadi, but that was only a small group of people that came down from Akadi anyway, I think it was. I always quote this number wrong it's somewhere between 8,000 and 15,000. Whatever it was, it was like a small amount of people compared to the amount of people, the amount of French speakers, the amount of people that were already here in Louisiana surviving already before the Akadians came down right, already before the Acadians came down Right. So it's like the chances of you being a direct descendant of that is like probable because of where we are geographically, but like numerically, statistically, is like not that small group of people, right, but the culture that you learned, that you taught, that fed you, the culture that fed you, the culture that groomed you, the culture that you know, educated you and nurtured you, is probably very much cajun, just as much as it's probably very creole.
Speaker 1:So, in your opinion, what is cajun? I there's no for me there's no, he's yeah he's being such a politician. I'm just trying to catch him.
Speaker 2:No, no, no. Here's the part that like. For me there's no opinion. Like Like Cajun.
Speaker 1:Like I've heard people have the take like does your family have Akadi ancestry? If not, no, but to your point saying like, well, it's part of this culture that has been passed down several generations, in that case then you are, if you identify as such.
Speaker 2:I don't know, but you know, yeah'm I'm an oddball case because, ironically enough, my black grandmother is from nova scotia. She's actually she's you know, she's my late grandmother.
Speaker 2:She was an immigrant from nova scotia. Uh, it's a black woman didn't speak french and she's actually of maroon descent and that's how, like, they ended up in canada. But it's like I could argue, you know, I'm like you know, I have a grandmother from Akadi. Yeah, right, I don't know too many people my age in Louisiana that can say that you know. But yeah, I think what I know to be Cajun. I know that it is this cultural marker, and I guess you would call it an ethnic marker too, right, because there's this group of people that came from a very specific geographical location in a certain time frame that later got marketed and termed into a more widespread cultural band-aid. I don't know cultural band-aid.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I see like one more fast food restaurant that has like cajun seasoning or cajun rice or something like that. It's like what?
Speaker 2:is that? Yeah, and it's like you know, and it's like you know, things change, just like the you know, if you look at the history of any word, any popular word, it changes over time sure and I'm like bruh.
Speaker 2:I go to akadi, like, at least once a year. There is no spite, there's no seasoning up there, there's no cayenne. They don't even know what smoked paprika is like. It was like, what are we talking about? Like, is that really Cajun? You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:But the reality of is that all of those spices and all those things is a mix of, you know, black influence, creole influence. You know Native American influence, spanish influence. You know, not to mention, sausage is like extremely german like. You know what I mean. It's just like all these different things that make up what, um, our louisiana culture is today, um, and I think that a few different moments in time, like they're an extreme separation between what Cajun is and what Creole is. Um, like an extreme separation, like developed, and I feel like it was developed on like not the best grounding and foundation, because it very quickly um became color-based or became I don't even know. You know, because, again, it depends on who you ask. You know, I was literally arguing with somebody on threads about this, like two days ago, because she was like there's definitely like nobody that thinks Creole and Cajun is separated by color and I was like I ain't saying that they right, but like right, so like people don't have that take.
Speaker 2:People don't have that take. Like you know and but again, that's like her truth, right. People don't have that take, people don't have that take. But again, that's like her truth, right. And I have no idea what her ancestry is and I have no idea what she comes from and I'm not trying to take away from it, so I'm just like look bro, can we all agree? We're all from Louisiana, it's all Louisiana.
Speaker 1:I don't know what to tell you, as you know, with those kind of that racial Lines that were Put in the sands, you know, years ago when this whole Cajun term started getting Marketed out to the mass public. As a Louisiana Creole does it piss you off At times when you see things that you know come from your ancestry that are being Labeled as this Cookie cutter.
Speaker 2:Term. It's frustrating, um, but you know my people, and when I say my people, I mean, like creole people and black people of louisiana. We've been frustrated long enough. Black people in america have been frustrated long enough, like you know, and so my thing is that I could take that same energy that would just make me like outcry and be upset about it and like do something about it.
Speaker 2:So it's like, I own a media platform that reaches 10 million people a year and you know it's scary to think about, but, like, I have some sort of influence over what those people digest, you know, on a day to day basis, and how they digest it. I have some sort of influence over how they digest. You know the word Creole, the word Cajun, what Zydeco is, what type of dancing is considered what? What type of food is considered what, and all this If they're on my platform, right, but there's a large group of people on the platform, um, and not to mention the other companies and entities that I work with or that I consult for, you know, in that same space and capacity, um, and so it's like I put my energy towards that.
Speaker 2:So like, yes, it is frustrating and sometimes, you know, it can be a little bit discouraging because it's like damn, like you think, because information is so readily available, people would know better. But it's like we're also fighting centuries of misinformation and, you know, extremely biased information and extremely biased media. So I'm just trying to like do my part and, like you know, I'm gonna put my truth out and if you challenge it, uh, whatever person, you know, you know, you know, you hear what I'm saying, like if you're gonna challenge it and cite me and cite my friends or whatever, and I'm like cool, do that. But like do the work too, cause I'm like I've been doing the work since high school, man, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's the. I didn't realize the. The reach of tell louisiana, that's pretty awesome man yeah um, so were you at all shocked?
Speaker 1:I mean, you just said, like it still kind of blows my mind, uh, but are were you at all shocked at the level of of interest that that was still here? Because, you know, I've had to kind of seek out some of this information, like it's about the culture and all these like Louisiana cultural things. So I'm I'm always fascinated by people who are like living, breathing it and trying to educate people and put it out there. Were you ever surprised by the engagement that you were getting, or did you know that there was an audience to be reached?
Speaker 2:I knew that there was some interest and I knew that there was an audience, but there definitely was a point. I was like, dang bro, like a million people, like dang bro, two million people, you know, um, but we always knew the interest was there and I think, uh, the biggest shock was like, are we actually going to be able to pull this off and make it something that's sustainable? You know, that was always a question. We knew people were interested because, like you said, there's every restaurant is named Cajunist, everything is named Creole, that everybody's trying to start their own jam, everybody's like, you know, like people are doing it. There's there's a news article ban, like every day there's a new Cajun ban, like every day, you know. So it's like people are fans of it and you know there were festivals popping up, like newer, like you know, louisiana Cajun Creole culture centric festivals that are popping up. Like newer, like you know, louisiana Cajun Creole culture centric festivals that are popping up People are trying to bring boucherie. They have successfully like bought boucheries back and like all these things. So it's like we knew there was interest.
Speaker 2:But now it's like, let's put some systems, let's put some tiers, let's turn this into an ecosystem that can support itself. That's the part that's always like the question are we doing this the best way possible? And also, like, when we do have, when we do find success in it, it's like, you know, it's like a breath of fresh air and it is kind of a surprise because like, yeah, we knew people would love it, but are people going to put, you know, their money where their mouth is? Are the big box corporations, are they going to buy in our legislators and our politicians and, you know, city leaders? Are they going to buy in? You know?
Speaker 1:have you seen buy-in from that level, from like a legislature level?
Speaker 2:for sure, um, telly lou is, um, we, we do get a lot of funding through the state, through a fist, through fiscal sponsors, um, and so, yeah, we have seen a lot of good, um, you know feedback, but also like buy in from, like you know, our government leaders, which is great, you know. But it's also because their kids are in fringe immersion and you know, and a lot of those people remember you know their grandparents and you know their, their predecessors, like living the stuff that we're retelling the stories, and so it's like they remember that only one generation before them that was their two generations before them they lived it one generation before them. They would like tell them about it and like maybe there'll still be some remnants of them living those cultural practices and traditions. And now they were like they were losing it and we were like, oh, like you're only losing it. And we were like, uh-uh, like you're only losing it. If you choose to.
Speaker 2:There's interest, there's people here and we're slowly proving that there's like economy and sustainability. All you have to do is this All you have to do is keep your kid in French immersion, All you have to do is go share a Telly Lou post, like. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:That's all you have to do to start, to start to keep, to keep it going so and and people receive that. Well, and they're doing it. So you're, you know you have a media company, you're in media, uh, you look at trends and and see, kind of, where things are going. Do you, do you see the internet which brings the entire world together? Uh, do you see, you know what we have currently in media as a net positive for this culture or a negative? Are you fighting against it because of that access to everyone, not just what we have?
Speaker 2:here. Um, I couldn't say, because it's the same way. I don't know how many people a day a hammer hurts and how many houses a day a hammer builds. I have no idea. But what I do know is that when I look at a hammer hurts and how many houses a day a hammer builds, I have no idea.
Speaker 2:But what I do know is that when I look at a hammer, I'm like the hammer can do one of two things it could break a bone or it could build something you know. And so when I have these conversations with my friends and my peers and colleagues, and even in the business sense, I'm like y'all, you have the opportunity to use it as a tool instead of allowing it to be something that hurts you or cripples you or you know, it'll only be an obstacle if you allow it to be. So that's how I feel about the internet as a whole, like I couldn't say as a whole it's good or it's bad, but I do think that if we convince and encourage enough people to use it as a tool and use it as a positive, it would have no choice other than to be a positive, you know know.
Speaker 1:So how do we? You know I'm an independent creator how do people like myself and you and other people who are talking about you know cultural things here in Louisiana? How do we? Is there a way for us to all kind of unite and pour resources together or like, how can people access these different touch points? How do we? How do we reach? How do I reach people? Um, besides, just, you know, ideally, make good content right, it can't suck yeah, good content is like definitely a part of it.
Speaker 2:And when I say good, I don't think it means having the best gear, I don't think it means having the best editor. I think it means just showing people, showing your viewers, however many you have, that like you genuinely, genuinely care about what you're doing, and that the people, whoever's helping you, whoever's on your team, showing that like they also genuinely care about what you're doing. I think that's what makes good content, because I've seen awesome productions happen from, like you know, a few iPhones or one iPhone.
Speaker 2:Sure, like really really really good Like a TikTok Right, yeah, happen from like you know a few iphones or one iphone sure, like really, really, really good, like a tiktok, right? Yeah, you know, uh, and I think the way for somebody like me or somebody like you as a creator, independent creator, to like really um find success but also like peace in this space, that's like very fast moving, very like volatile. At all times the algorithms always change in and, like you know, this is that. And the third, they're always threatening to pull a platform off. You know our market completely.
Speaker 2:I think it's just um collaborating and you know my daily practice is I try to collaborate just in whatever way.
Speaker 2:I would shoot my shot, shoot a dm online or whatever, and like somebody's stuff.
Speaker 2:It's helped me as a person because, like, I apply that in real life too, and like I'll just see somebody, some stranger I'm like dang bro, you know what that's a fire fit, like you know, and just tell him that, right, you know and you know, and ask them questions about like well, you know, what do you have going on?
Speaker 2:What is your business? You know it's networking, and I think by doing that, we kind of create this spider web that like helps support the total weight of what we're all trying to accomplish, which is some some version of financial freedom or financial ease ourselves in a healthy way, in a consistent way, and just have access to the things that we want and see the world changing and going in a direction that we see fit, you know, as this generation and the generations that um come after us. So I think the best way to do that is just collaborate, collaborate, collaborate and like dude um, making content is easy for me because, like, I just share a bunch of other photographer stuff. You know what I mean. I'm like I love their stuff too and I'm like all right, great, I didn't take no pictures this week and I didn't edit no pictures this week.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna just share your stuff yeah, put it on my story, put it out there, because you're doing something cool and you're doing something different and you know, even if there's some overlap.
Speaker 2:You know, I was talking with this guy, um, last night we had a Creole jam and he was like talking about, like doing music videos with Zydeco artists and he's a photographer, still photographer. That's like getting into videography, shout out Creole visuals and, um, you know, a guy that I met, like just this year and I'm like in my mind I was like damn, like I was like man, well, you know, when I need some money I could see myself like needing to do a Zydeco music video. But I'm like nah, bro, or like go, like, go do that. Like you know, like somebody needs to do it and I'm not doing them right now and like, even though that's a space that I'm dibbling and dabbling every now and then and at some point, you know, within the next 12 months, we may be competing, you know, but like, never in a disrespectful way, like you know, like I encourage it and like yeah and share his stuff amongst with other creators and then, like that, energy is received, and so every time I put something, people share it.
Speaker 2:You know they'll share my film, even when they're working on theirs or like trying to get you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, that that resonates a lot with me. One of the biggest mistakes I've made thus far in this journey is oftentimes, you know, with these, like you said, these constantly changing idea where it's going, you know, um, but uh, I've recently started to do more of that, whether it's collaboration or sharing other people's stuff, engaging and actually like being a part of other people's conversations, not just put my stuff out there and be like come to me, right, I gotta go to them yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I um, I was doing like this little, I guess, spoken word series on my, on my social media for a while, just like it was like my version of a word of the day and it was called, let me remind you, and it was just like these are like my tips that I was really giving myself but, like you know, sharing it for other people, and one of the main ones I was like, let me remind you that, like you have to be the first, you have to be the first to love, the first to trust. You know, like you have to be the first to do things. It was like whatever you want and see for yourself as a creator, as a romantic partner, as a friend, as a colleague, like whatever you see that you want for yourself in that space, you got to be the first to do it. That's the quickest way to get it.
Speaker 1:Well, man, I appreciate sharing some wisdom. Talking about some of your story Didn't give me too many hard takes. But you know you're a businessman, you got to keep things down the down the center. But I'll, I'll, I'll get you some. I'll get some gotcha questions down the road when I get you back on here. Yeah, I'll let you come talk some shit. Yeah, but before I get it, get you out of here and to Luke holding it down On the ones and twos. But just some rapid fire Louisiana based questions All right, all right.
Speaker 2:This is where you're going to get me. I'm ready. Do you dust your crawfish? What, bro you start with that? I don't boil crawfish. You don't boil crawfish. No, okay, but yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, I crawfish.
Speaker 2:no, okay, but yes, okay, yes, I would uh potato salad in the gumbo or out of the gumbo out the gumbo, I'll eat it, I'll scoop it and I'll you know I'll if I feel like it depends on you know the temperature and the humidity. But I'll take a scoop and then scoop my gumbo and then eat it like that. But like do not, if you serve me a bowl of gumbo, do not put my potato salad in the gumbo. I want the choice.
Speaker 1:On Thanksgiving. Do you have a specifically Louisiana dish served, or is it all just the Thanksgiving food that I guess other Americans would?
Speaker 2:My grandfather's specialty. I always requested boudin sweet potato pie with cracklings. I get it for Thanksgiving, christmas and my birthday.
Speaker 1:I just heard Luke in the background go oh, oh, my God, Um least favorite street to drive in Lafayette.
Speaker 2:Damn Dude. It's the first two that came to mind is pinhook and ambassador Caffrey. But I love ambassador Caffrey at night when nobody's on it yeah. Pinhookock. Uh, when it's crowded it's just so thin it's terrible. You know why the horse trails it's the horse is. The lanes are still. It's like horse horse carriage width and they never changed it.
Speaker 1:Wow, imagine that I feel like we could like there's a little room, we could extend it like a foot dude, I think you know I think about this one tree on pinnock.
Speaker 2:there's a little room. We could extend it like a foot. Dude, I think you know I think about this one tree on pinnock. There's that one big Oak tree that I just knows has taken out a few cars and probably would take out somebody car one day Um right by like Bonton grill and I'm like. I'm like if I had to think of a reason why they probably didn't expand. Pinn can go up against that tree.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true, that's fair. You know Well, man Luke, you got any. You got any questions? Any Louisiana rapid fires? No, who has the best boudin? Yeah, who has the best boudin? Ooh, okay, we won't say that, we won't say who has the best, I'll say it. Are you saying, All right, let's go?
Speaker 2:saying, all right, let's go. I'll say best boudin that I've had, I'm gonna go best stop for smoke boudin and I'm gonna go karchner's for the regular degular wow, man karchner's been coming up the past few years them fried bread tips. I go crazy, I will fight somebody over those.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man I grew up with. I grew up with best stop in Covington, like every time. My dad traveled a bunch so he would always come back. Every time he was coming through Lafayette he'd come back with Bestop, boudin man yeah. So I'm biased to them because of that, but I just like the flavor profile.
Speaker 2:Me too, because the OG Best that's. That's my stomping ground.
Speaker 1:What about uh?
Speaker 2:best crackling, best crackling. Um, I couldn't say I'm not a crackling guy. Okay, and then yeah, I'm not a crackling guy. My my crackling answer is fried rib tips at at.
Speaker 1:Karchner's Better nightlife 337?.
Speaker 2:Ooh, 504, bro. I mean that's. That's such not a fair question, cause I party different ways. Like you know, I go dancing all night out here. You know, yeah, I don't know, I've had better nights in a 337 for sure. Better nightlife, clubbing bars. You know restaurants open till midnight on a Monday, 5 or 4 for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I wish restaurants were open on just during the day on.
Speaker 3:Monday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my God, it's crazy. It's so annoying, but neither here nor there, drake, I appreciate you. Bud, good luck with all you're doing. I know you got a deadline to hit, so get you out of here.
Speaker 2:Thank you, man. Thank you man.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me as we wrap every episode. Take a look at your single right here, and it could be a word, a phrase, it could be in French, it could be any sort of wisdom that you want to impart on the internet world at large to end this podcast.
Speaker 2:All right, my word is this is a new one. I've never used this one on an interview. Sometimes you know to do a vive, do small, live the slow way and you got it. Take your time.
Speaker 3:Hey, thanks for tuning into the show. Since you made it this far, might as well give us a like, a follow, a subscribe. You know whatever you got to do to alert you that there's a new episode out. Look, it helps us grow and it allows us to give you the content that, well, you deserve. If you want to be a sponsor, if you want to be a guest, if you just want to berate me, hey, all goes in the same place. Info at Acadianacastcom, Email info at Acadianacastcom and for more local resource podcasts, go to Acadianacastcom. Bye, Thank you.
