JEDDAH: Jeddawis and expats had an opportunity to experience the rich sound of Acadiana when the Pine Leaf Boys blew into town for two performances. The five members of this Grammy-nominated group all come from the Cajun heartland of southwestern Louisiana, one of the more culturally distinct regions of the United States.
The boys performed at a casual gathering yesterday afternoon at the Sierra Compound before heading on to a larger audience last night at the King Abdul Aziz Cultural Center. The band is touring the region as part of the US State Department's cultural diplomacy efforts.
"Two weeks ago I didn't know what Saudi Arabia was," said Wilson Savoy, the band's accordionist, fiddler and lead singer from the city of Lafayette where the band calls home. "I had never heard of Riyadh, or Jeddah, or Mecca. I didn't know what a Muslim was. None of us knew anything about it. And so coming here has been a huge learning experience for all of us."
The Pine Leaf Boys, all in their 20s, sing traditional songs in Cajun French. The band works to keep old songs alive through their energetic performances while mixing in the kind of pop-music energy that draws young crowds. Their main objective is to keep the Cajun French tradition alive.
"My grandfather was beaten in class for speaking French," said guitarist Jon Bertrand.
Though the band has traveled abroad, Savoy says that Saudi Arabia has by far been the most foreign place they've ever been.
"We've been to Spain. One of us has been to Malaysia and Japan. This has been the most foreign to us. We didn't really know what was going on. You know how Americans think about this part of the world. When we told our parents where we were going they said 'don't go. You're foolish to go.' When we first got here we were kind of scared, but after one day we realized everything was cool. And this is something we can bring back to the people at home."
Did the boys buy any souvenirs?
"We did," said Savoy. "We got ghotras (the Saudi headdress)."