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17

THURSDAY

In the ’30s, Creole accordionist and singer Amédé Ardoin and Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee recorded and sharecropped together, but live they were restricted to playing white-audience-only dances. And by the ’40s, Louisiana’s black and white music scenes had nearly completely gone their separate ways. Blacks influenced by R&B developed zydeco, and whites influenced by country developed Cajun music. But now, on La Chanson Perdue (French for “the lost song”) 28-year-old Creole accordionist Geno Delafose and his band French Rockin’ Boogie have teamed up with members of Cajun band Balfa Toujours and others to capture and extend the vitality of both genres’ original roots. While Delafose and Christine Balfa have both been recently hassled by white, rural Louisiana club owners, Delafose plays down such slights in interviews—he’s more interested in spreading the message of his musics’ speedy two-steps and beautiful ballads. With Kevin Wimmer & Christine Balfa at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. $17.50. (703) 549-7500. (Steve Kiviat)