Cajun & Zydeko: Interview with Grammy Nominee Lisa Haley

Grammy nominee Lisa Haley's dynamism is contagious. On stage, while playing a blue fiddle, she jumps like a school girl at recess. Just talking to her, Lisa is likely to break into song. She pours her heart into every tune and you can't help but respond. “God gives me a song in my dream,” she says. “I wake up and it's fully formed.” For Haley, promoting Cajun and Zydeko music is a life's passion, one that her parents initially tried to extinguish. Thank heavens, she stuck with it. Props as well to her band, the Zydekats, which features Gigi Rabe (accordion), Maria Martinez (percussion), Chuck Alvarez (guitar) and Andy Anders on bass. I met up with Haley on the island of Borneo, in Sarawak, Malaysia at the Rainforest World Music Festival. In this interview, we talk about her roots, inspirations . . . and why a man might walk around with a paper in his shoe. Related Articles and Websites

• Lisa Haley' CDs
• Lisa Haley's official website
• "Bustin' a Move with Accordions, Gamelans and Washboards" - this is my take on RWMF 2011 as published in Asian Journeys