D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
August 2010
Bayou Seco's Rolling Postcard
An International Language
Sharing music and food in France and the UK, with a global — and New Mexican — flavor.
By Jeanie McLerie and Ken Keppeler
Editor's note: We're delighted to continue our annual tradition of sharing a "rolling postcard" from the popular Silver City "chilegumbo" musical duo, Bayou Seco, on tour in Europe.
We started out this summer's musical adventure in Albuquerque at the annual folk festival event there. We played a Friday night No Borders dance, on the Boxcar Stage at the fairgrounds, with our Albuquerque band members. This boxcar was given to the state of New Mexico by France in 1949. It was full of gifts from French families in gratitude for their help during and after World War II. It was a good place to start the trip.
 |
Jeanie, Ken and a fellow performer at the Eisteddfod in Wales. |
The longest day of the year found us hurtling eastward eight hours ahead of our time zone on an airplane headed to Paris, and hence we almost bypassed the night. We arrived on a cool morning, one hour early thanks to a big tailwind. Europe had been having a very late spring and was still cold and wet. The red poppies alongside all the fields remained in full bloom. But, as usual, we had plenty of sunshine in our two suitcases (sunshine weighs nothing and takes up no space), and after one day the temperatures were climbing into the 30s (centigrade). We watched our friends' pool temperature rise from 18 to 23 in just 4 days. And we have again been ever so warmly welcomed by our dear friends Phil and Francine. This year we had a luxurious six days to get over jetlag before embarking on our month-long music tour of England and Wales.
There were the normal round of parties where we happily supplied the music and, of course, the food and drink were wonderful. At one party, the " la mode" style of serving food in oversized shot glasses — verrines — was interesting: First there was very good champagne — we were in the Champagne region — and chips and nuts. But then came the first round of verrines; the first thing you saw was a small slice of sushi, which covered a little piece of salmon in a dill sauce, which then lay on top a few thin pieces of celery root cooked "confit style" with a little bit of sugar. Each little bite was a genuine surprise. The second round was little squares of goat cheese with small bits of hot pepper mixed in, a few pitted olives, a pickled garlic clove, and then roasted peppers beneath that. The third round was foie gras at the bottom of the glass, topped with a small dab of cherry jam, and a matchstick piece of pain d'epices (spicy honey bread) stuck into the top. Each verrine was barely a mouthful.
Dinner was simply some barbecued sausage and shish kebabs, tabouli and les aumonires (which means a little sack of money for a beggar, but in this case is a crpe pulled up around a small mound of cooked zucchini and eggplant, and tied to make a little purse-shaped package, then lightly browned). Then there was a green salad served with the beautiful cheese course, and lastly dessert — fresh cherries, flourless chocolate cake, Morrocan pastries and little orange custards. We numbered 18, all sitting outside around a long table, and the meal lasted five hours — until midnight. The "one day past" full moon had risen in the last hour and it was magique.
The church in the little town where we were staying rings out the hours of the day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. I love that sound. It connects me to former visits here. Unfortunately the rooster on top of the spire got blown off in a storm this winter and landed on the ground in a mangled condition. A new one is being forged.
We went to an overnight birthday party of a friend, his 60th, who has a Cajun band. There were more than 40 musicians and non-stop music until three in the morning. It all took place in their side yard and in the old barn, which they had fixed up as a place to play music and dance. It is always a lot of fun to see old friends and meet some new ones. I assume the music all began again the next morning after a relaxed breakfast of baguette and confiture and lots of coffee and tea, but we left in mid-morning before the heat ramped up too much.
We were in the UK for the month of July. The weather continued to be lovely — not too hot and not too wet. We had a good gig at the American Museum in Bath on July 4, out on the lawn amongst the re-enactment soldiers and intermittent cannon fire. We got our crowd broom dancing and pauelo dancing, as well as singing along on "Papa's on the Housetop" and "Chile Verde" and "Waltzing With Bears."