[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


CONGRATULATING SOUTH LOUISIANA MUSICAL PIONEERS--LUDERIN DARBONE, EDWIN 
                    DUHON AND THE HACKBERRY RAMBLERS

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                         HON. CHRISTOPHER JOHN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. JOHN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend 2002 National Heritage 
Fellow Awardees--and my constituents--Luderin Darbone and Edwin Duhon, 
founding members of the acclaimed South Louisiana musical group, The 
Hackberry Ramblers.
  The prestigious National Heritage Fellow Award was created in 1982 by 
the National Endowment for the Arts. To date, the award has honored 272 
traditional artists, of all varieties, from across the United States.
  My home state of Louisiana has been home to fifteen fellows since 
1982, and ten of those fellows have been natives of Louisiana's 7th 
Congressional District, which I proudly represent. The artists or 
groups nominated for this award have made a ``significant contribution 
to the cultural heritage of the United States.''
  Luderin Darbone and Edwin Duhon of The Hackberry Ramblers were among 
this year's thirteen awardees, and indeed have made a significant 
contribution to the world of Cajun music.
  Mr. Darbone and Mr. Duhon have been thrilling audiences as the lead 
members of The Hackberry Ramblers since 1933. They began playing at 
local parties and dances in South Louisiana, and their ensemble is 
still playing and touring today--nearly 70 years later.
  Undoubtedly the oldest Cajun music group in existence, the Ramblers 
combine their Cajun French repertoire with rural string band, western 
swing, and popular ingredients to produce their unique sound. A number 
of musical `firsts' are attributed to The Hackberry Ramblers including 
being among the first Cajun musicians to de-emphasize the accordion and 
feature the fiddle; the first to successfully blend the Cajun music 
sound with western swing, blues and a variety of other medleys; the 
first to record and tag the name ``Jolie Blonde,'' the tune often 
called the `Cajun National Anthem'; and they were the first musicians 
to bring electronic amplification to area dancehalls by running a sound 
system off the engine of Mr. Darbone's Model-A Ford.
  Their 1997 album, ``Deep Water,'' received a grammy nomination in the 
traditional folk category, and on December 4, 1999, Darbone and Duhon 
fulfilled a life-long dream of performing at the Grand Ole Opry in 
Nashville. This past spring and summer, The Ramblers toured festivals 
across Louisiana and even ventured on their first European tour!
  Over the years, The Ramblers have been profiled on Entertainment 
Tonight, Music City Tonight, and NPR's Weekend Edition. They have 
garnered critical acclaim from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and 
USA Today--and they have even been featured on MTV!
  As one report put it--``They have seen the Depression, World War II, 
rock and roll, flower power, disco, the computer age, and 9/11--and 
they're still going strong.''
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate South Louisiana's 2002 National Heritage 
Fellows Mr. Luderin Darbone and Mr. Edwin Duhon on their lifetime of 
achievement and I wish The Hackberry Ramblers many more years of good 
times and great music!

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