Event
Blue Music Monday-Rural Roots of Music
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Fee:
Free.Dates & Times
Date:
Monday, March 22, 2021
Time:
2:00 PM
Duration:
1 hour
Type of Event
Performance
Virtual/Digital
Description
Blue Music Monday: Rural Roots of Music
featuring
The Neal Family
Jean Lafiite National Historical Park and Preserve and New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, in partnership with the River Road African American Museum and the West Baton Rouge Musuem present Rural Roots of Music. Today's episode features the Raful and Shirley Neal of the Neal Family Blues Band.
Raful Neal, a gentle giant of a man, has sired more great blues performers than anyone in the state capital, and perhaps more than anyone on the planet. Eight of his 11 children are excellent-to-world-class players, and the others can hang with the family (or anyone else) on stage for part of a blues show. The Neals are taking their place with the Nevilles or the Marsalises as a Louisiana musical dynasty.
“I don’t remember learning how to play,” Kenny Neal said. “I’ve been around it all my life, born into it. It’s just something that’s always been there. You know how guys will say when I was 12 or 13 I picked up guitar and learned to play? We’ll I don’t remember that because when I was 6 years old I was performing.”
More information
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Image Gallery
NPS photo: artwork by Jonny B.