Steve Riley presents International Accordion Kings
The accordion, a well known instrument of South Louisiana, is an important part of traditional music throughout the world. Steve Riley will be joined by the Agrentinian Chamamé musician Alejandro Brittes, father of the “Afro-Louisiana style Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, and Klezmer virtuoso Glenn Hartman for a musical journey of styles and cultures.
International Accordion Kings features performances, interviews, and intriguing stories that will transport each listener on a musical odyssey to the many parts of the world where the accordion has become a musical mainstay!
Steve Riley, of Mamou Louisiana, is a widely acknowledged master of the Cajun accordion and its singularly powerful sound. His playing is a standard by which timing, phrasing and ingenuity are measured on the royal instrument of South Louisiana. Steve is a founding member of the Lil Band o’ Gold, the Racines, and the Band Courtbouillon with whom he, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy won a Grammy award in 2013!
Alejandro Brittes is an Argentinian composer, accordionist, and researcher based in Brazil. His work unveils the deep origins of Chamamé – born from the encounter between Guarani cosmology and the baroque music of the Jesuit missions and rooted in the broad cultural region that connects Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes is truly a Renaissance man. Known primarily for his work as a musician, he is also an ethnographic photographer, actor, author, and a former National Park Service Ranger, high school biology teacher, and pro football player. He is dedicated to New Orleans’ parade culture and is the Big Chief of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang. He describes is unique blend of zydeco, blues, and Afro-Cuban influences as “Afro Louisiana.”
Glenn Hartman is an internationally acclaimed accordion player and a member of several musical projects including the Kleismer All Stars. His specialty is the Eastern European style of accordion playing.
