French Music Festival: from Zydeco to Electro

Get ready for a high-voltage celebration of the Francophone world — happening on the exact day of the International Day of La Francophonie, March 20.

On this global day honoring the French language and cultures across continents, we bring the energy home to Louisiana. From the powerful Creole rhythms of l’Union Créole led by Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes to the electrifying fusion of Elektrianz with Juan Pardo, this is more than a concert — it’s a living, breathing tribute to the diversity and creativity of the Francophone world. Nat & Kat Cajun String Band will kick off the French Music Festival, setting the tone with their vibrant Louisiana roots sound.

In parallel, as part of the 29^th New Orleans French Film Festival (NOFFF), audiences can attend a separate screening of Built on Zydeco, a Creole-directed documentary celebrating the artists, legacy, and cultural impact of Zydeco music. Festival-goers are encouraged to experience the film and then continue the evening at the Alliance Française for the live concert.

Zydeco roots. Tribal chants. Electronic beats. Heritage languages. Global innovation. One stage. One unforgettable night.

Tickets: $20 regular | Free for for AFNO members and New Orleans French Film Festival 2026 pass holders

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Celebrate La Francophonie with us. March 20. Be there.

L'UNION CREOLE

L'Union Créole is a musical group funded by Bruce "Barnes" Sunpie and composed of musicians from Guadeloupe, Haiti, Louisiana and Martinique.
L’Union Créole est un groupe musical fondé par Bruce “Barnes” Sunpie et composé de musiciens originaires de Guadeloupe, d’Haïti, de Louisiane et de Martinique.



ELEKTRIANZ & THE GOLDEN COMANCHES

Elektrianz is an innovative musical project born between New Orleans and Nantes (France), blending modern sounds with the cultural traditions of the Black Indians of New Orleans. At the crossroads of futuristic rhythms and ancestral tribal chants, Big Chief Juan Pardo and his Big Queen — emblematic figures of the Mardi Gras Indians movement — create a vibrant dialogue between contemporary soundscapes and living memory. Electronic production meets traditional drumming; synthesizers intertwine with call-and-response chants. The project transcends musical and geographic boundaries to celebrate Afro-Indigenous heritage with boldly modern energy.

Elektrianz est un projet musical novateur né entre la Nouvelle-Orléans et Nantes (France) mêlant modernités et traditions culturelles des Black Indians de la Nouvelle-Orléans. À la croisée des rythmes futuristes et des chants tribaux ancestraux, le Big Chief Juan Pardo et sa Big Queen, figures emblématiques du mouvement Mardi Gras Indians tissent un dialogue vibrant entre sonorités actuelles et mémoire vivante. Les programmations électroniques rencontrent les tambours traditionnels, les synthés s’enlacent aux chants de ralliement. Ce projet transcende les frontières musicales et géographiques pour célébrer l’héritage afro-amérindien dans une énergie résolument moderne. 

NAT & KAT CAJUN STRING BAND

Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nat & Kat Cajun String Band was formed by Natalie Naquin (cello) and Katy Murphy (guitar) after finding they shared a deep love of the early roots of Louisiana Cajun and Creole music. Leaning into their unique instrumentation while staying grounded in traditional style, Nat & Kat create stripped-down arrangements of classic waltzes, two-steps, reels, and ballads for cello, guitar, and vocals that are spare but sonically rich. With their haunting interpretations of these timeless songs, listeners are transported to moonlit bayous, sonorous cypress swamps, and dreamy live oak groves.

Basé à La Nouvelle-Orléans  le Nat & Kat Cajun String Band a été formé par Natalie Naquin (violoncelle) et Katy Murphy (guitare) après avoir découvert qu'elles partageaient un amour profond pour les racines anciennes de la musique cajun et créole de Louisiane. S'appuyant sur leur instrumentation unique tout en restant fidèles au style traditionnel, Nat & Kat créent des arrangements épurés de valses, de two-steps, de reels et de ballades classiques pour violoncelle, guitare et voix, qui sont sobres mais riches sur le plan sonore. Grâce à leurs interprétations envoûtantes de ces chansons intemporelles, les auditeurs sont transportés dans des bayous éclairés par la lune, des marécages de cyprès sonores et des bosquets de chênes verts oniriques.