Latest news with #McNeeseBannersSeries
American Press
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
High-energy JigJam ready to take SW La. by storm
The iGrass band JigJam will perform Friday, April 25, in Bulber Auditorium for the McNeese Banners Series. (Special to the American Press) By Mary Richardson JigJam, an Irish group self-described as 'what happens when virtuoso Irish playing jumps the pond and runs through the wide-open fields of bluegrass and Americana' will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, in the historic F.G. Bulber Auditorium for the McNeese Banners Series. Banners Director Brook Hanemann said the people of Lake Charles are in for 'some foot stompin', high-energy badassery!' Hanemann said that Lake Charles people will recognize the Irish roots of JigJam. 'Once you've stood in the wild wind of Ireland, you recognize it instantly in JigJam's music,' she said. 'It's joyful, untethered, and full of the kind of jubilant rhythm that feels like it's leaping straight off the Irish hillside.' She said their music will speak to Southwest Louisiana: 'There's something about the Irish spirit — generous, funny, fierce — that speaks to the South. It feels like home and a celebration all at once.' Band members, all Offaly- and Tipperary-born, debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in 2023 and received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd on country music's most renowned stage. The group was joined that night by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Steve Earle, Lauren Alaina, and many more. In their words, they started 'the first wave of attack in the new Irish invasion of Americana' on that night. Founding members of the 'iGrass' (Irish Bluegrass) quartet are Offaly-born Jamie McKeogh (lead singer and guitar) and Daithi Melia (five-string banjo and dobro). In 2016, they were joined by Tipperary-born Gavin Strappe (mandolin and enor banjo), and this year they were joined by Kevin Buckley (fiddle). Reviews for the group have been positive. One reviewer described them as 'the best Irish band in bluegrass' and 'sparkling, infectious,' adding that 'these lads have been hailed as Ireland's answer to New Grass Revival.' Another said that 'iGrass and JigJam is what happens when the Irish find their prodigal son.' a TICKETS: $20 each. Included in all Banners memberships and sold at the door. Advance tickets are available at All events are free to McNeese and Sowela Technical Community College students and children 12 and younger.
American Press
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- American Press
Voices of hope: Ukrainian group brings their earthy message of resilience to LC
YAGÓDY, a Ukrainian folk group making its first U.S. tour, will be in Lake Charles on April 24 to introduce Southwest Louisiana to 'songs of wild tribes.' The group's music is rooted in Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Serbian folk songs. (Special to the American Press) By Mary Richardson T he Ukrainian group YAGÓDY will present an ethnodrama performance designed to be a testament to the country of Ukraine and the spirit of its people for the McNeese Banners Series in the F.G. Bulber Auditorium at 7 p.m. April 24. 'We snagged them the night before they will perform at Festival International in Lafayette,' said Banners Director Brook Hanemann. 'This is their first tour in the United States, and I'm sure you will never forget this performance.' YAGÓDY consists of women who have created a unique sound featuring what they describe as 'immersive ethno-drama' with primal percussion and hypnotic vocal harmonies. They revive and reinterpret folk songs, while dressed in the traditional clothing and ornately embroidered costumes of Ukraine. They describe their performance as 'the songs of wild tribes. This is the voice of your ancestors. This is live energy. It is a dance with voices. This is how our nature smells. This is how our blood sounds.' The group debuted a self-titled album, YAGÓDY, in 2020, which introduced the world to their unique, powerful renditions of Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Serbian folk songs. In 2024, the group won over audiences at the Eurovision Song Contest with their original song 'Tsunamia,' and placed fifth at the national selection finals. The group was founded in 2016 by actress and vocalist Zoriana Dybovska. Dybovska left her home in Donetsk in 2015 because of a Russian military invasion. She moved to Lviv, where she gathered a group of musicians and fellow educators to create a project to 'breathe new life into ancient Ukrainian sounds.' The musicians are Dybovska — vocals, percussion instruments; Vasylyna Voloshyn — vocals; Tetiana Voitiv — vocals, Tibetan bowl, percussion instruments, and drymba; Nadiia Parashchuk — vocals, accordion, Vadym Voitovych — bass guitar, Teimyraz Gogitidze — drums, Vasyl Parashchuk — cymbals. The lineup of musicians who play in Lake Charles might change. Hanemann said, 'Ukrainian artists live with the reality that they may be called home at a moment's notice. However, despite the unpredictability, what remains constant is the depth, spirit, and power of their performance. Every note feels like a heartbeat of preservation, and it's an extraordinary thing to witness.' a TICKETS: $20 each. Included in all Banners memberships and sold at the door. Advance tickets are available at All events are free to McNeese and SOWELA Technical Community College students and children 12 and younger. Free full-season memberships — with tickets to all events in the series — will also be given to first responders, educators, active and retired military and seniors 80 years and older. Sign up for the free memberships at the door or contact the Banners Series office at 337-475-5997 or email rpartin2@
