Marc Savoy

Marc Savoy
Marc and Ann Savoy playing Cajun accordion and guitar respectively at the Balfa camp.
Marc and Ann Savoy playing at the Balfa Camp in 2009
Background information
Born (1940-10-01) October 1, 1940 (age 84)
near Eunice, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresCajun
Occupation(s)Accordion maker, accordionist
InstrumentCajun accordion
LabelsArhoolie
SpouseAnn Allen
Websitewww.savoymusiccenter.com

Marc Savoy (/sɑːˈvwɑː/ sah-VWAH;[1] born October 1, 1940)[2] is an American musician, and builder and player of the Cajun accordion.

Early life

He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near Eunice, Louisiana. His grandfather was a fiddler, who occasionally played with the legendary Dennis McGee, who was once a tenant farmer on his grandfather's property. Marc Savoy began playing traditional music when he was 12 years old.[3]

Career

Savoy acquired a Sidney Brown accordion as a teenager, and within a few years was interested in making his own.[4] After earning a degree in chemical engineering,[5] in 1966 he went into business full-time as an accordion maker and player, based at his Savoy Music Center in Eunice.

His wife is the singer and guitarist Ann Savoy, whom he met in 1975 and married in 1977.[5] He has performed with Robert Bertrand, Dennis McGee, Rodney Balfa, Sady Courville, Dewey Balfa, D. L. Menard, and Michael Doucet, the latter of whom he plays with in the Savoy-Doucet Band. He also plays in the Savoy Family Band with his wife Ann and their sons Joel and Wilson.

He hosts regular jam sessions and mini-festivals at the Savoy Music Center.

Awards and honors

Savoy is a recipient of a 1992 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.[6]

Discography (albums)

Marc Savoy performing in October 2018
The Savoy Family Band on stage at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, October 2018

As Marc Savoy

  • 1976: Under a Green Oak Tree (with Dewey Balfa and D.L. Menard) (Arhoolie Records)
  • 1981: Oh What a Night (Arhoolie)
  • 1998: Made in Louisiana (Voyager)

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

  • 1983: Home Music (K7, Arhoolie)
  • 1987: With Spirits (K7, Arhoolie)
  • 1989: Two-Step d'Amede (Arhoolie)
  • 1992: Home Music with Spirits (Arhoolie)
  • 1994: Live! At the Dance (Arhoolie)
  • 2002: The Best of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band compilation (Arhoolie)

Savoy Family Band

See Savoy Family Band

Savoy-Smith Cajun Band

  • 1996: Now and Then (Arhoolie)

Films

  • 1972 - Spend It All [1]
  • 1981 - Southern Comfort. Directed by Walter Hill.
  • 1989 - J'ai Ete Au Bal (I Went To The Dance). Directed by Les Blank. [2]
  • 1990 - Yum Yum Yum! A Taste Of Cajun And Creole Cooking. Directed by Les Blank. [3]
  • 1991 - Marc & Ann. Directed by Les Blank.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Berman, Leslie (January 2003). "Savoy fare: the *real* family values of Marc & Ann Savoy.(Sound Recording Review)". Sing Out!. 47 (3). Marc Savoy (pronounced 'SAH-VWAH') turns back to his worn workbench covered with accordion parts and pauses to compose himself.
  2. ^ "Marc Savoy: Cajun Accordion Maker/Musician". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Nyhan, Pat; Rollins, Brian; Babb, David (1997). Let The Good Times Roll!: A Guide to Cajun & Zydeco Music. Portland, Maine: Upbeat Books. pp. 116–117. ISBN 9780965823203. OCLC 38128267.
  4. ^ DeWitt, Mark F. (2012). "From Chanky-Chank to Yankee Chanks: The Cajun Accordion as Identity Symbol". In Simonett, Helena (ed.). The Accordion in the Americas: Klezmer, Polka, Tango, Zydeco, and More!. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07871-2.
  5. ^ a b Govenar, Alan (2001). "Marc Savoy: Cajun Accordion Maker and Musician". Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary. Vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. pp. 546–548. ISBN 1576072401. OCLC 47644303.
  6. ^ "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1992". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
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