That’s My Baby . . . I Love It

Donna Angelle is a multi-instrumentalist from Cypress Island who has entertained audiences around the world, both as a soloist and with her band, The Zydeco Posse. This week the trailblazing artist stopped by the St. Martin Parish Tourism office in Breaux Bridge to perform some songs on accordion and keyboard, and to talk about her life in music.

Donna Angelle with her accordion

Tell me about your accordion.

This accordion here is a Gabbinelli. When I first got it, I was excited because I didn’t know how it was gonna look, and when it came in and it had my name and all of this on it . . . I love it. Everybody that sees it they want to try and buy it from me, but, no, it’s not for sale. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to learn how to play, because I got it before I knew how to play. We had a farm, and I would go in the yard and make some noise so I wouldn’t disturb anyone. But this accordion here, I love it. That’s my baby.

Was the accordion your first instrument?

I started out playing keyboard. My sister got a keyboard for Christmas, but she wouldn’t do anything on it, so I picked it up and started playing keyboard. Then I decided I wanted to do something else, so I jumped on the bass guitar and started playing bass for a while. I played clarinet in school. Right now I'm teaching myself the violin, and trying to get that guitar right.

But I’ll never forget when Mama bought that keyboard, and my first song was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. My daddy would always sit right there. Anything I played was sounding good to him. I know it wasn’t, but it made me feel good. Mama, her and I used to sing. She used to tap dance. She tap danced, her and my uncle, for a long time in school, and she loved to sing, so we got together and I would be banging on the keyboards, and when I really got good, I tried learning Endless Love and we sang that. It was pretty good. You know, I was amazed how Mama had all this music in her. And really my whole family is into music. My little cousin Corey (Ledet). You know, we all musicians in that area, Cypress Island, La Pointe. We all musicians.

I love what I do, and I’ve been around the world. I’ve been to Cognac France for this big festival. I went to Paris. I went to Africa. I went to Gorée Island, where the slaves was. It’s sad. You know, people don’t realize how we are blessed, because we have everything right in our hands. When I went to Africa, I was playing . . . We were playing, the whole band came there, and we were playing, and then all in the sudden, all you could see is nothing but water as far as you could see. And I started playing that song, I’m Coming Home, and I started crying. And I’m trying to control myself but I couldn’t. Then I turned to the band so they could tell me it’s ok, and they crying too. Some grown men are crying. It’s sad, you know what people go through, and we have it made here, and we don’t realize it. People should get along. They should love each other, because we are really blessed. A lot of people don’t have what we have.

And honestly, I been playing zydeco. Well I started R&B, then I changed to zydeco. I got into zydeco because my first producer said you need to get into zydeco if you want to make it, and so I got into zydeco. His name was Mike Lachney. And I went to his studio, and this guy, he wanted me to play the bass on his CD, and my producer looked at me and said, “Do you know how to sing?” I said, “Yes sir.” He said, “Can you sing I’ll Take You There?” So I sang it. He didn’t say anything. We left. Next morning I get a phone call at five in the morning. It was Mike. He said, “I want to sign you up on a contract,” and that’s how I got started, and as it went, that song that really went around the world for me was, I Want a Man Like Boozoo, a song I wrote about Mr. Boozoo Chavis, who I eventually got the opportunity to meet, at this festival.

When we were at the festival, and he was there, and he sent someone to call me to his room. I was afraid because I didn’t know what he was gonna tell me. I went to his room and he said, “You that young lady that wrote that song about me?” I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “I just want to thank you for writing that song about me.” And he just blew me away. He said, “I want you to come play at my festival at my home.” And we went out there, and then I started playing that song, he walked out and he came straight to the stage, and we had a long conversation. He said, “Don’t ever give up, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t make it.” And for a while I thought I wasn’t gonna make it, and I still feel that being a lady is hard because you don’t get paid the same like the guys. You know? But that didn’t stop me. It’s still not stopping me. I love what I do. But Mr. Chavis, I will never forget him, cuz he just sat with me the whole day, and gave me the do’s and don’ts. But the first thing he said was “Don’t ever give up” And I’ve been doing it ever since, and it’s been a while. And I love what I do.

What was it like playing in different parts of the world?

In Africa, they was, like, blown away. It’s different. I don’t know how to put it. They loved what I did when I went over there. And I got to really see the world too at the same time. You have to go out there and visit and see how it is. The Door of No Return. I cried because it hurt. It’s my people. It’s our people. Things are so crazy right now at home, so people should go out and see the world and find out what’s really happening out there. Over here we are so so blessed, and it’s sad how our youngsters right now are just killing each other for no reason. If we could put a stop to that, that would be great. That’s why I love working with kids. Cuz I work with foster grandparents, and I work with the kids. I love when I walk in and they say, Mawmaw Donna, and they run to me and hug me. But going around the world was a blessing for me, because I really got to see what’s happening on the other side of the world.