Marc Savoy

Marc Savoy (/sɑːˈvwɑː/ sah-vwah)[1] (b. near Eunice, Louisiana, United States, October 1, 1940) is an American musician, and builder and player of the Cajun accordion.

Marc Savoy
Marc and Ann Savoy playing at the Balfa Camp.
Background information
Born (1940-10-01) October 1, 1940
OriginNear Eunice, Louisiana
GenresCajun
Occupation(s)Accordion maker, musician, accordionist
InstrumentsCajun accordion
Associated actsSavoy Family Band, Savoy Doucet Cajun Band,
Websitehttp://www.savoymusiccenter.com/

He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near Eunice. 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.[2]

Savoy holds a degree in chemical engineering[3] but his primary income is derived from his accordion-making business, based at his Savoy Music Center in Eunice, Louisiana. His wife is the singer and guitarist Ann Savoy, whom he met in 1975 and married in 1977.[3] 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.

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.[4]

Discography

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

As Marc Savoy

Albums

  • 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)
  • 2003 : The Savoy Family Band Cajun Album (Arhoolie)

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

Albums

  • 1983 : Home Music (K7, Arhoolie)
  • 1987 : With Spirits (K7, Arhoolie)
  • 1989 : Two-Step d'Amede (Arhoolie)
  • 1992 : Home Music with Spirits (Arhoolie)

Live album

  • 1994 : Live! At the Dance (Arhoolie)

Compilation album

  • 2002 : The Best of (Arhoolie)

Savoy-Smith Cajun Band

Album

  • 1996 : Now and Then (Arhoolie)

Films

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

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. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1992". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved December 1, 2017.


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