NEW ORLEANS — From the Nous Foundation:
The Library of Congress American Folklife Center announced the 2024 recipient cohort of the Community Collections Grant program. Among the hundred candidates considered, New Orleans-based cultural nonprofit the Nous Foundation was among ten selected projects, representing the only project selected this year across the Gulf South.
The Community Collections Grant is awarded to individuals and organizations working to document cultures and traditions of Black, Indigenous and communities of color historically underrepresented in the United States and in the Library’s collections. The Nous Foundation’s project ‘La Musique Nous Réunit’ (Music brings us together) documents how musicians who sing in Louisiana French and Creole are adapting their musical styles in an era of ongoing language loss. The Nous Foundation will work with musicians such as Grammy winner Louis Michot, Leyla McCalla, Les Cenelles, Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes, Sweet Crude, and more to record a new vinyl record in Louisiana French and Creole along with a publication including interviews and photography taken from live recording sessions. The culmination of this work, a vinyl and new publication will be submitted for the permanent collection of the Library of Congress.
“As a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and revitalizing Louisiana’s heritage cultures, we’re thrilled that a project highlighting Louisiana’s deep musical heritage in French and Creole will have a permanent home in the Library of Congress,” said Scott Tilton, executive director of the Nous Foundation. “We’re fortunate to be able to work with such talented musicians from across Louisiana, and this project will be a collective effort to offer a snapshot of Louisiana music as performed in 2024.”
La Musique Nous Réunit will be recorded throughout this year and released in 2025. The record and publication will be made available to the public thereafter. The Nous Foundation will also be organizing an exhibit around the launch of the album. More information on the Community Collections program can be found using the following link.
