Brian O’Donnell, fiddle

Brian caught the Cajun fiddle bug at the Ashoken camp in New York, became enamored with Dewey Balfa and Dennis McGee, and promptly headed down to Lafayette, LA for six weeks of Cajun jams and bayou exploration. He managed to get a Lafayette library card, listened to every Cajun record they had, and got some lessons from Courtney Granger and Kevin Wimmer. Brian is a much sought after fiddler in Cajun music circles and he also plays bluegrass and old time music.

John Romano, accordion, vocals

John has been performing traditional music for decades. John plays the button accordion and sings Cajun vocals. He has traveled extensively in SW Louisiana and has sat in on accordion and sang with Cajun bands in Louisiana at both Mulates and La Poussiierre in Breaux Bridge, DI's in Basile, Charley's Lounge in Mermentau, and performed in Cameron Parish, Louisiana for a benefit concert after Hurricane Rita.

John Fabke, guitar

One of Southern Wisconsin’s finest traditional musicians, John Fabke has been involved with a wide variety of roots music styles for the past 15 years. His interest in traditional music was sparked by a chance opportunity to see Ramblin’ Jack Elliot a number of years ago in Vermont. That experience opened the door to exploring the rich tradition of American music. Fabke played cajun guitar with the Madison-based Grand Chien Cajun band and has also performed with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Along with cajun music, Fabke also plays banjo, guitar and mandolin in blues, bluegrass and old-time country settings.

Karen Holden, t-fer, dance instruction

Karen came to Cajun music through dance—Bharata Natyam as a child in India and contra and Cajun as an adult in Madison. She started playing Cajun music when in about 2001 she stopped dancing to listen to the music. First starting on the accordion, she shifted to rhythm guitar which she plays in jam and practice sessions. She plays t-fer ("little iron") in the band and provides dance instruction. She has taught cajun/zydeco dance through the University of Wisconsin Union mini-course series. She and the band were recently featured in a University of Wisconsin’s weekly paper.

Jim Schwall, bass

Although he writes songs and plays several kinds of music on several instruments, Cajun Strangers' bass player Jim Schwall is best known for playing blues guitar in the Siegel-Schwall Band. After hearing Cajun bands in pre-Katrina New Orleans, Jim rented a car and headed out for Breaux Bridge and Eunice where he spent his evenings on the dance floors of Cajun supper clubs. Jim first got to know the Cajun Strangers from the dance floor at some of their local dances.

Colin Bazsali, drums

Colin has been playing music most of his life. Originally a jazz drummer, he set aside percussion for the folk guitar, harmonica, and banjo and began exploring traditional American musical forms, especially old-time banjo. This led circuitously to Cajun and back to the drums, which he has been playing with the Cajun Strangers since early 2005.

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