[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNeHu62nSvs[/youtube]
Shaw has been playing Cajun music since she was eight, and has never shied away from bringing modern elements—like the Clash—into it, believing that tradition must adapt to survive. She’s committed to it, and to her community, because her community has always been committed to her.
“When I was young and starting out, there were a lot of really great musicians here who would let me sit in on their sets with my fiddle,” she says. “I was 8, 9 years old. I was classically trained, but they taught me how to really play. Not knowing the song, they’d say ‘okay, this one’s in the key of D,’ and I’d have to figure it out. George Porter Jr. and Marva Wright, people like that didn’t have to welcome me in. They’re the ones who have really continued the New Orleans tradition—you go to Europe and Marva was a superstar. They welcomed me in and helped me. It was like family.”
Amanda Shaw performs at San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose on Saturday at noon and 5:30pm. For ticket information, go here.
Summer Fest Preview: Amanda Shaw
