Marc Savoy

Marc Savoy (/sɑːˈvwɑː/ sah-vwah)[1] (born October 1, 1940)[2] is an American musician, and builder and player of the Cajun accordion.

Marc Savoy
Marc and Ann Savoy playing at the Balfa Camp in 2009
Background information
Born (1940-10-01) October 1, 1940
Near Eunice, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresCajun
Occupation(s)Accordion maker, accordionist
InstrumentsCajun accordion
Associated actsSavoy Family Band, Savoy Doucet Cajun Band,
Websitehttp://www.savoymusiccenter.com/

Early life

He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near Eunice, Louisiana. 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.[3]

Career

Savoy holds a degree in chemical engineering[4] but his primary income is derived from his accordion-making business, based at his Savoy Music Center in Eunice. His wife is the singer and guitarist Ann Savoy, whom he met in 1975 and married in 1977.[4] 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.

Awards and honors

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.[5]

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

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)

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)

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. "Marc Savoy: Cajun Accordion Maker/Musician". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1992". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
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