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The Savoy Family of Musicians: Louisiana’s Culture Keepers

The Savoy family, five musicians, stand in a row inside a music shop with red walls adorned with colorful string lights and merchandise. From left to right, they hold a washboard, an electric guitar, an accordion, a violin, and an upright double bass. The setting includes a counter with diamond-shaped orange and yellow panels and displayed items.

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The sound hits you first. It is not just music. It is a conversation in a language of button accordions, fiddles, and raw, soulful vocals. This is a Saturday morning at the Savoy Music Center in Eunice, Louisiana. Within its unassuming walls, you do not just hear Cajun culture. 

You step directly into its living, breathing heart. 

Here, the Savoy family is not merely performing. For over half a century, they have served as Louisiana’s essential culture keepers, guarding a flame of tradition that was once nearly extinguished by stigma. In a state stitched together by story, song, and food, they are a living lineage of tradition bearers, a dynasty rooted deep in the soil and soul of this place.

A group of eight musicians are seated in a circle inside the Savoy Music Center, playing various string instruments including violins and guitars in an informal jam session. The wood-paneled room is decorated with colorful string lights and has boxes stacked on a shelf above them. A large glass partition separates the room from an adjacent space.
Musicians jam session at the Savoy Family Center

A Sanctuary Forged in Defiance

Tucked along a roadside in Eunice, the Savoy Music Center carries the patina of its 60-year history. Traffic whizzes past this place of legends hidden in plain sight, but inside, time operates differently. 

The scent of fresh coffee and spicy boudin hangs in the air. The walls are lined with instruments, including iconic accordions handcrafted in the workshop out back. This place is the life’s work of Marc Savoy, who opened its doors in 1966 against daunting odds. A bank loan officer once predicted his handmade accordion business would fold within a year.

A group of six people stand side by side in a music shop with red walls decorated with colorful string lights and various accessories on display. From left to right, a man holds a red accordion, a woman holds a sunburst acoustic guitar, a man holds a black accordion, a woman stands without an instrument, a woman holds a violin, and a woman holds an upright bass.
Karen LeBlanc with the Savoy family posing with musical instruments

I visited Marc in his workshop, a sanctum of wood shavings and meticulous craft. As he showed me the 532 parts of an accordion coming together under his hands, each one destined to be stamped “Louisiana Made,” he spoke of the early struggle. It was a battle fought on two fronts: financial tenacity and cultural resistance. He began making accordions as a hobby in 1960, growing up acutely aware of the stigma attached to his French heritage in Acadiana.

Crafting Cajun accordion parts at the Savoy Music Center workshop

“It has always been a mystery to me how the locals could never understand the beauty and value of their heritage. Very few attached any value to it and made the decision instead to pursue a heritage presented by the media nationwide, a heritage which to me was actually more American than America itself.”- Marc Savoy

His fight was personal and philosophical. He was a proud Cajun when being Cajun was not cool, investing everything into preserving an identity others were eager to forget or dismiss. His mission gained momentum through pivotal “icebreaker” tours in the early 1970s that introduced Cajun music to the East and West Coasts. 

The poster advertises a Cajun music event on Friday, October 8th featuring the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band with special guest Trailer Trash at the Medina Ballroom in Medina, MN. Music runs 8–12 pm with free Cajun dance lessons at 9:00 pm and $12 admission.
Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band concert, Medina Ballroom, Oct 8.
  • He was invited to the National Folk Festival in 1972 as a craftsman. 
  • In 1973, he played at Wolf Trap Park with family friends Dennis McGee, a tenant farmer for his father, and Sadie Courville, followed by a National Endowment for the Arts tour.
  • In 1974, he played fiddle with Dewey Balfa and the Balfa Brothers on a West Coast tour.
An orange wall displays two stacked posters advertising the “9ème Rendez-vous des Cajuns” event at Ti Kendalc’h, 56350 St-Vincent/Oust, on October 28–30, 2000. The posters feature a black-and-white photo of three musicians and list activities including a cabaret dinner, concert with Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, and Cajun workshops
Cajun festival poster for “9ème Rendez-vous des Cajuns” at Ti Kendalc’h

These events, especially after Cajun music’s presentation at the Newport Folk Festival, fueled an exponential growth in interest. Marc became one of the original architects of cultural tourism in Louisiana.

The photo shows a red concert poster for the Savoy Family Cajun Band at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 8 pm. It features a photo of three band members with instruments and lists ticket prices and venue information. The poster includes sponsor logos and a website URL at the bottom.
Savoy Family Cajun Band concert, Stuart’s Opera House, Nov 6 2009

The Saturday Morning Ritual: Where Culture Lives

The proof of his victory is alive every Saturday at 9 AM. What Marc calls a “house party” begins informally as musicians file in with fiddles, guitars, and accordions. There is no stage, no setlist, and no conductor. This jam session honors the trailblazers, the old timers.

Musicians playing guitar and fiddle inside the Savoy Family Center

I took a seat among inquisitive tourists from all corners of the world and local legends alike. The room effortlessly filled with the sounds of a century-old waltz.

For anyone planning a pilgrimage to this cultural landmark, here is what you need to know:

  • Location: Savoy Music Center in Eunice, Louisiana.
  • Time: The weekly Cajun music jam session begins every Saturday morning at 9:00 AM.
  • Admission: Free.
  • Participation: All are welcome to observe, and musicians are invited to join in.

At the center were the Savoys. Marc took his seat with one of his handmade accordions. His daughter Sarah began to play the piano, and as if on cue, the room of musicians played along instinctively, as if they were all in on a secret, without sheet music, without a conductor. 

The image shows three musicians performing inside the Savoy Family Center. In the foreground, a man plays a violin beside a woman playing another violin, while Anne, wearing an orange shirt, plays an acoustic guitar in the center. A woman in a purple shirt sits at a wooden pump organ on the right, facing the musicians.
Musicians rehearsing at the Savoy Family Center with Anne on guitar

Marc anchored the rhythm. His wife, Anne, strummed guitar alongside Sarah. Their son Wilson joined in on another family-made accordion. The two women took turns singing soulful lyrics, while the music flowed intuitively. It was a shared language. A woman kept beating with her tambourine, dancing in place, her feet tapping to the rhythm.

A hand holds a scratched iPhone displaying a website titled gabriellesavoygallery.com. The screen shows six artistic photographs arranged in a grid with the text “and desaturated skies. Here are some of my photos from past years” above them and the gold stylized name GABRIELLE SAVOY below. The phone shows the time 11:25 and 5G+ signal with 79% battery.
Gabrielle Savoy gallery photo showcase on mobile

“It’s traditional music. It’s not a written down music. People just hear that and hear that in the womb. And then they know it in their bodies. If they can hear, they can play along.”- Anne Savoy

The method of transmission in this family was always organic, even subversive. Anne laughed recounting their parenting technique. It was less about instruction and more about creating a magnetic field of attraction.

1995 Cajun Mardi Gras dance flyer.
1995 Cajun Mardi Gras dance flyer

“We put all the instruments out all around the house and said, ‘don’t you dare touch those instruments.’ That’s how we did it. And they all started gravitating and playing everything.”- Anne Savoy

She emphasized it felt genetic. The children took a few formal lessons. A teacher finally told Sarah and Wilson to just play what they played, because they already had it.

A vintage concert poster for an all‑age post‑holiday Fais Do‑Do event featuring the Savoy Family Cajun Band with special guest Richie Lawrence. The poster shows a red‑tinted photo of four band members framed by blue lanterns with violins and accordions. It advertises the show on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at Beatnik Studios in Sacramento.
Savoy Family Cajun Band concert poster, Nov 28 2009

A Legacy Carried Forward in Four Distinct Voices

A promotional poster for “Worlds of Music” featuring the Savoy Family Cajun Band. It shows a sepia photo of four band members and lists three free public events in Buffalo, Wyoming, on January 24–26, 2013, including performances and a workshop.
Savoy Family Cajun Band promotional poster

Each of the Savoy children absorbed this deep fluency. They then found their own voice within the tradition, becoming accomplished artists and musicians who have toured the world with bands they founded. The family toured globally for decades together after Marc and Anne married. The siblings’ individual successes are a point of pride.

A promotional poster for the play “Cleoma” by Carolyn Woosley, performed by Ann Savoy, presented by Itinerant Theatre. The poster shows a black‑and‑white portrait of a woman holding a guitar at the top and a photo of four women with guitars in an outdoor setting below, with event details listing performances on October 4‑6 at the Annex, Imperial Calcasieu Museum in Lake Charles, LA.
Itinerant Theatre’s play Cleoma poster

Sarah, the eldest, is the keeper of the flame. Her singing is a raw, guttural, melancholy wail that comes from deep within her soul. It is a deliberate reach back to the raw emotion of the old masters. For her, the sanctity of the non-performative jam session is everything. She sees herself reaching back toward the very “narrow-mindedness” her father fought against, but now as a protective measure against over-commercialization.

A promotional poster for a concert by “The Savoy Family Band” playing Cadienne music, featuring four musicians with instruments (violin, accordion, guitar) standing behind a wooden table. The orange and black flyer advertises the event on Thursday, June 8 in Metz‑Tessy, with details on price and reservation phone number.
Concert – The Savoy Family Band, Metz‑Tessy, June 8

“I feel a responsibility to keep this part of it alive. I want to hold this right here and not change it. And I think that’s what tourists like, because they can come and go. And even if you don’t show up for, I don’t know, 30 years, it’s still the same thing.”- Sarah Savoy

A photograph taken inside the Savoy Family Center shows two accordions placed on a wooden table. The left accordion has a reddish-brown wooden case with brass fittings and black bellows, while the right accordion has a light-colored wood case with gold reeds and the inscription “ACADIAN MARK” on its grille. A handwritten note on the wall behind them mentions “Blue Fluted Bellows” and “No Stop Rings.”
Accordions on display at the Savoy Family Center

Wilson described his path as an addiction. He got homesick for the sound while away at school. He picked up an accordion his father built for him and became obsessed, playing 24 hours a day. He now champions the accessible, welcoming nature of the instrument and the culture. He explains how the diatonic accordion’s design forgives beginners and how true learning comes from immersion.

“You just got to come to the jam session. Sit back, have some food, drink a coffee, and listen to the music. If you do that long enough, you just have it all in your head.”- Wilson Savoy

A woman with gray hair plays a violin in an indoor setting at the Savoy Family Center. She stands facing three audience members seated in chairs, one of whom holds a guitar, while another person on the right holds a video camera recording the performance. The room has wooden walls, an air conditioner, and colorful string lights above a shelf.
Violin performance at the Savoy Family Center

He also highlighted the innovative work of his brother Joel, an accomplished woodworker not present that day. Joel engineers new ideas into the accordions, figuring out how to make them louder and more efficient while respecting tradition.

“Joel wasn’t that scared to keep it in the tradition, but also figure out ways to make it. Maybe it’s possible to improve on these designs.”- Wilson Savoy

An older man in a green‑plaid shirt plays a mandolin while seated in a chair, focused on his instrument. Behind him, an older woman with gray hair plays a violin, positioned at a music stand in the same indoor setting. Other people sit nearby, and a photographer stands in the background capturing the scene.
Seniors performing mandolin and violin music

Gabrielle, the youngest, is a visual artist. Music is the “language of her soul,” but she expresses the family’s story through painting. This choice makes sense for her more introverted nature. She articulated the center’s deeper purpose with poignant clarity.

“My dad put his blood, sweat, and tears into making this place and creating a safe haven where the older generation could feel seen and heard and valued, and the younger generation could learn by watching and listening.”- Gabrielle Savoy

A group of musicians rehearses in the Savoy Family Center. Eight men sit in a circle playing guitars and a violin while a woman with her back to the camera plays an upright piano positioned in front of a large window with red curtains and a fan on top. The setting shows a cozy, wood‑paneled music room.
Musicians rehearsing at the Savoy Family Center

The Ripple Effect: From Newport to New York

The impact of the Savoys’ work radiates far beyond family. The center grew from a local shop into a cultural landmark. It functions as an open, inclusive community node. I spoke with Steve Wimmer, a musician visiting from New York. He first came in 1985 while studying with the legendary fiddler Dewey Balfa. For him and for many, the center became a foundational classroom and community hub. It was a place where legends like Wade Fruge and Dennis McGee would visit.

A vintage promotional poster for the Oregon Festival of American Music featuring a black‑and‑white photograph of three musicians from The Savoy‑Doucet Cajun Band—one with a guitar, one with an accordion, and one with another guitar—posing on outdoor steps
1997 OFAM poster – Savoy‑Doucet Cajun Band concert

“It’s always been a place where the working musicians come. It’s also been a place where other local musicians would just sort of come hang out or visit some of the old, older musicians.”- Steve Wimmer

A photograph taken inside the Savoy Family Center shows two mixed‑media artworks featuring a portrait of Ann Savoy with the phrase “Another Heart,” accompanied by painted guitars and other decorative elements. Beside the artworks rests a red‑brimmed white trucker hat with red embroidered text reading “Savoy Music Center ACCORDION FACTORY & HOME OF THE ACADIAN ACCORDION Est. 1960.” A pink “ULTRA-DI” canister is partially visible on the right.
Savoy Family Center display of Ann Savoy art and branded merchandise

Another visitor, Lydia Garrison, returned to play. She had childhood memories of climbing trees in the parking lot while her mother danced and played inside. For her, the music holds a unique, healing power and represents a refreshing authenticity.

“I went to see a Cajun band, and I was dancing. I felt like I was in heaven, like heaven was on earth. It’s about the fun. It’s about the energy. I like how music here is, it’s more just what everybody does.”- Lydia Garrison

Woman dancing in the Savoy Center music shop

The Transformative Legacy

As the final notes of the morning faded, people lingered over the last of the boudin and cracklins. The full scope of the legacy came into focus. Marc Savoy, once the defiant pioneer, now sees his “footprint” in his children. 

The image shows an interior scene at the Savoy Family Center where two musicians are performing for two audience members holding violins. On the left, Marc Savoy, wearing a black shirt, plays an accordion, while a man in a white jacket and brown cap plays an acoustic guitar beside him. The setting includes wooden walls with handwritten notices visible in the background.
Marc Savoy playing accordion with a guitarist at the Savoy Family Center

It is not just in their music, but in their opinions, their humor, and their unwavering commitment to authenticity. He has lived to see the word “Cajun” transform from a term of condescension to one signifying honesty, expertise, community, and the unique identity of Louisiana.

A photograph of a book titled “Made in Louisiana: The Story of the Acadian Accordion” lying flat on a wooden surface. The cover features a large image of a wooden Acadian accordion with decorative branding and buttons, shown in an upside-down orientation relative to the book title.
Made in Louisiana: The Story of the Acadian Accordion book cover

Today, he makes accordions for clients worldwide, but his hope is for young people to re-examine the legacy their parents might have ignored. He sees it as a vital antidote to what he calls the “United States of Generica,” a homogenized culture where true roots are forgotten. He strives to keep his Cajun identity from dissolving into the great American melting pot.

A vintage-style concert poster shows a sepia photograph of five musicians from The Savoy Family Band posing with a violin, accordion, and guitar above a yellow advertisement for their Cajun music show. The event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 pm at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Maine, with ticket prices of $15 in advance or $18 at the door. The poster urges attendees to “Don’t forget your dancin’ shoes!”
Savoy Family Band Cajun concert poster for Nov. 12 at Strand Theatre

Savoy Family Music Center: A Living Sanctuary for Generations

The Savoy Music Center is more than a store or a venue. It is a resilient, human-powered ecosystem engineered by one family’s vision and stubborn love. Marc built the ark with his hands, crafting 532 parts into a work of art to instill appreciation for what ancestors lovingly left in our care. Anne fostered the boundless community within it. Their children now steer it forward, each adding their own timber to the hull.

A workshop scene showing a yellow, worn industrial machine with a large flywheel on a stand next to a long wooden workbench cluttered with tools, a paper towel roll, grinding wheels, and various workshop supplies. The wall behind has pegboard, cabinets, and a “RE‑ELECT NO ONE” sticker.
Cluttered workshop bench with machine and tools

The family’s collective drive, as Gabrielle and Wilson noted, is to follow their hearts unapologetically. This is a courage modeled by their parents. They handle the culture with care, ensuring it evolves from the inside with respect. It is not a frozen artifact but a living, growing entity still connected to its deep roots. In the grand court of Louisiana’s culture, the Savoy family reigns with accordions, cast iron, and oral tradition.

A group of musicians rehearses in the Savoy Family Center. Eight men sit in a circle playing guitars and a violin while a woman with her back to the camera plays an upright piano positioned in front of a large window with red curtains and a fan on top. The setting shows a cozy, wood‑paneled music room.
Musicians rehearsing at the Savoy Family Center with the Savoy family

In a world that often feels homogenized, they offer something priceless and real. It is a tradition kept alive not behind glass, but in the shared, daily acts of playing, listening, speaking French, and breaking boudin together. They stand as true culture keepers. They ensure the soulful, syncopated heartbeat of Cajun Louisiana, once stifled by shame, now resonates as a powerful, unbroken rhythm for all who seek it.

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