First Person: Robin Barnes, Award-Winning Singer & Songwriter

How do we joyfully celebrate the cultural melting pot that is Louisiana and pass on our history, traditions and language to future generations?

This is a question that award-winning vocalist and songwriter Robin Barnes, nicknamed the Songbird of New Orleans, began pondering when she discovered she had a tumor in her leg. Barnes’ new album Louisiana Love began brewing among the what-ifs and unknowns amid that experience. Now on the other side of her medical journey, Barnes is bringing Louisianans together and introducing our culture to countries around the world.

Louisiana Love not only tells the story of Barnes’ family. It brings together Louisiana through a mix of genres of collaborations with some of biggest names in local music. (See track list.)

When you were deciding to make this album, what was the process?

I had an entirely different album ready to go when I found out I had a tumor. I didn’t know if it was cancer, but I knew it needed to be removed. It brought to my attention the idea of mortality and being a mom and the way my family passes things down through oral tradition. The passing down in my family is from eldest daughter to eldest daughter, and as the eldest daughter, I thought instantly, “How am I going to explain nine generations of storytelling to a three-year-old?” My daughter was three at the time.

My family has learned what loss looks like without passing things down. I was supposed to learn from my mémé the recipes passed down through slavery—recipes that have lasted through nine generations. And then Hurricane Katrina took her from me. I’m the first generation that doesn’t have a recollection of those recipes. We think we have more time and sometimes we don’t.

I wanted to take on the major task of learning more about my history and how to create something beautiful that honors not only my lineage but all of Louisiana. My ancestry includes Nova Scotian, French and African. My mémére and pawpaw spoke Creole, and I was one of the generations that didn’t really know it.

The album was a discovery of my family in music form. It took three years. I focused on understanding the music, really diving into my ancestry, diving into the zydeco, the Creole, the Cajun music. I grew up listening to the music, but I thought, “how do I put my spin on it?” This album has so many heavy hitters because I collaborated with some of the most amazing culture bearers and teachers of the music.

I wanted to bridge Louisiana—the history, the food …. I’m so excited about this album because Louisiana’s HOME. I took for granted, and I think a lot of us take for granted, that Louisiana is such a beautiful and unique place in the world, from its history to origin. You can be in two different parts of Louisiana, but you better believe people are excited to feed you. You better believe someone is going to make you listen to their favorite song … if they’re not going to play it themselves. It’s like you have a new cousin every time you meet someone.

We need projects to keep cultures alive so we don’t forget. I know what’s it’s like when people do forget. I love the fact that music helps preserve culture very well. So many people who have heard this album may have never heard of me until now, but every single person could hear how much effort and time and intentional love I put in these songs. No, I am not a Cajun artist or zydeco artist, but I did everything with due diligence to make sure it honored who it was representing.

The biggest compliment in the world is when you have these amazing artists and culture bearers who are honoring this album and some of them will go, “I really like that song. Do you think I can play that before it comes out?” and I’m like, “nooo.” It was a beautiful collaboration, and I’m so honored that this little girl from New Orleans who had this really big idea, this really big dream, had all these artists say yes. That is what’s so beautiful about our culture and our music, especially our musicians. Everyone cares about preserving, and they all care about the story. If we don’t do it, who will?

This album is full of collaborations with other musicians, including Southwest Louisiana’s Rusty Metoyer. Did you know them before or did you reach out to them?

The New Orleanians I knew. I did research on the music and the new zydeco. I knew I had to have Jordan Thibodeaux, Drake LeBlanc and Cedric Watson on the album. I was thinking, “How are these guys going to know who I am? How am I going to get in touch with these people?” Well, I said yes to being a gumbo judge at the NOLA Zydeco Fest, and I found them! It was such a God send. They were all doing a jam session right next to my table. A full festival with music all day, all night, and it’s just a coincidence the three people I was looking for were right next to me?! So, I went up to them and told them about the project. I think it’s one of those special moments when people are really excited about someone younger who is not just interested in preserving their culture but also in learning more. I think the learning more was what was really important to them. And then doing the right thing with the music. I told them about my project and why I was doing it. I told them, “I’ll send you the songs. I’ve been so intentional about making this music sound amazing. I promise I won’t mess you up and put you on a horrible song,” and they were just like, “Ok. We’ll hear it first.” And they heard it, and they were so sweet.

Jordan and Drake were on Va Dansé. I couldn’t figure out this album without them. I couldn’t hear these songs without them. Seeing how much they have done for their own music and their own genres, they were the perfect people.

I always dreamed of having a beautiful Creole lullaby for my daughters. Regardless of what happens in life, I wanted to feel like they always had my voice to put them to bed. So, for the Creole lullaby, I could only hear my husband on base and a fiddle. I asked Cedric Watson, “Could you do a lullaby with me?” and he was like, “I don’t really do lullabies, but let me hear it.” He not only loved the melody, he went, “Wait, we need nylon guitar.” I said, “ok. Should we call someone to play nylon guitar? He goes, “I think I can play it.” He comes over, and he’s fiddling around because he does not play guitar, and he did it! He just picked it up. He played the fiddle and the guitar on that song. We made sure all the terms were correct in Creole and Louisiana French.

I grew up listening to zydeco. I knew I had to have two people who would bring that fire, that energy, that I grew up listening to. It had to be Dwayne and Rockin’ Dopsie on the same track—Eh Ma Belle.

I also wanted to show love to the more contemporary zydeco. And to me, the number one person I love listening to is Rusty Metoyer. He came in for Va Dansé, but I wanted him to hear the more modern zydeco since that’s more his realm. All I wanted was for him to tell me, “You’re on the right track.” He listened to Never Let Go and said, “I really like Va Dansé, but I think this one’s more me. Could I be on this one?”

Have you heard any of your songs in an unexpected place? 

I was touring in Australia and New Zealand. I went to this coffee shop and heard Rusty singing. He has this beautiful part in Never Let Go that says, “Your smile lights up the sky,” and then I realized I was singing with him. I went, “That’s my song!” I walked up to the cashier, and she said, “We love Louisiana, and this singer from New Orleans, Robin Barnes, has a show tonight. You should go.”

What do you want to express through Louisiana Love?

What I want when people hear this album is to experience joy. It’s a musical journey from the first song to the end. Everything is placed intentionally to make it feel like you are taking a road trip through Louisiana. It includes the nostalgia of home and the joy of the present day—that instant joy when you’re around a family table or at a cookout or a barbecue or a dance hall or a parade. It’s about enjoying life … celebrating life. I’m so proud to be a Louisiana music ambassador and to be taking our music all over the world. That’s what means the most to me—traveling and touring the world and showing people our culture, our joy and our music.

Barnes will be in Paris in October to headline a jazz festival. You can find Louisiana Love on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music or order an autographed CD. Visit robinbarnesmusic.com or social media @NewOrleansSongbird.