By Kristen P. Townsend
NATCHITOCHES – Six gospel musicians and a multi-media folk artist were inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center’s Hall of Master Folk Artists Saturday at the 44th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival. Inductees were Cynthia Ramirez and the Zion Harmonizers, whose leader, Brazella Briscoe, served as honorary festival chair.
Director of the Louisiana Folklife Center at Northwestern State University Dr. Shane Rasmussen led the induction ceremony, assisted by the reigning Miss Northwestern – Lady of the Bracelet Madison Simms.
The Zion Harmonizers are based in New Orleans and have been performing since 1938. They have performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for over 40 years, anchoring and curating the Gospel Tent at the Festival. They have toured in Canada and across much of Europe, receiving widespread acclaim.
Briscoe received the honor of leading the Zion Harmonizers in 2007, but he felt he could not accept such an honor until then leader Sherman Washington passed away in 2011. He has led a full and adventurous life and considers his time with the Zion Harmonizers a tremendous blessing.
Ramirez received an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the University of New Orleans. She is a Professor of Fine Art at Southern University at New Orleans and taught visual art at the New Orleans Recreation Department Commission. Ramirez created a Day of the Dead Altar at the Louisiana State Museum: Cabildo, the U.S. Mint, the Ogden Museum of Art and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Her Day of the Dead Altars preserve and present her folk artistry expertly and personally.
More information on the Louisiana Folklife Center and the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival can be found at https://www.nsula.edu/folklife/.
Support for the Festival was provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and the State of Louisiana. The festival was sponsored by Bank of Montgomery, C&H Precision Machining, City Bank, Cleco, Evans Family, LLC, the Harrington Law Firm, International Paper, the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival, Natchitoches Wood Preserving Company and Young Estate, LLC
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Director of the Louisiana Folklife Center and Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Dr. Shane Rasmussen with the Zion Harmonizers and Miss Northwestern-Lady of the Bracelet Madison Simms.
