With a heavy music scene in southern Louisiana, it’s hard to squeak out a small sound amid the loud background noise. But, if one local musician gets his way, the community will be singing in harmony.
The third annual Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival kicks off Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. at the North Boulevard Town Square. The party continues throughout the day and closes at 7 p.m.
The event will showcase live bands, vendors, visual artists and festival food. The festival is free, but VIP tickets can be purchased for $25. VIP ticket holders receive a “Taste of Louisiana” meal and are eligible for photo opportunities with the talent.
Baton Rouge musician Henry Turner Jr. also serves as the festival organizer. Boasting an impressive resume, he has extensive experience as a musician, vocalist, guitar player, composer, producer and promoter.
“I try to find out what our city doesn’t have and motivate and stimulate a market group to the point where other people would get involved,” Turner said.
The musical headliner is set to be Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor, but the festival will offer many musical talents like Smokehouse Porter and Miss Mamie, Kyndra Joi and Soul Theory and Spred the Dub.
He has produced the two previous Baton Rouge Mardi Gras festivals, and also admitted that he pays for most of the festival out of his own pocket.
The musician’s experience started at a mere 12 years old. His musical career escalated in 1978 when he started working with the band Crystal. After his stint in Crystal, Turner began producing music and started a career as a radio announcer, but returned as a performer around 1984.
Turner got his first record deal in his early twenties. He hit the road, heading to New York. He worked on the East Coast and outside of the country. He said while he loved Louisiana, for his career, he had to leave to survive.
A mix of blues, soul, jazz and funk, he and his band have been touring for the past 30 years. He has found success, but remembers his roots and the importance of his origin. His primary mission is to introduce the diversity and culture of his Louisiana world to the world around him, wherever that may be.
His newest release, “The Baton Rouge Theme Song,” explains his experience as he falls in love with the city all over again. Excited about where Baton Rouge is musically and professionally, Turner said the downtown environment is budding and music is now being accepted.
“People 25 or 30 years ago didn’t get the chance to experience music like it is now,” he said. “I’ve been in a lot of major cities and I’ve seen the music scene develop in Sedona and Eugene. The same scenario is now happening here.”
Along with the festival, his latest pet project, the Henry Turner Jr. Listening Room, opened recently in Baton Rouge. He said with as much talent as Baton Rouge has, there was no introducing spot. With the listening room, he sets out to explore new markets and introduce up-and-coming musical talents to the area.
With these two large projects in the works, Turner is set out to achieve one thing: give everyone a hand in Baton Rouge’s sound.
“I want to get the city involved,” he said. “I want everyone to be a part of the music.”