Award-Winning Louisiana Storyteller and Acclaimed Jazz Musician Team on Children’s CD

(PRWEB) January 24, 2005

¡Baile! ¡Canta! Dance! Sing! It's a World Fiesta! Award-winning Storyteller Dianne de Las Casas teams up with acclaimed jazz musician, Betsy Braud the Jazz Nurse, in a lively fusion of storytelling and music. World Fiesta ~ Celebrations in Story and Song, a children’s audio recording, celebrates cultures around the world with tales from Mexico, India, Greece, the United States, Africa and Germany complimented by cool, jazzy music.

Dianne de Las Casas has lived and traveled worldwide. In November and December, 2004, toured in the Philippines and Singapore. De Las Casas has an international family: her mother is from the Philippines, her stepfather is from Cajun Louisiana, her mother-in-law is from Honduras, and her father-in-law hails from Cuba. As a multicultural citizen of the world, she appreciates the people, the food, and the music of other cultures and loves sharing it with others. Her performances are delightful retellings of world folktales full of fun audience participation for the entire family. A leader in the arts community, de Las Casas has co-founded several arts organizations and is a Louisiana Touring Directory Artist. She encourages families to spend time together and highlights “Together Time” activities in her monthly email newsletter, Story Connection Express. de Las Casas’ debut CD, Jambalaya ~ Stories with Louisiana Flavor, won three national awards including iParenting Media, Children’s Music Web, and Storytelling World.

Talented multi-instrumentalist Betsy Braud hails from Thibodaux, Louisiana, deep in bayou country. Her jazz, described as “Latin-flavored Bayou Jazz,” is influenced by the flavor of her Cajun upbringing. Braud plays the flute, saxophone, piccolo, and piano. She enjoys teaching music to children through artist residencies in schools and truly encourages creative self-expression as well as honoring one’s family’s cultural heritage. A protégé of Alvin Batiste, Braud has been gracing the Louisiana jazz scene for over two decades. Braud’s combo, The Jazz Nurse Prescription, showcases her unique musical style, Latin-Flavored Bayou Jazz. Braud recently released her second jazz CD, Just What the Doctor Ordered.

De Las Casas says, “Working with Betsy has been an incredible experience. She made me see possibilities in my stories I never knew existed. World Fiesta is a true collaborative effort and we learned a lot from each other’s creative process. Our goal was to create a CD that truly honored children and the rich cultural heritage of families around the world. I hope we accomplished that.”

De Las Casas and Braud believe that music and stories have the power to connect people of diverse cultures in a celebration of love and life. They hope World Fiesta serves as a passport into the imagination, bringing world cultures to life through the magic of stories and song. World Fiesta can be ordered at http://www.storyconnection.net, http://www.cdbaby.com and http://www.amazon.com

Note: Photos and CD Cover downloadable from website http://www.storyconnection.net in “Press Kit” section

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