When Forest Huval – pronounced Who Val – first came to Red River in 2012 as part of Al Berard’s Cajun band, the accordion player extraordinaire was 17 years old and had never skied in his life. The drummer with the band offered to teach him everything he needed to know and told him “I got this.”
The duo rode the chairlift to the top. Taking a deep breath they headed downhill when Forest realized his “friend” hadn’t showed him how to stop. Gaining speed down The Face, the Lift House loomed ahead, getting rapidly closer. Eyes wide open, Forest managed to avoid the skiers in front of him before crashing through the orange safety fence and making contact with the Lift House wall.
Despite that experience, Forest looks forward to heading for New Mexico to play for Mardi Gras in the Mountains and especially looks forward to skiing Red River.
“Man, I love it up there,” he said in a phone interview from his home in Cecilia LA. “People in Louisiana ask me ‘It’s Mardi Gras: why you leavin’ town?’ I tell them ‘You got no idea where I’m goin’ for Mardi Gras! It’s a great time in Red River!’ That’s all I can tell ‘em! If you’re thinkin’ about going to Mardi Gras in the Mountains, do it!”
Forest recently received a Masters Degree from LSU in Entomology, doing field work in Peru and Costa Rica, and is preparing to start work on his Doctorate.
As for the music, he recently won the award for Best First Album conveyed to him by the Cajun French Music Association, an award that is most satisfying for him.
“A lot of my favorite accordion players have won that award. It’s good to be associated with those names.”
The award-winning album is called… Forest Huval (what else?).
Forest and Bon Temps will be playing every night from February 8 thru Fat Tuesday, February 13.
Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll!