Colonna is presently opening for a musical act that almost no one would think to associate with her — the Zombies.
Everything the Zombies did, they did in the 1960s. The band was formed by Rod Argent in 1961. In the middle of the decade, it had two Top 10 hits “She’s Not There” (No. 2) and “Tell Her No” (No. 6), which can still be heard on oldies radio. Its big moment came in 1969, when its most popular hit — the psychedelic anthem “Time of the Season” — reached to top of the Billboard charts. By the time it hit No. 1, the band had already broken up.
More than a generation separates the Zombies and Colonna. But there is little doubt that she grew up hearing “Time of the Season” on the radio.
Colonna has opened for the Zombies before — in 2013 at SXSW (the South by Southwest music and film festival in Austin). She had just released We Are One, an album of love songs for Louisiana recorded with the help of producer Papa Mali, a Shreveport native who is now based in New Orleans. Mali was the person who introduced Zombies’ manager Cindy da Silva and Colonna; after the introduction, Colonna helped the Zombies get a spot at SXSW.
Says da Silva, “she was also kind enough to help us sort a keyboard when we came back to debut the Zombies documentary Hung Up on a Dream, then worked to land a studio space for our NPR interview.”
A decade later, when da Silva first heard Colonna’s new single, “Inspired,” on TikTok this summer, she immediately wrote Colonna: “Wish I could put you on part of the Zombies’ tour.”
Colonna wound up opening for the re-formed Zombies for the October dates for the band’s 2023 U.S. East Coast tour. In a phenomenon that is almost unheard of for a 1960s group, every member of the original Zombies is still alive and still performing onstage with the band.
Colonna will soon be coming back to Lake Charles for the first time since 2019 when she appears at the Speakeasy at the Panorama Music House on Nov 18 at 7 pm. As you would expect, she’s currently booking concerts and festivals for 2024.
Big Defender Fund
Do you remember when MacKenzie Scott got divorced from Jeff Bezos in 2020 and gave away $6 billion in charitable contributions in a single year? (By now, she has given away a total of $15 billion. Bezos got caught having an affair — after fewer than two years of marriage. It could have been called the $35 billion affair, since $35 billion was the size of the settlement the judge awarded Scott in the couple’s divorce.)
Well, Scott directed that $1.1 million of her donated money go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana.
That group recently celebrated the reopening of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA headquarters, which was taken out of operation by four 2020 events that were declared natural disasters by the federal government. BBBS also had to fight a prolonged legal battle with its insurance company to get payment for repairs of the hurricane damage of the BBBS headquarters.
The group used Scott’s contribution to launch the Big Defender Fund. The people at BBBS consider this money to be a way to “future-proof” the organization in light of the pandemic and the years of challenging weather events that may lie ahead.
The Big Defender Fund, which was created in partnership with the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, will provide BBBS of SWLA with a steady income stream to support its mission of creating relationships that nurture the potential of the area’s youth. The fund will also be used to expand youth safety practices, offer support services for parents and guardians, and provide innovative new mentoring programs that reach older youth and young adults.
“The uncertainty of the last few years … highlighted the need to diversify our funding and create sustainability,” says Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana CEO Erin Davison. “The Big Defender Fund provides [the] mechanism” for doing that.
The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana will provide oversight and expertise for the Big Defender Fund. It will develop sound investment strategies for the fund’s funds.
Sara Judson, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, says, “The Big Defender Fund will allow donors to contribute to a cause they are passionate about, receive an immediate tax benefit, and know they are investing in our community by supporting youth mentoring programs.”
BBBS of SWLA facilitates mentoring relationships for youths 6 to 18 in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis and Vernon Parishes. Their programs focus on empowering marginalized youth and promoting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
According to Davison, “youth who participate in mentoring programs achieve positive outcomes, including better grades, higher graduation rates, and [the belief] that they can say no to drugs, violence and skipping school.”
Donors can learn more and contribute to the Big Defender Fund by visiting the Community Foundation of SWLA website at foundationswla.org.
SoWeLa SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has a SoWeLa region. SoWeLa SCCA has been headquartered in Lake Charles for more than 50 years. It promotes the spirit of friendship, competition and sportsmanship as well as a passion for all things motorsports. In some local families, more than one generations has participated in SoWeLa SCCA events.
SoWeLa SCCA has classes available for those who drive almost any vehicle, from American muscle cars to family sedans, trucks to imports, home-built race cars to formula cars, fresh-off-the-lot stock to old barn finds and all vehicles in between. All you need to compete is a vehicle in safe working condition, a valid drivers license and “a desire to have fun.”
The SCCA is a not-for-profit organization run entirely by local volunteers. The group has a Facebook page as well as a website at sowela-scca.org.
Holiday Taste and Sell
Holiday Taste and Sell is the annual fundraiser for the Friends of the Welsh Museum. This year’s Holiday Taste and Sell will take place on Thursday, Dec. 7, from 5:30 to 8 pm, at the Welsh Museum at 202 E. South Street.
The $15 ticket will give participants the opportunity to sample more than 30 different dishes prepared by museum volunteers. Those who find the dishes especially tasty may want to buy the museum volunteers’ cookbook, which will be on sale for $10. For ticket info, call 337-790-9857 or 337-802-5842.
Tree Planting At West Park
Some of you may have noticed the trees that were recently being planted at P.W. West Park. This planting is part of an effort to reforest the park.
West Park’s virgin pine canopy was destroyed in the 2020 hurricanes. Those old growth pine trees cannot be replaced or regrown in our lifetime. But the oak trees that are being planted in their place are symbols of strength, stability and longevity that will provide much shade and beauty long into the future.
A great deal of planning has gone into this project. The City of DeRidder purchased 25 trees from the Wilkinson Tree Farm in Iowa. Company staff helped plant the trees. The trees planted were Louisiana native trees: nine live oaks, eight red oaks and eight willow oaks.
Sponsorships for the project are being sought; they will raise funds needed to purchase and plant 25 more trees. Sponsorships are $2,000 each. They earn donors a spot on a large, commemorative metal tree that will be placed in the park. Sponsorships can be made in the memory or honor of someone. They can represent a business, organization or individual.
Ornamental trees will be added in a second phase of the project. There will be additional opportunities to sponsor those for a lesser amount. Those interested in sponsorships can contact Ashley Craddock at 337-462-8900 or by e-mail at acraddock@cityofderidder.org.
A Christmas Carol
If you feel that the age of stream is not providing you with the wide variety of televised versions of Dickens’ Christmas Carol that you enjoyed in your youth, you may just want to catch the version of the story being performed by the Impromptu Players of DeRidder.
Their final stagings of A Christmas Carol will take place on Nov. 18 (dinner and show) and Nov. 17 (just the show). Tickets — $15 for adults and $12 for students — give attendees access to concessions during the performance. In addition, there will be a raffle for a hand-crocheted Christmas Afghan (drawing on Nov. 18).
The Impromptu Players’ home base is at 102 E. 1st St. in DeRidder. For dinner reservations, call 337-375-1171.
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