I’M A BAYOU KID!
July 20, 2018
REMEMBER PLANTS WHEN VACATIONING
July 20, 2018
The Terrebonne Parish courthouse square was packed Friday night as a new music festival made its debut.
Organized by Justin “DeeJay Juice” Patterson, the multi-genre street party included an ongoing display of the entertainer and community leader’s music-mixing skills. The event, he said, was a mixing of many aspects of his life.
“I always had the dream of getting everybody that I touched and had an influence on, at the same place, at the same time, all together, just to see how it would look, and this is it,” said Patterson
Patterson teaches Special Education at Coteau Bayou Blue Elementary, and has won praise from parish officials for his mentoring and volunteer work with young people. In an interview he spoke of the finer points of record spinning.
“There’s a lotta people who DJ and don’t know the art behind it; they’re just doing it for a name or a quick dollar,” said Patterson. “There’s an entire philosophy to being a DJ: The DJ is like the puppet master of every occasion.”
“Let’s just say somebody is getting married, and people come to fellowship at the reception,” he said. “So, if the DJ is not there, they’re like ‘Oh we can’t have the reception,’ but let’s just say the DJ is there, the bride and groom don’t even have to be there – point being, whoever the party is for don’t even have to be there, long as the DJ is there, there’s the party.”
People gathered under the square’s oak trees son fold out nylon chairs or on the metal benches until the sun went down to watch the many performances provided.
These included singers, dance teams, and Tiger Rock Martial Arts put on a demonstration.
One dance group was the Prancing Cajunettes.
Cee-Cee Fleming of the team said they would be performing to a song titled “Love” which would be a remix of music.
Jamia Diggs, the co-captain, described the dance as a majorette or “parade style dance.”
Not far from the dancer, seated on a bench, was Terrebonne Councilman Scotty Dryden. He said his daughter Brianna was going to be dancing with Houma Jr High.
Dryden said he was enjoying the event, though it was a little crowded.
“It’s alright, it’s good, you know a little hot” he said with a smile, “It’s good, it’s a little crowded. You got to work the first-year kinks out of it.”
There were 30 tents around the area, primarily along Goode St: Twenty served food while 10 had other items or services.
One tent had a sign that read “Kash Drinks,” and was serving traditional and strawberry lemonade.
Germanique Coleman, was helping three young entrepreneurs work the tent: Jaiya Cooper who wants to become a nurse, Latjsha Lawson who wants to be a cosmetologist, and Ciniyah Carter who wants to be a surgeon.
Coleman said she learned of the event because she is Patterson’s neighbor
“I’m just trying to teach them how to open and manage a business,” said Coleman
Coleman was also promoting her new business which would be opening in September on 7805 Main St. called “Beauty Palace,” which would be a makeup and lash bar.
Another stand, KL Sweet Treats, was firing up a grill. At the grill, Tracy Kenny and Tarry McGuire were talking.
Both said they knew Patterson for over 20 years and spoke highly of him.
“Always help the children of the community – doing what he can for the people. He’s been all the way around the world,” said McGuire.
“He’s a positive DJ,” added Kenny. “This new generation that’s coming up is kind of bad, he’s keeping them a little in control. The kids are going to Juice and it’s going to be a positive environment they’re in.”
“If they say DJ Juice, you don’t have to worry about it, you can let your kids go, you ain’t got to worry about it,” Kenny said.
