For many years, lovers of traditional Cajun music felt unappreciated in south Louisiana, losing favor to zydeco and swamp pop musicians who took center stage.

But with the birth of the Cajun Music Preservation Society, the music of Acadiana’s ancestors is making a comeback by taking over festivals like the Louisiana Swamp Stomp, founder Quentin Fontenot said.

The rag-tag group of acoustic instrument-loving musicians gathers every other week at The Venetian in Thibodaux, circling up in the corner of the bar while the bar’s regulars tap their feet along to the music.

Simply put, the group’s goal is to increase the amount of traditional Cajun music that’s played at local events, including festivals and regular weekend gigs.

The Cajun Music Society formed in April 2014, growing slowly over time to earn the reputation it now holds as the leading local source of verified, traditional Cajun musicians.

But the people the group attracts isn’t just those who already have a love for the music. More often than not, Fontenot said they draw in people who are unfamiliar with it.

Some say the best way to learn an instrument is just to pick it up and start playing along with others. So that’s what the group does, every other week it gathers and forms a jam circle with a collective rhythm.

Most of the musicians who come to the jam sessions have never played Cajun music, instead opting for genres like folk and bluegrass. But, they have a desire to learn, Fontenot said.

Others have never picked up an instrument in their lives, he said.

Fontenot said he began playing the accordion just recently. Misty Leigh McElroy said she picked up the guitar since working with the society.

That’s how the music has been able to spread, bringing in over 120 different musicians in the past three years, all working together to preserve the culture of those who lived in south Louisiana for decades, Fontenot said.

It was because of these efforts that the group was honored by the Environmental Protection Agency with the Gulf Guardian award in 2015 and the Unsung Music Hero Award from the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce in 2016, Fontenot said.

Some musicians travel from great distances to take part in resurrecting the culture. Dave Nieland is a Baton Rouge resident, retired from Louisiana State University, who makes the drive about once a month to jam with his friends.

With tears in his eyes, Nieland said, “It’s not the music, it’s the people. There’s nothing as fun as playing music with friends.”

Originally from Minnesota, Nieland said he moved to Baton Rouge in the mid-'80s, but he fell in love with the culture and the people.

Although he doesn’t understand a lick of Cajun-French or the right notes to play, he picks up his 12-string guitar and plays along.

“The songs are relatively easy, all you have to do is just keep up,” Nieland said.

But according to Fontenot, Nieland isn’t the only one who gets emotional hearing the music.

For older generations who grew up listening and playing this music, when they come and see the group play, they become visibly emotional, Fontenot said.

“It’s not just music, it’s a feeling,” he said.

Staff Writer Julia Arenstam can be reached at 850-1148 or julia.arenstam@houmatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @gingerale214.