Catfish & Cotton; A 4,500 Mile Pilgrimage to the Mississippi Delta

Going to the Mississippi Delta is a pilgrimage that many fans of music and the blues have made, both young and old. The delta has seen Presidents, internationally acclaimed artists, celebrities, and a great deal of musicians and admirers, reveling, wide-eyed, in Muddy Waters’ cabin, walking the streets where B.B. King played in doorways, and experiencing firsthand, all of the genuine genteel southern hospitality that the delta has to offer.

Marc and Luc Borms are staunchly devoted blues fans and musicians who are making that pilgrimage. Theirs is no ordinary journey, however. The two hail from a seemingly unlikely place to find the blues; they live in a small town named Erembodegem, located in Belgium, Europe. How a music born from hardship in a poverty-stricken land, on another continent and across an ocean can so profoundly impact others living half a planet away is a mysterious and complicated accomplishment, but an accomplishment nonetheless.  While it may be a surprise to many Americans, the blues continues to be very popular overseas. “The siren’s call of blues music doesn’t recognize any international borders,” says Jeff Konkel of Broke and Hungry Records. “The messages and emotions of the music are universal, so it’s no surprise that blues is celebrated all around the globe. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that Europeans in particular seem to hold a special place in their hearts for this music, and I’m always thrilled when foreign visitors come to the U.S. to celebrate and pay homage to this great American art form.” A number of the Broke and Hungry artists have a large, devoted following in Europe, and have toured across the Atlantic.

While there are a small number of guide books to the delta, there is no guide from the unique perspective of being from a foreign land. Hence, the brothers have been tirelessly planning Catfish and Cotton, an upcoming book on the people of the delta, and a guide to traveling the delta lands. “Although there is much info available on the internet,” explains Marc, “it is not so obvious for young European listeners to learn the overall story. There is little literature that explains the culture of the Delta. And it is not easy for young Europeans to visit the Delta.” The book will include a number of voices from the delta. “We meet more than 40 people. Artists, guitar players, harmonica teachers, painters, juke joint owners, studio-people, cooks in restaurants, music lovers, guitar builders, museum curators, and more.”

While a trip to the delta for this writer takes a mere couple of hours down highway 61, the trip for the brothers is a multi-day, 4,500 mile affair involving planes, trains and automobiles, crossing oceans and continents; all to make the pilgrimage to the land where the blues began, like so many other blues fans before them. “Going to the Mississippi Delta is indeed a long trip,” says Marc “We start the trip at 6 AM, taking the train to Brussels airport. We fly [across the Atlantic Ocean] to Atlanta, GA, locate the SUV and drive overnight 400 miles to Clarksdale, MS. We hope to arrive there after a trip of more then 30 hours.”

As the brothers carry on their journey, the American Blues Scene will be posting their updates, interviews and thoughts on their journey through the delta, ending in the most musical city in the world; New Orleans. More about the Catfish and Cotton project is at the official website. You can find the whole interview with the brothers below:

You guys are making a pretty long pilgrimage to the Mississippi Delta. Where are you coming from? How long will the trip to get here be?

We live in Erembodegem, Belgium, Europe. This is a small village, not far from Brussels.
Going to the Mississippi Delta is indeed a long trip. We start the trip at 6 AM, taking the train to Brussels airport on May 26th. We fly to Atlanta with Delta airlines  that takes off at 10.30 AM. We arrive in Atlanta,GA at 2.30 PM. Locate the SUV and drive overnight 400 miles to Clarksdale,MS. We hope to arrive there in the morning of May 27, after a trip of more then 30 hours. And then we go directly to the Jamcamp @ Hopson’s,organised by Jon Gindick where Luc will share his knowledge about the harmonica in a workshop.

Tell me about yourselves? What inspired you to make such a huge trip? What does this mean to you?

Marc Borms: I’m a blues and gospel piano player for over 30 years now, touring and gigging with Baltimore based gospel & blues singer Lea Gilmore for the last 15 years … travelling all over Europe and did lectures and concerts in Belgium, Holland, France, Scotland, Switzerland and the DC of Congo.

I’m also a historian of African American culture and music and very active in photography and graphic design.

I have my own graphic design company Embee and I’m manager of “Catfish & Cotton” production company.

Luc Borms: I’m playing guitar and harp for more than 35 years in different European blues bands. I’m is also founder, teacher and president of a non profit organisation (DOUBLE DEAL vzw) that promotes the blues-harmonica in Europe. DOUBLE DEAL vzw organizes workshops in harmonica and gives support to more advanced players. We have a number of teachers that give the workshops. During the last 5 years more than 800 students attended the harmonica-blues-workshops and more than 500 “do-it-yourself” instruction manuals for harmonica-playing were sold. I’m manager of “Catfish & Cotton” production company.

This trip is a dream we both had for many years.  We play the blues for a long time and have always been interested in African American culture. And going to the Delta, feels like coming home. We know the Delta, the stories, the people who live there. Meeting them will be like meeting old friends. It’s a real pilgrimage to the heart of the blues, and to our own heart,and so means a lot to us…

 

What are some of the things you’re planning on seeing in the delta?

We have a road book prepared. We meet more than 40 people, artists, guitar players, harmonica teachers, painters, juke joint owners, studio-people, cooks in restaurants, music lovers, guitar builders, museum curators, and more.

We will see a lot of things, museums, juke joints, Beale Street, Sun Studio, Gibson guitar factory, home studios, meet friends at their home…

And we will hear a lot of music. We will be attending the Freedom Creek festival in Aliceville, AL. We will go to the 10th anniversary celebration of Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. We are even invited in Sonny Payne’s King Biscuit Radio program in Helena, AK.
And we will play music ourselves, jamming with King Edward and friends at the Blue Monday Jam in Hal & Mal’s, Jackson.

 

I heard talks about a book in the works? Can you tell me a little about that plan?

The road book is the story of our journey, and become a roadmap for visiting the Delta. It will gather info about locations, music and most important: living blues people in Mississippi.

More then a road book it will be a collection of stories, of encounters with people rooted in the Mississippi blues, completed with handy info about “must sees” in the Delta. The book will include lots of photographs and will be supported with loads of multimedia material.

This book will show and display our true passion for this great art.

A documentary movie of the road trip is still an option.

There are already a couple, though notably few, “guide to the delta” books out there, but not anything with a European slant like yours. Can you tell me a little about the plan?

The interest in Blues and Jazz is growing rapidly in Europe. European audiences know and appreciate a lot of contemporary blues musicians and people want to learn about the roots of modern rock and pop-music. As a result there is a growing interest in the culture of the Mississippi Delta, the culture from which the blues originated.

Although there is much info available on the internet, it is not so obvious for young European listeners to learn the overall story.  There is little literature that explains the culture of the Delta. And it is not easy for young Europeans to visit the Delta.

So, a good road book, a roadmap for visiting the Delta, would fill an important need. This roadmap needs to give info about locations, music and most important: living blues people in Mississippi. It has to tell the story of the blues and the people of the Mississippi Delta.

 

What are you the most excited to see?

We want to play music with the local people. Because, no matter how beautiful the Delta, the people and the music they play,  are the most important part of the trip to us. We will try to locate the essence of blues in every days life and every days heart, to match it with the way how we feel about it.

Good luck on your journey, and have a great time!!