Capturing the emotion of what it feels like to experience Southwest Louisiana was the goal of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau when working with community partners to produce the bureau's first-ever commissioned song to accompany an area wide video called “My Southwest Louisiana Home.”

“With new people moving to the area, combined with visuals having such a strong impact on inspiring travelers, we thought that it was important to have a colorful piece to tie everything together so that people can grasp the essence of Southwest Louisiana whenever they land on our website or are searching for places to visit,” said Shelley Johnson, executive director.

Sights, sounds, colors, flavors, wildlife, the spirit of the people, “My Southwest Louisiana Home” song and video strives to capture the area's sense of joie de vivre or joy of living. Wendy Colonna, a singer/songwriter from Lake Charles, currently tours across the country, was commissioned to write the song for the piece. 

“I was so honored to be invited to write this song. I see a lot of beautiful places and people when I travel, but when I'm asked along the road about where I come from. I share about the breathtaking natural beauty, the culture, music, food and hospitality of home. Writing the tune was the perfect opportunity to synthesize all the things I love about the area inside a groove and melody that really brings the experience to life,” said Colonna.

Over 50 people in the community came together to make this video a reality from local talent to people interested in helping with props or locations.

“The volunteers, models, boaters, people who donated props, their time and goodwill were overwhelming. This project is something that I believe everyone in Southwest Louisiana will be proud to show others, as it truly captures the beauty of not only our area but the spirit of the people who live here. Everyone on staff and throughout the area had a heart for the project,” said Angie Manning, communications director and project director.      

Adam Boozer with Stowaway worked with Shelley Johnson, executive director, and Manning on the storyboard and video creation, and along with Colonna, the project took life in the form of video and song. 

Local/Louisiana musicians worked on the piece as well including Matt Moss (bass), Brandon Ledet (accordion), Joel Savoy (fiddle), Sam Broussard (slide guitar) and Doug Gay (drums). The song was recorded and mixed by Matt Moss at EMF Productions, located in Lake Charles Music Plaza.

To view “My Southwest Louisiana Home,” log onto www.visitlakecharles.org/musicvideo.

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