Now in its 78th season of celebrating the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, most Teche Area residents of older age can remember the Brown Sugar Parade — remembered by most as the best parade and one not to be missed. For more than four decades, it has been out of the schedule and not among the festivities celebrated by farmers and area residents. The traditional Brown Sugar Parade may not have returned, but the music has, thanks to Anthony “Moose Harris” Daniels.

The New Iberia native said as the guest speaker at last week’s New Iberia Kiwanis luncheon, that it didn’t matter he went to school at the University of New Orleans and studied under Ellis Marsalis and others, that he’s played on stages — music and acting — all across the U.S. and beyond, he is 100 percent New Iberia.

An Iberia Parish Schools student and 1998 graduate of New Iberia Senior High, his adult life includes studying music business, performance, and sociology at UNO, being a Veteran of the Louisiana Army National Guard, Hurricane Katrina survivor and a popular Beerman at the Superdome for 21 seasons. As an artist, musician, producer, promoter, Radio DJ, actor and journalist, Daniels is a member of Envision da Berry and the coordinator of The Brown Sugar Music Festival. He is making an impact on the community where he grew up and hopes to see the music festival become an anticipated new aspect of the sugar cane festival.