Cajun Music

[BOP]

As difficult as it may be to believe, not everyone is a fan of Cajun music. I've been one ever since I first heard the Ragin' Cajun, Doug Kershaw, at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

So, being as not everyone's a fan, though they should be, this here thread is dedicated to Cajun music, both classic and modern, as well as Zydeco, swing, and everything else.

Here's some young folks keeping the tradition alive, Feufollet.



This one is of the late, great Dewey Balfa (you can't talk about Cajun music in Louisiana without mentioning Dewey Balfa) in what used to be the only example of fiddlesticks on the interwebz. There are more, now, but I haven't listened to them yet.



Doug Kershaw, the Ragin' Cajun. If I remember correctly, he was discovered by Johnny Cash. He has quite a body of work, both on his own and with his brother Rusty. This one is with his band, including his son on the drums.

 

[BOP]

The line between Zydeco and Cajun music, if there is one, is pretty blurry. As a broad, sweeping generalization, I always understood Zydeco to be dominated by the accordion, and more influenced by Creole music, as well as soul music and the jazz and blues of the Mississippi delta.

Cajun, on the other hand, tended to be more fiddle dominated, and in a lot of ways, sounds a lot like the western swing it influenced and was influence by. It was also influenced (heavily) by the Scots-dominated music of Appalacia, as well as the French music of Acadia (were a lot of my people are from) New Breton, and France.

Again, very broad, sweeping generalizations that don't hold true in every case.

That, plus a lot of people like Doug Kershaw, and the Meters pretty well pounded the hell out of that line anyway.

This is "My Toot Toot," which is Cajun French for sweetie. It was actually written by the late Rockin' Sidney Simien, who's the guy playing accordion in this video.



Rockin' Sydney:

 

[jazz lady]

Just saw Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys perform a couple of weeks ago at the Southern Maryland Blues Festival. They were awesome!

 

[mamatutu]

 

[kom526]

BOP - You'd be in Cajun music heaven at the French quarter Festival in NOLA. I think they had 25 stages set up all over the Quarter. The dates for 2014 are 12-13 April. I know I'll be down there again in a few short months.

 

[jazz lady]

Another group that performed at the Southern Maryland Blues Festival - Swampcandy out of Annapolis. They're playing tonight at the Ruddy Duck in Lusby.

 

[BOP]

Buckwheat Zydeco!

 

[BOP]

I hear that he's eye-candy, but I don' know 'bout dat. This is a different kind of blues than I'm used to hearing from him, but he's talking about the fact that the land in LA is being reclaimed by the sea at a pretty fast clip. It can be a downer going back to places you knew and loved and seeing how much they've changed, but imagine going back to visit a place that held fond memories - and they're not there.

 

[BOP]

Another one by Tab Benoit. This one is more like what I'm used to hearing from him.

 

[BOP]

the late, great Dewey Balfa's daughter Christine and her band, the Balfa Toujours, exporting Cajun Music (and world peace) to the world.

The sound quality could be better; it comes and goes, but I think that's the sound system.

 

[BOP]

I don't know if he's any relation to Tab Benoit, but he plays what a lot of older folks think of as "traditional" Cajun music.

 

[BOP]

This is vintage Cajun, featuring Cleoma Falcon (nee Breaux) on vocals and guitar, along with her husband Joe Falcon. Together, they are reportedly the first to record a Cajun album. Vintage Cajun is really not for everyone. Like the very early blues, it's somewhat rough on the ears until you get used to it, seeing as how most of us are used to our music fuller, and in stereo. Once you get accustomed to it, you'll probably love it like I do.



The guy that posts some of these translates them as well. This one is a tear-jerker.

 

[BOP]

One of my most favoritist Cajun band, L'Angélus (roughly pronounced Lon-ge-lou), singing "The Back Door," with author and legend D.L. Menard. On Pandora, there's a version of this with the same lineup where one of the girl siblings (Katie, I think) sings lead as a solo.




L'Angélus in concert. The normal lineup is 2 sisters and 2 brothers (bass, lead, fiddle, and drums). That's mother Linda on acoustic guitar and soloing on "Faded Love," seen below.



L'Angelus Band - Official Website

 

[BOP]

Michel Fugain from 1975. Someone suggested L'Angélus cover this, but to my knowledge, they have not done so.

 

[BOP]

The Ragin' Cajun, Mister Doug Kershaw with a song he and his late brother Rusty made the charts with in 1961. That's his son (Tyler, I think) on drums. I also like the version Mel McDaniel does.




Rusty and Doug:

 

[BOP]

I was listening to Hadley Castille early this morning, and tonight, I stumbled on this with his granddaughter Sarah Jayde Williams. "She continued her classical training for 12 years. Then we decided that was enough; it was gonna mess up her cajun fiddling."




Another popular song, "Diggy Liggy Lo," en français*, which is fairly unusual. At least all the versions I've heard are in english (or some mixture) The vocals aren't quite good enough to hear it clearly, but the instrumentation is awesome!

Not sure who the girl is, but she plays a mean fiddle, and not hard to look at, either!

*disclaimer: my french is rustier than an old tractor, and I remember enough to be dangerous - or get my face slapped, whichever comes first!

 

[BOP]

Another with Hadley Castille and granddaughter Sarah Jayde.


Oops...that wasn't supposed to happen!

 

[BOP]

The incomparable Queen Ida and her button accordian. Excellent version of "Jambalaya."



Grand Mamou is another popular cajun/zydeco song that a lot of people have covered. Queen Ida's version. It's not my favorite version, but it's a good one, and I like Queen Ida.

 

[BOP]

Bonsoir Catin. The name means "Goodnight Ladies," or more literally, Goodnight Dolls. Cajun French, for a long time, was somewhat "time-capsuled," meaning that the french they spoke was not that much different than the french that came with the Acadiens (my ancestors) from France by way of Canada. It meant that the french spoken by francophones in many regions of the world was hard to understand for the cajuns, and vice versa.

In modern times, especially with the resurgence of interest in cajun language in Louisiana, there's also been a "leveling" affect as there has been more mingling of francophones from other areas of the world, including modern france, where the language has evolved from being a xerox of cajun. The word Catin, in some french-speaking locales actually means "prostitute."

So, if you're interested in the cajun language, be aware that the language you learn may contain words that offend older cajun speakers, and vice versa.

 

[BOP]

Sarah Jayde Williams with her band the Sharecroppers, featuring her grandfather, the late, great Hadley Castille on fiddle.