Cajun Music

BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
This is a montage, if you will, of Cajun musicians from in and around the Mamou area who greatly influenced, and were influenced by the music they played and heard. Mamou has been designated by the Louisiana legislature and the "Cajun Music Capital of the World."


 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
This is the story in song of the "Grand Dérangement", the great upheaval, when the British drove the Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755...told from the Acadian point of view, naturally.

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
Just for mamatutu. "Ma Louisiane" is a story of a young woman pining for her Louisiana many years after having left her childhood home. I've never heard it set to John Denver's "Country Roads," though I have heard other songs set to that tune. In fact, I'll post one, just for fun, in a bit.

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
Okay, just for fun, the late great Israel "Bruddah IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole singing a song based on the "Country Road" song by John Denver, only set in Hawaii.

Almost Heaven, West Makaha,
high-ridge mountain, crystal-clear blue water.
All my friends there hanging on da beach,
young and old among them,
feel the ocean breeze.

Country road, take me home,
to the place I belong,
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala.
Oh, take me home, oh, country road.

I heard a voice,
in the morning calm, she calls me,
as though to remind me of my Home far away.

Driving down the road,
I feel the Spirit coming to me,
from yesterday, yesterday.

All my memories hold Heaven on high,
brown-skinned woman, clear blue island sky.
Daytime sunshine, oo-ooh so bright,
midnight moon a-glowing, stars up in the sky.

Country road, take me home,
to the place I belong,
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala.
Take me home, take me home, country road.

I hear a voice, in the morning calm, she's calling,
as though to remind me of my Home far away.
We driving down the road, I feel the Spirits coming to me,
of yesterday, yesterday.

Almost Heaven, West Makaha,
high ridge mountain, crystal clear blue waters.
All my friends there sitting on the beach,
young and old among them,
eating fish straight from the sea.

Country road, take me home,
to the place I belong,
West Makaha, oh, Mount Ka'ala.
Take me home, oh country road.

Country road, take me home,
oh to the place I belong.
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala,
take me home, oh country road.

Country road, oh take me home,
yes to the place, to the place, I belong,
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala,
take me home country road.

Country road, take me home,
to the place I was born,
West Makaha, Mount Ka'ala.
Take me home, country road.......

[speaking]
Hoo-hoo! Hoo-tah!
Good fo' be back.
White san', clean watah.
Hoo boy, the mountain...feel the makani...
whew, what a place.



 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
It's not Cajun; it's jazz, but I thought y'all would like it. The Rebirth Brass Band with their album Rebirth of New Orleans. Personally, I can only take so much brass instruments, but it's a fun change of pace. Much better live, though.




Here's "It's All Over Now," which was written by Bob Dylan way back when. There's been several good covers, but this is the first one by a brass band.

 
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BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
Okay, enough of the brass band. Back to what I call Cajun rhythm and blues with my main man, Tab Benoit. This song ain't nothin' but a chance for Tab to show off his guitar playin'. You know what they say: it ain't braggin' if you can back it up! This is called "Boat Launch Baby." On bass is Corey Duplichin, from Chauvin, LA.

PS: Benoit's website says he was born in Baton Rouge, but most sources say he's from Houma. Being born somewhere isn't the same thing as being from there. Not sure who the drummer is.

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
Okay, I can't resist. Tab Benoit with Big Sam's Funky Nation, "We Make Good Gumbo."




Encore, "Jambalaya."

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
This is old Cajun stuff, y'all! If you ever notice on old Cajun songs, they tend to end pretty abruptly..."we through playing now!"

Amédé Ardoin - "Two Step De Eunice." Ardoin was actually Creole, one of, if not the first Creole to record Creole and Cajun music. He was also one of the early accordionists in Cajun music, since that instrument was not introduced into the genre until the early 1900s.

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
Canray Fontenot & BeauSoleil (Live) - "Jolie Bassette."

You can hear both the Cajun and Zydeco in this song. If you had to categorize the three (Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco), Cajun is more slow dance, waltz (valse) oriented, where Zydeco is more high-energy and you can hear the Caribbean influence. I'd say Creole is somewhere in the middle, but these are pretty broad generalizations. Nothing in the real world is so cut-and-dried, especially where music is concerned.

 
jazz lady

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
I'm happy to report that the Southern Maryland Blues Festival is ON again for this year (August 23rd and 24th) and they have some dynamite performers, including some with Cajun roots: Irma Thomas, Soul Queen of New Orleans; and Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas. :yay:

Festival link: http://www.somdblues.org/

[video=youtube;FlXZ6SVh6pE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlXZ6SVh6pE[/video]
 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
I know I've posted stuff by Bonsoir Catin, but I can't help myself. I dig the harmony whenever Kristi Guillory and Yvette Landry do "Alberta." Talk about unrequited love, now there's a song!

 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
This is Octa Clark, a Cajun accordian legend. for those of you who don't go to youtube and read the notes that the uploaders often upload with their videos, Clark was 90 years of age at the time of this video, and had suffered a mild stroke some days earlier. With the help of friends and family, and a rubber ball, Clark managed to rehabilitate his right hand well enough to perform on the day of the festival. That's a tough man, y'all!

 
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