 |
Welcome to "Cajun Corner".
The main reason for my first visit to Louisiana was purely musical.
I wanted to experience the atmosphere of those Cajun-songs in their original environment.
During my visit also the interest in the whole Cajun-culture grew.
Although their ancestors had a hard time, the Cajuns are a proud and optimistic folk.
This site is made to promote that great music from Southwest Louisiana's "Cajun Country".
On the Cajun Corner, you'll find information about Cajun, Zydeco & Swamp Pop music from
in and outside Louisiana.
Laissez les bons temps rouler !
Don't hesitate to contact me…
Yvieboy
|
Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns
This very energetic band brings all genres like Cajun, Zydeco, Rock’n’Roll, Country, Swamp Pop, Rock, Blues, Doo-Wop, etc. together in a steaming pot of gumbo. The ingredients stay present and recognisable in its own. When they play country, it stays country and when they play rock’n’roll, it stays rock’n’roll. So there’s a lot of variation coming out of this band. But you’ll always find Jamie’s kickin’ Cajun flavour added…
The cover of Jamie’s 2nd CD “Squeezeville” (which is my favourite one), showing a street with very big Cajun accordions as buildings, is like a dream for a Cajun accordion player and a nightmare for people living with an accordion player. Next to some surprising tracks, this CD is mostly filled with real good Zydeco and Cajun music. One of these surprises, and surely a highlight, is “Oh Marie”, a great Cajun flavoured Roots-Rock song. Another surprise is the country-rock version of Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” including piano and especially accordion. The totality of this band is resumed in the opening track “Watcha Gonna Do”. It’s wild rockin’ Zydeco with a modern Cajun flavour. The energy and full sound is also present on slower songs, such as “Duson Waltz”, “Gone Forever” and “Be Careful You’re Breaking My Heart”, 3 great Cajun waltzes.
Their 3rd CD “Garde Pas Ca (Don’t Look At That)” came out in 2004, also for “Totallyswamped Recordings”. Again there’s quite some variation in this CD including especially Zydeco, but also Cajun-Rock, Swamp Pop, Country, Rock’n’Roll and Soul.
Next to a very good accordionist, Jamie also is a very well singer. This is especially well demonstrated on Belton Richard’s Swamp Pop-ballad “Give Me Another Chance”. On this CD, Jamie & his Kickin’ Cajuns especially surprised me with their own “I’ll Do Whatever It Takes”. It’s an very fine energetic Roots-Rock song. The way Jamie sings here, makes me think a bit at Dwight Yoakam.
While playing Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin’ Cajuns’ CD’s there’s surely a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on in my living room. This band is the right act on stage for a wild rockin’ Zydeco & Cajun party.
Check out the link below for their website and for ordering their cd’s.
more info on :
http://www.kickincajuns.com/
Added : 11 15, 2005
|
|
Zyderythmics
style : Zydeco
Zyderythmics is a British band that plays Zydeco and Louisiana Blues. Accordionist is the famous Phil Underwood. The other band members are Seggie on vocals and rubboard, Steve Hennings on guitar, Sam Murray (from Zydecomotion) on drums and Matt Donaldson (ex- Joe Le Taxi) on bass. The Zyderythmics play some own material along with songs from Clifton Chenier, Geno Delafose, Boozoo Chavis, Chris Ardoin, Rosie Ledet, etc.
Their new demo include 3 tracks.
“Zydeco Coat”, sung by Seggie, stands on a funky beat, all-round filled with typical Zydeco accordion. “Bonsoir Moreau” is a very fine Cajun waltz. “When You Were A Child” is a danceable Zydeco-pop song.
They also teach Zydeco dancing. Maybe you can ask for reduction if you book them to dance on stage while their playing… You can find more of this band on Phil Underwood’s site at the link below.
more info on :
http://www.zydecomusic.co.uk
Added : 11 12, 2005
|
|
Big Red & the Zydeco Playmakers – Secret Ingredients
style : Zydeco
Josef “Big Red” Arline grew up in Hillister, Texas where he picked up his first musical influences on church by hearing Gospel songs. Later he became interested in the blues where he found the way to Zydeco.
This debut CD from Joseph "Big Red" Arline on “Maison de Soul” really surprised me. The music you hear out of Big Red’s accordion, and from the other very talented musicians, is Zydeco with a lot of “Swamp Soul” included. Big Red’s vocals are very clear and soulful.
Ten songs out of thirteen were written by Josef Arline, who demonstrates to be a big songwriter as well. You can hear, the songs he wrote, really come from himself. His cheerful songs sound as cheerful as his voice.
The 3 covers are Clifton Chenier’s “Hot Tamale Baby” (a Zydeco dance classic with steaming accordion), Wilson Pickett’s funky “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You” and a very surprising Zydeco version of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”. I really like that one a lot!
“Secret Ingredients” include all the ingredients of modern Zydeco, while Big Red stay pure in his own style. Zydeco-fans will love this CD, others will like it.
Yvieboy
more info on :
http://www.flattownmusic.com/
http://www.bigredzydeco.net/
Added : 11 8, 2005
|
|
Lost Bayou Ramblers – “Bayou Perdu”
style : Cajun
After an independent recorded CD (“Un Tit Gout”) and a great first nationally distributed CD (“Pilette Breakdown”) another one couldn’t stay out long for the Lost Bayou Ramblers. The name of this brand new jewel (on 'Swallow Records') is “Bayou Perdu”, which means “Lost Bayou”. The Ramblers again bring a fantastic combination of good ol’ Cajun and Western Swing to keep the music style of Harry Choates and early Hackberry Ramblers alive.
Opener is the great “Pine Island” from J.B. Fusilier & Miller’s Merrymakers. This beauty is pretty much alike Shirley Bergeron’s “Quel Etoille”. “Hot Shoes” is a short instrumental where the brothers Louis and André Michot play the pure Cajun sound from Octa Clark and Hector Duhon. Hackberry Ramblers’ joyful Cajun Swing is perfectly honored with “Faut Pas Tu Brailles” and “Une Piastre Ici, Une Piastre Là-Bas”. It’s real hard not to dance on the fantastic David & Louis Michot original “Bayou Perdu”. No doubt this will be a real Cajun dancefloor hit! Louis Michot also put his creative pen on “Mexico One Step” (another very danceable highlight), “Chers Yeux Bruns” (an up-tempo waltz), “Le Blues de la Ville Platte” (a Cajun waltz) “North Louisiana Blues”, “Papa Lou Hop” (2 great instrumental Cajun Two-Steps) and “Blue Moon Special” (based on Austin Pitre’s “Flammes D’Enfer”). Lost Bayou Ramblers demonstrate their Western Swing and Cajun Swing influences on “Pilette High Society” and “Tite Fille de Lafayette”. “Les Temps Après Fini” could be a perfect background track for a documentary about South West Louisiana…
A wonderful CD by a wonderful band!
Yvieboy
more info on :
http://www.lostbayouramblers.com/
http://www.flattownmusic.com/
Added : 11 5, 2005
|
|
Hadley J. Castille – “Refait”
style : Cajun
Hadley J. Castille started playing fiddle at age 10. A few years later, when Harry Choates’ historical version of “Jolie Blonde” came out in 1946, Hadley became much influenced by Harry’s Cajun Swing-style.
Hadley J. Castille built up a successful career since then.
“Refait” is Hadley’s 5th C.D. It’s a retrospective recording, featuring 20 of his most popular songs, digitally re-recorded with his Sharecroppers band.
This record includes some Cajun classics, like “Diggy Liggy Lo”, “Big Texas” (the earlier version of Hank Williams’ Jambalaya), “La Cravate”, and originals made by himself.
His own songs are autobiographical.
"Cyprien and Marie," is a bluesy song about his uncle and the wife who left him. “200 Lines” is a lament about his struggle as a schoolboy being punished for speaking French. “Charivari” includes a very fine cheerful fiddle tune and is about his mother first marriage. “Faire Whiskey” is a typical South-West Louisiana country-swing song about… guess what! In “Old Sharecropper’s House”, a Swamp Pop ballad, Hadley visits his old home to find out everything has changed; while in “Hadley’s Dream”, a real fine Cajun Swing tune, he meets a beautiful angel.
This is a fine CD of French Louisiana Country.
Today, 72 year old Hadley still performs 1 to 3 times a week and already plans to record another album soon.
Yvieboy
more info on :
http://www.flattownmusic.com/
http://www.hadleyjcastille.com/
Added : 11 4, 2005
|
|
Ray Abshire and friends – Arrête Pas La Musique
style : Cajun
Two years after their wonderful award-winning “For Old Times Sake”, Ray Abshire and friends have a brand new CD out on Swallow. With the same friends (Courtney Granger, Kevin Wimmer and André Michot), Ray (and his wonderful sounding Falcon accordion) presents you 18 authentic Cajun songs again. This one is at least as good as the first CD, which already was a brilliant disc. Again two-steps and waltzes are following up each other with musical perfection combined with full Cajun spontaneity and great vocals by Ray Abshire and Courtney Granger. All those beautiful elements of Cajun music, that give you that divine feeling while hearing it, are present!
Six new tracks (2 waltzes, 2 vocal and 2 instrumental two-steps… all great stuff!), were written by Ray Abshire himself. The well-known traditionals are the instrumental “Acadian Two-Step” (that used to be Nathan Abshire’s theme song), “Bosco Stomp” (sung by Courtney) and “Eunice Two-Step” (sung by Ray Abshire).
Ray also demonstrates his wonderful vocals on Robert Bertrand’s “Valse de Gueydan”, Canray Fontenot’s “Tes Parents Veulent Plus Me Voir” and the traditional “Basile Widows”, while Courtney is also doing a wonderful vocal job on Aldus Roger’s “Fais Attention, C’est Mon Coeur Qui Va Casser”, Iry LeJeune’s “Valse de Cadien”, Dewey Balfa’s “J’ai Pleuré”, Adam Hebert’s “J’aimerais Connaître” and Joe Falcon’s classic “Allons A Lafayette”.
Nathan Abshire’s (Ray’s cousin, for those who didn’t know already) “Shamrock” is a great instrumental to finish this potential award-winning CD.
All lyrics are included!
Thanks a lot for this great music, Ray and friends!
Yvieboy
more info on :
http://www.rayabshire.com
Added : 10 25, 2005
|
|
The Carrière Brothers – Old Time Louisiana Creole Music
In the early ‘20s Joseph “Bébé” Carrière (born 1908, died 2001) began playing with the famous black French accordionist, Amadie Ardoin. With his brother Éraste “Dolan” Carrière (born 1900, died 1983), he formed the legendary band: the Carrière Brothers.
This C.D. surely is a must for everyone who likes the old-time Creole music style (which is closer to the old Cajun music than the modern Zydeco).
The (20) tracks has been recorded in April 1974 and in 2004 finally released on this Arhoolie C.D (half of them were already released on an Arhoolie LP). Except on 4 tracks, where Linton Broussard plays the drums, you only hear fiddle, accordion and vocals. But Bébé and Dolan played the fiddle and accordion with such a full sound, you should think you hear more instruments…
The Carrière Brothers play a nice compilation of old time Creole songs, mazurkas and polkas as well as more recent blues, Cajun and Zydeco numbers.
Yvieboy
more info on :
http://www.arhoolie.com
Added : 10 2, 2005
|
|
Saulieu Solidarité Louisiane
A benefit will be held in Seaulieu (France) on Saturday 11 th September.
It’s time to give back !
For the past 12 years, the town of Saulieu, Burgundy, France (population 3,000!) have been the site of “Les Nuits Cajun de Saulieu”, the first European summer festival devoted to Cajun and Zydeco music and also to Louisiana films and gastronomy. The people of Saulieu had the pleasure to welcome Europeans and Louisiana musicians including Dexter Ardoin, Sam Broussard, Roy Carrier, C.J. Chenier, Bruce Daigrepont, Geno Delafose, David Greely, the Hackberry Ramblers, Steve Riley, Jo-El Sonnier, Sean Vidrine and countless other musicians as well as music and film enthousiasts, chefs, dancers, journalists, filmmakers, dance instructors and so on…
After watching the devastation and desolation brought over Louisiana by hurricane Katrina, the festival ‘s organizing body decided that it was time to give back and try to help. They are putting on a benefit concert called “Saulieu Solidarité Louisiane” that will take place Saturday September 11 at 8.30 pm in the Marché Couvert on the Central Square of Saulieu.
This will be an “open stage” concert supervised by Didier Lonjard. All are welcome, all contributions are welcome. And all collected funds will be channelled off to the Louisiana Red Cross through the International Center in Lafayette.
More details on the festival’s site www.bayouprod.com
more info on :
http://www.bayouprod.com/solidarite.htm
Added : 9 7, 2005
|
|
Big Bayou Bandits
After their first gig at the Crocodile in Oedelem, which was a huge success, Big Bayou Bandits are coming to Antwerp (Kid’s Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Kaffee) on Sunday 11th September.
This Belgian trio plays a spicy combination of Cajun, Bluegrass, Rockabilly, Hillbilly, Folk and Tex-Mex. Guy, Werner and Yves are really looking forward to meet another enthusiastic crowd over there!
more info on :
http://www.bigbayoubandits.com
mail to :
info@bigbayoubandits.com
Added : 9 1, 2005
|
|
Katrina
To all citizens from in and around South Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama : I wish you a lot of strength and I’m praying Katrina won’t make too much damage.
Take care!
Added : 8 29, 2005
|
|
