Stylistic Developments in Cajun Music
Cajun music has changed significantly since first arriving in Louisiana with the Acadians. Although initially played on fiddle alone, the addition of the accordion revolutionized the sound and became its defining feature. Stylistic shifts continued throughout the 20th century as the music moved out of the home and into the dance halls. There, musicians were influenced by popular country and jazz radio, combining these sounds to create what we think of today as “traditional” Cajun music. In this lesson, we use recordings from the Smithsonian Folkways and Arhoolie collections to experience some of the stylistic changes that impacted Cajun music throughout the 20th century. You will hear a "traditional" Cajun band and play a Cajun standard, "Jolie Blonde."
Lesson Paths & Learning Objectives
-
Cajun Music: The First Accordion Era
- Describe the Cajun sound during the “golden accordion era” (roughly 1900–1934).
- 20+ Minutes
-
Cajun Music: The “String Band Era” (and Beyond)
- Identify the ways in which Cajun music began to change in the mid 1930s.
- 20+ minutes
-
- Interpret and perform the Cajun standard, “Jolie Blonde.”
- 30+ minutes
Bibliography
Text
Brasseaux, Ryan Andre. 2009. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American Made Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dole, G. 1977. Liner Notes for Cajun Home Music. Folkways Records FW02620.
Savoy, Ann. 1984. Cajun Music: A Reflection of the People, Vol. I. Eunice, LA: Bluebird Press.
Savoy, Ann. 1990. “Cajun Music: Alive and Well in Louisiana.” Folklife in Louisiana.
Savoy, Ann. 2020. Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People, Vol. II. Eunice, LA: Bluebird Press.
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. n.d. “Dewey Balfa: Master of Cajun Music.” Artist Spotlight. Accessed March 21, 2022.
Strachwitz, Chris. 1993. Liner Notes for Luderin Darbone’s Hackberry Ramblers. Jolie Blonde.” Arhoolie Records ARH00399.
Strachwitz, Chris. 1997. Liner Notes for Cajun String Bands, The 1930s: “Cajun Breakdown.” Arhoolie Records ARH07014.
Audio*
McGee, Dennis and Sady Courville. "La Réel À Fruge." On Cajun Home Music, recorded 1975. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, FW02620_106, 1977, streaming audio.
Ardoin, Alphonse “Bois Sec” and Canray Fontenot. "Jolie Bassette." On La Musique Creole, recorded 1966. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH00445_102, 1996, streaming audio.
Falcon, Joe and Cleoma Breaux. "Allons a Lafayette." On J'ai été au bal (I Went to the Dance), Vol. 1, recorded 1928. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH00331_118, 1990, streaming audio.
J.B. Fuselier with his Merrymakers. "Gueydan Two-Step." On Cajun String Bands: The 1930s-Cajun Breakdown. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH07014_115, 1997, streaming audio.
Choates, Harry. "Louisiana Boogie." On Fiddle King of Cajun Swing, recorded 1950. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH00380_126, 1993, streaming audio.
Hackberry Ramblers. "Jolie Blonde." On Jolie Blonde, recorded 1965. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, ARH00399_110, 1993, streaming audio.
Farr, Mollie. "Pronunciation Recordings: Lesson 7." recorded 2021. streaming audio.
Video*
Fowler, Ken, producer. 1996. Louisiana Legends, “Michael Doucet.” Video, 25:27. Aired February 14, 1996, on Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Hosted by Gus Weill. Retrieved from the Louisiana Digital Media Archive. (Additional resource; not in slideshow).
Images*
Erskine, Reed and Susan. "Clifton Chenier," 1974, photograph. Washington, DC: Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Institution. Taken at the 1974 American Folklife Festival. Provided by the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, CFCH-FAF1974_0193.
Strachwitz, Chris. "Rodney Balfa, Dewey Balfa, Nathan Abshire, and Basile Marcentel, Basile, Louisiana," 1966, photograph. In Arhoolie Records - Cajun and Zydeco, Jeff Place, web copy. Toby Dodds, site design. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2021, Photo 19 in slide show.
Unknown photographer. "Accordion on Chair," photograph. In Hey Madeleine!, by Dole & His Backdoor Cajuns. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, 1985, p. 1.
Strachwitz, Chris. "Joe Falcon," photograph. In Cajun Music Pioneer, Wayne Pope, cover design. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1997.
Strachwitz, Chris. "Dennis McGee," photograph. In J'ai été au bal (I Went to the Dance), Vol. 1, Chris Strachwitz and Maureen Gosling, soundtrack and text editors. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1990, p. 2.
Unknown photographer. "Dewey Balfa and Tracy Schwarz," photograph. In Traditional Cajun Fiddle: Instruction. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, 1976, cover image.
Clyne, Ronald, designer. Traditional Cajun Accordion, by Gérard Dôle. Noelle Dole, photographer. New York City, NY: Folkways Records, 1977, album cover.
Unknown photographer. "Amédé Ardoin," photograph. In Long-Lost Love Songs from a Cajun Music Pioneer, story by NPR Staff. Boston, MA: WBUR News, April 23, 2011. Photo courtesy of Christopher King.
Smith, Michael P. "Creole Fiddler Canray Fontenot," 1973, photograph negative. New Orleans, LA: The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2007.0103.1.225.1.
Savoy, Ann A. "Dennis McGee, Marc, Wilson," photograph. In Cajun Album, by The Savoy Family Band. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 2003, p. 3.
Lee, Russell. "Fais-Do-Do near Crowley, Louisiana," October 1938, photograph negative. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives.
Infrogmation of New Orleans. "Beachball Bennys," 1992, photograph. Flickr.
Emerson Radio Corporation. "Radio Receiver," ca. 1937, radio. Washington, DC: National Museum of American History.
Unknown photographer. "Cleoma & Joe Falcon," early 1900s, photograph. In J'ai été au bal (I Went to the Dance), Vol. 1, Chris Strachwitz and Maureen Gosling, soundtrack and text editors. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1990, p. 15.
Allen, Johnnie. "Joe Falcon and Cléoma Falcon on Their Wedding Day," 1932, photograph. Wikimedia Commons, December 18, 2008. Uploaded by user Falconry.
Pope, Wayne, designer. Cajun String Bands: The 1930s: Cajun Breakdown. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1997, album cover.
Unknown photographer. "The Hackberry Ramblers," late 1940s, photograph. In Jolie Blonde, Chris Strachwitz, liner notes. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1993, p. 2. Photograph courtesy of The Hackberry Ramblers.
Bacon Banjo Co. Inc. "Tenor Banjo," ca. 1932, musical instrument. Washington, DC: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Gift of Ivan T. Lorenzen.
Unknown maker. "American Folk Fiddle," ca. 1840-1860, musical instrument. Washington, DC: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Pope, Wayne, designer. The Fiddle King of Cajun Swing, by Harry Choates. Little Joe Manuel, photographer. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1993, album cover.
Fender. "Fender 1000 Pedal Steel," musical instrument. Wikimedia Commons, 2017. Photograph by Wikimedia user Zhyla.
Unknown photographer. "Cajun Musicians at the First Folklife Festival," 1967, photograph. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Strachwitz, Chris. "Nathan Abshire," photograph. In Cajun Champs, Chris Strachwitz, liner notes. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 2004, p. 8.
Davies, Diana Jo. "The Balfa Brothers at the 1969 Festival of American Folklife," 1969, photograph. In Dewey Balfa: Master of Cajun Music. Artist Spotlight by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, July 2016.
Lexicon. "Flag of Acadiana," digital graphic. Wikimedia Commons, 2006. Original flag design by Thomas J. Arceneaux in 1965. Digital graphic created by Wikimedia user Lexicon in 2006, modified by Wikimedia user Xophe84 in 2020, and by Wikimedia user 292Jacob in 2022.
Pope, Wayne, designer. Jolie Blonde, by Hackberry Ramblers. Chris Strachwitz, photographer. El Cerrito, CA: Arhoolie Records, 1993, album cover.
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. "Jolie Blonde Searches," digital image. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, searched December 2020.
* Audio, video, and images listed in order of slideshow sequence.