- You can better understand Cajun music by learning about its origins. According to "All Music Guide," Cajun music originated with Louisiana's Acadian people in the late 1800s. The Acadians, who had come to the southwestern part of Louisiana from Nova Scotia, brought with them a tradition of French folk songs; adding the fiddle and the accordion, Cajun players invented dances that were the center of social life in that culture.
At the same time, Creole musicians--descendants of black slaves who were musically influence by African and Caribbean rhythms--were holding dances as well. The early Cajun and Creole artists started to cross over and play together, writes the Cajun music historian David Simpson. Zydeco, with its Cajun roots and the influences of soul and rhythm and blues, began in roughly the 1920s and developed slowly until an explosion of popularity starting in the 1950s. - Cajun music has a basic signature sound that allows you to recognize the style right away. Simpson explains that the earliest Cajun music primarily focused on fiddles. Practitioners then added the accordion; the dominant keys were C and D, which became hallmarks of most Cajun songs. Simpson says that although the accordion briefly fell out of favor with Cajun artists in the 1930s--swing music was all the rage at the time, so Cajun performers instead adopted brass instrumentation, along with bluegrass styles--the accordion was revived by the Zydeco players of the 1950s.
Simpson also notes that Cajun music developed specific instrumentation and vocal styles out of necessity. The social dances that accompanied Cajun playing were loud; the accordion was one of the few instruments that could carry over the hubbub. Likewise, the classic primary singing style of Cajun performers was a high-pitched keel that matched the played notes and also could be heard across the dance floor, Simpson explains.
To actually play Cajun music, you will need an accordion--preferably a diatonic model--and the accompaniment of the fiddle. Try singing along to Cajun recordings, concentrating on matching the high pitch of the notes. - Once you know where it comes from and how it sounds, you should familiarize yourself with the great performers of Cajun music. The first known Cajun record, produced in 1928, was Joe Falcon's "Allons ý Lafayette." Early stars such as Leo Soileau and Harry Choates set the stage for later nationally known artists such as Clifton Chenier ("the King of Zydeco") in the 1950s, BeauSoleil in the 1970s and Boozoo Chavis in the 1980s.
"All Music Guide" explains that Cajun music finally broke big in the 1980s, when Cajun food became nationally popular. Perhaps the most effective way to enjoy Cajun music, then, is to actually visit Southwestern Louisiana. Learn to better appreciate Cajun music by taking in the local culture at a bar or club, eating the Cajun fare and hearing the music live for yourself.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -