Cajun/Zydeco

Beausoleil

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Called "the best Cajun band in the world" by Garrison Keillor on National Public Radio's (NPR) A Prairie Home Companion, Beausoleil has traveled a long way in 25 years, bringing a little-known regional musical genre to a mainstream audience. Best known for their contributions to the movie soundtracks for The Big Easyand Belizaire the Cajun, Beausoleil won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album in 1997. 
At a time when the word "Cajun" was unknown or disrespected by many Americans, Louisiana native Michael Doucet began to collect and preserve traditional Cajun music. The word "Cajun" (a corruption of "Acadian") refers to the French settlers of Acadie (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island in Canada) who migrated to southern Louisiana after the Great Expulsion of 1755.

Doucet grew up surrounded by Cajun music. "I don't think I know a French family that doesn't have a musician in the family," he told Sing Out's Mark Greenberg. His four aunts were singers; one of them was married to a fiddle player who taught the young Doucet traditional songs. He learned French from his grandmother and parents, who still spoke the language. Music was a part of family life. "Next door to us was accordion player Don Montoucet," Doucet told Greenberg, "and we'd always go to his garage on Saturdays to hear music."

Radio also influenced Doucet, as did a local television show called Passe Partout that was dedicated to Cajun music. As he grew, Doucet learned to play the trumpet and guitar; years later he rescued his uncle's fiddle, the instrument he became best known for playing. Doucet's interest in traditional Cajun music was sparked when he heard "Cajun Woman" by Fairport Convention. He formed a band with few of his friends, and together they played the old songs at local hot spots.

In 1974 a French promoter spotted them during a performance at a local bar/service station and invited them to a folk festival in France. "So we went to France," Doucet told Greenberg. "Wow! They knew about this music.... It was like speaking to people of our great-grandfathers' era who were our age. It was the turning point of my life.... I really got to see firsthand the inescapable correlation between old French songs of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and our music here." After a long stay in France, Doucet returned to the United States and, with the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, began to collect the traditional music of southern Louisiana.

During this time, Doucet and five others performed as Coteau, a band known as the "Cajun Grateful Dead" for its mix of rock 'n' roll and Cajun music. When the group disbanded after about two and a half years, Doucet formed Beausoleil with some of the best Cajun musicians available, including Dewey and Will Balfa, Varise Connor, Canray Fontenot, Bessyl Duhon, and the noted fiddler Dennis McGee. Their name was taken from an Acadian settlement in Nova Scotia whose name meant "good sun." Their first record was cut and released only in France, but in 1977 their American debut album, The Spirit of Cajun Music, was released by Swallow. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll described the album as "an eclectic mix of blues, ballads, standards, and traditional music." But "there was no work here at the end of the '70s," Doucet explained to Sing Out's Greenberg. "There was not one dance hall here in Lafayette."

Despite the weak demand for Cajun music, Beausoleil continued to play, releasing record after record in the early 1980s, including the albums Parlez Nous à Boire, Louisiana Cajun Music, Zydeco Gris Gris, and Allons à Lafayette. When the Cajun music craze erupted, fueled by soundtracks from The Big Easy and Belizaire the Cajun (both of which included music from Beausoleil), interest in the band's music increased exponentially. Listeners were won over by the upbeat, danceable tunes. Beausoleil began playing at folk and jazz festivals, appeared on the television show Austin City Limits, and became regulars on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion. In 1991 they backed Mary Chapin Carpenter on her Grammy Award-winning "Down at the Twist and Shout" and performed with her at the Super Bowl in 1997.

Beausoleil released an album almost every year through the 1990s, earning one good review after another and collecting numerous Grammy Award nominations. When Hot Chili Mama was released on Arhoolie in 1988, Jeff Hannusch of the All Music Guide called it "the perfect blend of Cajun, zydeco, and rock 'n' roll." Rolling Stone magazine's Steven Pond described 1989's Bayou Cadillac as "world music, south-Louisiana style ... a mixture of the Bo Diddley beat, Buddy Holly's 'Not Fade Away' and the Mardi Gras anthem 'Iko Iko,' embellished with fiddle and accordion flourishes.... What distinguishes their recordings from the pop covers performed by some of their Cajun and zydeco colleagues is that Doucet and Beausoleil are clearly not trying to get a crossover radio hit or make their music more palatable to the masses, but rather add fun and spice to what was already a rich musical sauce."

Their 1995 Music of the World release Vintage Beausoleil was described as "an exceptional collection of standards written in the '20s and '30s by seminal Cajun composers" by Down Beat's Dan Ouellette. He credited Beausoleil with "[celebrating] the masters by rejuvenating their tunes with a steamy gumbo undergirded by nonstop cadences and steeped in the two-step/waltz tradition." Mark Bautz of People called Doucet "Louisiana's hottest export since Tabasco" when reviewing the 1997 Grammy-winning Rhino release L'Amour ou la Folie.

While Beausoleil's lineup changed through the years, including guest appearances by such musicians as Richard Thompson on their 1991 Cajun Conja album, the core players in 2001 were familiar--Tommy Alesi on drums, Jimmy Breaux on accordion; David Doucet on guitar and vocals; Michael Doucet on fiddle and vocals; Al Tharp on bass, banjo, and vocals; and Billy Ware on percussion. The band averaged more than 100 live performances per year.

In 2001 New York Times reviewer Jon Pareles credited Beausoleil's 25-year success to Doucet's vision: "[H]e didn't confine the band to purism, so Beausoleil has also linked the bayou to country music, Celtic music, jazz, swamp-pop and New Orleans rhythm and blues. Years ago Mr. Doucet realized that the best way to spread the music was to keep its good-time spirit." True to form, Doucet told Sing Out's Greenberg, "Our basic thing was just to show the goodness and the spirituality and the integrity of the music that we had learned and to bring it forth.... We still do things the old way. Everything is split, and we have a good time playing and that's why we play. If we didn't, we wouldn't do it."

by Janet Ingram

Rockin' Dopsie Jr.

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The word zydeco is derived from the French les haricots (which translated means string beans), and which is pronounced "lay zah ree' co." One supposes that this music must have been played during the harvesting of the bean crop. Little by little, "zah ree' co" evolved into zydeco.

Zydeco music is a bubbling, melodic gumbo concocted from Cajun/Acadian music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and melodies, and blues. Over the past few years, this funky and highly danceable music has broken out of its Southern Louisiana breeding ground to enjoy widespread popularity throughout the world.

Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. (pronounced Doop' see) & The Zydeco Twisters are the greatest living practitioners of this music. Dopsie, Jr. presents zydeco with the conviction and authenticity of its rich heritage. His earliest musical memories are of his father's accordion playing. Dopsie, Jr. was given a basic accordion by his father at the age of nine. He taught himself to play, as had his father, by listening to and playing along with the radio.

"I really loved that sound, but I needed more mobility so I could jump up and down and do my splits, you know. I must've inherited my love for the blues from my father 'cause I still listen to BB King, Jimmy Reed, the Vaughn Brothers and Bobby Bland, but when I was growing up, the Jackson Five, Sly Stone and James Brown were really happening." Both genres are evident in Dopsie, Jr.'s performances.

He played in several bands in his early teens, but at age 21 was given his first rub board, a must for the authentic presentation of zydeco. The rub board was his ticket to joining his father's band, in which he became an official member in 1982. Dopsie, Jr. was then able to play the music that he loved, while dancing like the psychedelic stars of the time.

The team of father and son netted the band international notoriety. Today the Zydeco Twisters' sole leader is Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. His brother, Tiger Dopsie, is the band's drum virtuoso and maintains the highly danceable beat. Anthony Dopsie, a great accordion player, replaced his father in the band playing the button accordion in a manner similar to his father's, but with the fervor of youth.

Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. and The Zydeco Twisters have continued to develop in their own right. The junior Dopsie is considered to be the best rub board player in the world, and is a charismatic and electrifying stage performer. His dancing, splits, and audience participation antics make the band's performances exciting and keep listeners involved and dancing.

Besides having performed extensively on their own tours, the band has shared the stage with Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and Jimmy Buffet. In 1978 they performed on the song That Was Your Mother (Standing On The Corner In Lafayette, Louisiana), which was released on Paul Simon's multi-platinum Grammy award-winning album Graceland. The band has also recorded with Cindy Lauper and Bob Dylan (Oh, Mercy&emdash;1989.)

In 1994, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters performed at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the presentation of the late Rockin' Dopsie's crown (he was indeed "the King of Zydeco") for permanent exhibit. Rockin' Dopsie, his band, and zydeco music were honored by this historic event as they had never been honored before.

Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters, still referred to as "Zydeco's Royal Family," have performed in Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, and many other countries as well as throughout the United States. They have appeared at the most prestigious music festivals and fairs at home and abroad.

The band has made television commercials for Burger King, the Louisiana Lottery, Close-Up toothpaste, Community coffee, Maalox, Danny and Clyde's and Popeye's Fried Chicken. They also appeared in the movie Delta Heat which featured several tracks from their Atlantic album.

They were the house band for the Gayle King Show in January of 1998, the house band on Live With Regis And Kathie Lee in January 1999, house band for a week on Wheel Of Fortune in January 2000, played with Harry Connick, Jr. at the Orpheus Ball in New Orleans during Mardi Gras '98,'99 and '01, entertained President Clinton and the White House press corps on the White House lawn in September 1999, and danced and sang at the Chicago House of Blues with Dan Aykroyd in May 2000. In February of 2002, Dopsie and his brothers performed with Britney Spears and Mystikal on MTV's two-hour Mardi Gras special.

Dopsie really heats things up whenever he and the band perform. Above all else, they create a high-energy, audience participation, dance 'til you drop, dynamic show. It all begins when you hear, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters!"

Waylon Thibodeaux

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Born in Louisiana's "Bayou Country" just a few miles southwest of New Orleans, Houma native Waylon Thibodeaux, has been dubbed "Louisiana's Rockin' Fiddler". Today, this talented, self-taught Cajun musician has gained a notable reputation as one of Louisiana's best known recording artists. His talents have led him to play festivals, clubs and other special events throughout the United States, Canada, France, Central and South America. His rollicking, crowd-pleasing performance on stage is exactly what one would expect from someone who, at age 16, was Louisiana's state fiddle champion. He never fails to serve up a good helping of spicy, high-energy Louisiana and Cajun/Zydeco music. His unique musical style is best described by Thibodeaux himself:

"It's a mixture - it's Cajun, but not too traditional, it's Zydeco with a pinch of New Orleans' sound, a small pinch of South Louisiana 'Swamp Pop', a taste of Country and a little Rock n' Roll, that's sure to get you on your feet and dancing."  Any way he plays it, Thibodeaux's music certainly gets one's attention. Waylon’s latest CD is Papa Thibodeaux, recently released on Rockin’ River Records. This release showcases Waylon’s depth and versatility as he performs his unique brand of progressive Cajun music, seasoned with elements of Zydeco, Rock, Country and a sprinkle of the traditional in just the right places. You’ve heard it before, but it really is true – this CD has something for everyone. Blues guitarist Tab Benoit and harmonica virtuoso Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone join Waylon on the toe-tapping cut "Be For Sure", written by Sansone. If that combination doesn’t make you get up and dance, nothing will! Waylon even adds a Spanish selection to his usual combination of French and English vocal performances. "Papa Thibodeaux" is truly a one-of-a-kind must-have for your Louisiana music collection.

He has two CD’s that were previously released on Rockin' River Records. The CD, In Jackson Square is a powerful mixture of Cajun, country, zydeco and New Orleans style music that Waylon sings in English. The other CD, Tu Me Fais Crier! is completely sung in French and contains the theme song for the 1999 international reunion known as "Congres Mondial Acadian". Both of these recordings give listeners a real taste of good high-energy Louisiana music. Along with six earlier independent releases to his credit, three of his original English compositions were included on a 1995 compilation album by Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville/Island Records entitled, Margaritaville Cafe New Orleans - Late Night Gumbo. Thibodeaux released an independent acoustic album with Gina Forsythe, entitled Dans La Louisiane. This CD, a collection of traditional Cajun French songs, won the 1996 OffBeat Magazine’s Best of the Beat Award for Best Cajun album. Thibodeaux has also performed in numerous radio and television commercials and four of his original compositions were featured in the 1993 NBC movie, House of Secrets.

As a way of giving back to the unique culture that helped to cultivate his gifts as an entertainer, Waylon performs as a member of the Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars. This group, comprised of Dr. John, Cyril Neville, Tab Benoit, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, George Porter, Jr., Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Anders Osborne, Johnny Vidacovich and Waylon Thibodeaux, performs throughout the country to raise awareness of the erosion of the Gulf Coast wetlands, doing their part to preserve their heritage as proud citizens of Louisiana.

Having played for years to filled-to-capacity crowds on New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street, Thibodeaux has literally entertained people from all over the world. Fiercely proud of his Acadian heritage, he keeps his home base in southeast Louisiana, always striving to perfect his style of music. A versatile entertainer, Thibodeaux can charm his audiences in French and/or English. His is always a "must see" performance.