6 Inspiring Cajun Musicians

LeadingLadies 6 INSPIRING CAJUN MUSICIANS In what has become our now annual music their voices have been heard and met with guide, we decided to do something a little praise – even Grammy nominations. All six different. Rather than focus on venues, clubs of these women are carrying on the tradition and places to go, we chose to focus on faces of their Cajun ancestors and bringing it to look for – and more importantly, voices to into the future, and we hope that the trend hear. In the music industry in general – and of women leading their own bands will gain especially when it comes to Cajun music, momentum as they continue to inspire others. women are outnumbered by men. Fortunately, That, we think, is worth singing about. By Michael Patrick Welch \\ Photos by Romero & Romero acadianaprofile.com | 31 gigs as Petite et les Patates (Little and the AT THE AGE OF 18, Potatoes), a quieter three-piece traditional musician Jamie Lynn Fontenot was Cajun band. overtaken by the desire to learn Cajun Along with accordion player Jacques French. “My grandparents, Mary ‘Mimi’ fontenotBoudreaux, Petite et les Patates also often Fontenot and John ‘Toe’ Fontenot, from features Fontenot's husband, French fiddle Opelousas are great, really strong Cajun player Samuel Giarrusso, who moved to speakers,” says Fontenot from her home in Louisiana in 2012 from France to be near his Lafayette. “My siblings and I wanted them father, also a Cajun French musician. “Petite to teach us Cajun French, so she would play et les Patates is actually a constantly rotating me all these old Cajun vinyl records, and band, where I am the only constant,” says she’d tell me the stories the singers were Fontenot. "I usually am playing parties, so I telling in the songs. I remember she bought just pick whoever I want to bring to the party me this Canray Fontenot record – a really – sometimes it’s people from Teechaoui, great old-timey Cajun fiddle player – and I sometimes not,” she says. “I always chose to started learning French through the songs.” play really Old-School stuff, so I like three- It seemed only natural, then, for Fontenot pieces a lot: accordion, fiddle and guitar – no to follow up by teaching herself to play drum and bass.” some of the songs, or at least the traditional In explaining how her personal musical Cajun style, that her grandmother had vision differs from that of LaFleur’s exposed her to, on the guitar. Teechaoui, she all but says her music is “I also play a little fiddle, but not more feminine. “I like the prettier lyrics, professionally,” says humble Fontenot who, instead of the more dancehall-ish singing,” now at 29, has now been playing Cajun she says, careful to clarify that she loves it music to enthusiastic fans for five years. all. “I am really into the Touchette family I A L WA YS Around Acadiana she’s known primarily and the stories they weave into their songs. as a singer and guitarist in Lost Bayou In my own band I focus on the lyrics and CHOSE TO Ramblers bassist Alan LaFleur’s traditional Known for her the singing.” Cajun outfit, Teechaoui Social Club, which PLAY REALLY lyricism and guitar The Teechaoui Social Club is currently skills, Jamie Lynn formed just a couple years ago on LaFleur’s working on recording its first album in Fontenot is working porch during a community boucherie – an OLD-SCHOOL on an album and Lafayette, playing gigs at the Blue Moon as 18-hour Cajun French party with about 100 performing around well as in New Orleans at Fontenot’s friend South Louisiana. people preparing and cooking traditional STUFF. Effie Michot’s Mosquito Supper Club and food and playing music. the Tigermen Den. When not playing with the energetic, dancehall-focused Teechaoui, Fontenot 32 | acadiana profile june/july 2015 acadianaprofile.com | 33 CHRISTINE BALFAS have my cousin from the Pine Leaf Boys, father Dewey Balfa, who led Mamou’ band Courtney Granger. One original member Christine Balfa the Balfa Brothers, was once surprised was my former husband … That’s my has been Grammy- by his 8-year-old daughter’s desire to family band and will always be a part of nominated. play Cajun music. “He was one of nine my life, because it’s my family’s music.” children, and six were boys. Five out of But she deviates from her father’s path the six played music, and three toured as with her Grammy-nominated Cajun band, the Balfa Brothers … playing dances, then Bonsoir Catin. “My upbringing was very national and international concerts to aid different from my father’s; we were 50 years the revival of different types of American difference in age. Our music is very similar … balfafolk music,” says Christine Balfa. “I but I am writing about issues that happen in heard it my whole life; it was a part of my my lifetime and my perspective as a woman,” upbringing. I heard such great music, not says Christine, who adds, “Bonsoir Catin is just from my family but from the people a majority woman group – five women and they played with: international musicians a guy drummer. We are much more active MY DAD dad had met on the road, he’d invite them right now than Balfa Toujours. “This is my back home to jam … So I was exposed third record with Bonsoir Catin, and our WA N TED to different kinds of music, people and latest record has a really unique sound, with cultures, and that really shaped my music original material. Both bands are dance ME TO and who I am in a lot of different ways.” bands,” she admits. “In Bonsoir Catin we All the tools and influences were already have electric guitar and we always have bass PLAY. B UT under her roof. “We had instruments and drums. Whereas with Balfa Toujours, everywhere, and when I was 8, I started we only have bass and drums at festivals – SOCIETY IN taking my first fiddle lesson – though the though we always have the twin fiddles…” guitar was much more natural to me,” says Though Balfa Toujours hasn’t played GENERAL Christine, who also plays accordion and much in recent years, Christine is still WAS NOT AS sings. “My dad wanted me to play. But making sure the family band will have future society in general was not as accepting as members. “I have two daughters who play, ACCEPTING it is now. Luckily, I traveled and saw a lot of now,” she says. “They are puzzled by the idea things, so I knew that things were changing.” that there are not many women in Cajun AS IT IS Christine and her family started Balfa music – it’s hard for them to believe because Toujours (which means “Balfa Always”) all their lives they seen me playing with NO W. in 1992, “the year that my father passed,” Bonsoir Catin, getting together with women says Christine. “These are people I’ve to make music. I am very happy that in their been playing music with for 25 years. My minds it doesn’t make any difference.” sister sometimes plays with us. We often 34 | acadiana profile june/july 2015 acadianaprofile.com | 35 Lisa Trahan sings, plays the accordion, Jane Vidrine is recognized bass, guitar, triangle around Acadiana as a and rubboard. musician, folklorist, cultural activist and teacher. Anya Burgess is not only a musician, she Ann Savoy wrote an builds and award-winning book restores violins. Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People Volume 1. 36 | acadiana profile june/july 2015 acadianaprofile.com | 37 LOUISIANA HISTORIAN together. We both liked the same old Ann Savoy began the Grammy-nominated music and it just evolved into a band.” Magnolia Sisters traditional Cajun singing Her musical partner Vidrine is also a group with partner Jane Vidrine (guitar, folklorist, cultural activist and teacher. “I’m fiddle, vocals) specifically to explore the the biggest historian in the band, and Jane feminine side of Cajun music. “It had a is currently working curating museum lot to do with proving that women can shows at the Natural History Museum,” play music, too,” says Savoy, who has brags Savoy of her partner’s extensive played music since the age of 10. “Cajun knowledge of Cajun culture. “She’s also a music and music in general is such a collector of historical music recordings. I male-dominated field, we wanted to say first came to know her because she would ‘We can play a kicking dance too!’” book our band at a festival in Missouri, Currently living in Eunice, Savoy tours where she is originally from.” Vidrine’s the world’s best musical festivals playing life changed when she was given a job as with her sons Joel and Wilson, plus her director of the Louisiana Folklife Pavilion husband, accordion player and builder at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. Michael Doucet (founder, in 1965, of “When she was booking the World’s Fair Eunice’s Savoy Music Center) in their she met a Cajun musician, John Vidrine, Savoy-Doucet Family Cajun Band. Savoy’s and married him and moved here to passion for Louisiana history also comes Louisiana,” chuckles Savoy. “We Magnolia through in her work also as a photographer Sisters definitely like our Cajun men.” and writer, as evidenced in her book, Cajun Vidrine and Savoy’s other two IT HAD Music: A Reflection of a People Volume 1, “sisters” have, since 1992, been fiddle winner of the Botkin Book award and from player Anya Burgess, of Arnaudville, A LOT TO the American Folklore Society.

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