This month's mix touches on a type of Louisiana music I’ve yet to focus on. Sure, I’ve featured a few songs by Johnnie Allan or Nathan Abshire here and there, but I haven’t really dedicated a mix to the rich music of Central and Southwest Louisiana. I didn’t set out to make a rowdy Cajun honky-tonk featuring two-steps and dance numbers. Instead, I wanted this mix to steadily simmer as a jambalaya of Acadian music and tradition, reminiscing and reflecting on the ideas of music, family, and celebration that flow strong through South Louisiana.
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The Mix
Inspirations for this mix span from The Balfa Brothers to the fiddle of Canray Fontenot and the accordion of Clifton Chenier. But not enough can be said about the true inspiration for this collection, documentarian Les Blank, whose films provide the samples that pepper this mix. Through his films, Blank captures worlds most people never get to see. He documented the trials and tribulations of making a Werner Herzog epic, delved into blues and Appalachian music, and, most interestingly, threw back the curtain from the beautifully preserved culture of the Acadians of South Louisiana. So through this collection of only a pinch of all Cajun music has to offer, I hope to present you with a worthy companion to the films of Les Blank, which should be considered required viewing to any resident of this fine state.
Tracklist
Thibodeaux Boys — Tu Pen Pas Ma Retter De Revere
Harry Choates — Louisiana
Joseph Falcon — Lafayette
Dewey Balfa, Marc Savoy, D.L. Menard — Jolie Blonde du Bayou
Canray Fontenot — Fi-Do (Dixieland)
The Balfa Brothers — Les Blues Du Militaire
Bee Deshotels — Aux Natchitoches
Delta Sisters — If It Ain't Love
Jimmy C. Newman — Wondering
Clifton Chenier — Coming Home Tomorrow
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