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The Balfa Brothers The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD)

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(Ace Records) 28 tracks with 24 page booklet. Two Trendsetting Traditional Cajun Albums Made For...more

The Balfa Brothers: The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD)

(Ace Records) 28 tracks with 24 page booklet. Two Trendsetting Traditional Cajun Albums Made For Swallow Records, With Rare Singles As Bonus Tracks. The Booklet Includes An Illuminating New Essay By Ann Savoy And Full Lyrics In French With Englisch Translations.

Some projects take on a happy life of their own, and this is one of them. In the summer I was approached to supervise the revamp of the old Balfa Brothers’ 2 LPs-on-1 CD, released in the early days of CD production in 1990. Specifically, I was asked if Louisiana musician and author Ann Savoy would be available to write a new essay.

If she was able to take on the task, she would be the perfect choice. After all, she had known and played with the Balfas and had written up their story in her acclaimed book, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Yet I knew she was embarking on a UK tour as a member of the Savoy Family Band, with husband Marc and sons Joel and Wilson. Would she have the time? Not only did she accept the commission with charm and alacrity, but she met her deadline with ease.

Now even more light is shed on the Balfas’ fascinating story, as fully documented in the booklet (with great photos, label shots, LP reproductions and Cajun French-English lyric translations). The mastering, of course, has also been updated and upgraded.

What made the original LPs so important is that they marked a return in the 1960s and 1970s to traditional Cajun music, which had been left behind by the Cajun honky-tonk sound, itself on life support. The back story here is that leader and virtuoso fiddler Dewey Balfa convinced Swallow Records boss, Floyd Soileau, to record the brothers when Floyd was reminded that Dewey had recorded an in-demand but long unavailable Cajun song, ‘La Valse De Bon Baurche’, for Khoury’s Records way back in 1951. It came out on Swallow in 1965 as ‘Drunkard’s Sorrow Waltz’, the Balfas’ first single.

The 1965 and 1974 Swallow albums ensued and are presented here with two rare 45s from 1977 and 1980. The latter single features all-time-great accordion player Nathan Abshire, with whom Dewey recorded and played for many years.

How did Ann Savoy first encounter Dewey? And what are her thoughts on the Swallow LPs? Let her explain: “I met Dewey Balfa before I heard his music. He came into Savoy Music Center [outside Eunice] looking very French and elegant in a fedora and black sunglasses. He was just stopping by for a cup of coffee and a visit but I was so impressed by him, his beautiful French, his character. He and Marc were close friends and so we often cooked suppers together and played music in the yards of our houses.

“I heard his LPs later and immediately fell in love with them. After spending many evenings in Cajun honky-tonks the acoustic feeling of the Balfa Brothers music was refreshing. In these recordings without amplification I could hear the natural resonance of the instruments and the subtleties in the vocals. They also played songs not heard in the dance halls: haunting, sad songs. These LPs were jewels, and I was very touched by them.

“I travelled all over the United States and France with Dewey and Rodney when Marc was playing accordion and twin fiddle with them. These were exhilarating times; great fun and full of camaraderie. And of course the music was brilliant. We also went through tragedies with Dewey: the deaths of brothers Rodney and Will, and Dewey’s wife Hilda. But he always bounced back, full of energy and fun until his own illness at the end of his life.

“It is amazing to see these great LPs reissued on Ace Records in England. This music is so timeless, and bringing it out again on CDs makes it available to a whole new generation of Cajun fans and musicians. The Balfa Brothers’ music will never grow old because it is classic quality, speaking stories that resonate with all people as long as there are humans on the earth.”

I think you can understand what I mean about this being a special project.

By John Broven and Ann Savoy

Article properties:The Balfa Brothers: The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD)

  • Interpret: The Balfa Brothers

  • Album titlle: The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD)

  • Label Ace Records

  • Genre Cajun & Zydeco

  • Artikelart CD

  • EAN: 0029667047821

  • weight in Kg 0.1
Balfa Brothers, The - The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD) CD 1
01Drunkard's Sorrow Waltz (La Valse Des Bambo..The Balfa Brothers
02Lacassine SpecialThe Balfa Brothers
03My True LoveThe Balfa Brothers
04La Valse De Grand BoisThe Balfa Brothers
05Family WaltzThe Balfa Brothers
06Newport WaltzThe Balfa Brothers
07Indian On A Stomp (Sauvage Sur Le Chicot)The Balfa Brothers
08T'ai Petite Et T'ai MeonThe Balfa Brothers
09Two Step A HadleyThe Balfa Brothers
10Valse De BalfaThe Balfa Brothers
11Parlez Nous A BoireThe Balfa Brothers
12Les Blues De CajunThe Balfa Brothers
13'tit Galop Pour MamouThe Balfa Brothers
14Je Suis OrphelinThe Balfa Brothers
15T'en As Eu Mais T'en Auras PlusThe Balfa Brothers
16Two Step De L'anse A PailleThe Balfa Brothers
17La Chanson De Les Mardi Gras (aka La Danse...The Balfa Brothers
18Je Me Suis MarillieThe Balfa Brothers
19Enterre-Moi PasThe Balfa Brothers
20Chere Joules RosesThe Balfa Brothers
21Chere BassetteThe Balfa Brothers
22J'ai Passe Devant Ta PorteThe Balfa Brothers
23Les Flammes D'enferThe Balfa Brothers
24MadeleineThe Balfa Brothers
25Bonus Tracks:The Balfa Brothers
26In My Old WagonThe Balfa Brothers
27Cowboy WaltzThe Balfa Brothers
28Texas Two StepThe Balfa Brothers
29Coeur CriminelThe Balfa Brothers
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Tracklist
Balfa Brothers, The - The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music (CD) CD 1
01 Drunkard's Sorrow Waltz (La Valse Des Bambo..
02 Lacassine Special
03 My True Love
04 La Valse De Grand Bois
05 Family Waltz
06 Newport Waltz
07 Indian On A Stomp (Sauvage Sur Le Chicot)
08 T'ai Petite Et T'ai Meon
09 Two Step A Hadley
10 Valse De Balfa
11 Parlez Nous A Boire
12 Les Blues De Cajun
13 'tit Galop Pour Mamou
14 Je Suis Orphelin
15 T'en As Eu Mais T'en Auras Plus
16 Two Step De L'anse A Paille
17 La Chanson De Les Mardi Gras (aka La Danse...
18 Je Me Suis Marillie
19 Enterre-Moi Pas
20 Chere Joules Roses
21 Chere Bassette
22 J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
23 Les Flammes D'enfer
24 Madeleine
25 Bonus Tracks:
26 In My Old Wagon
27 Cowboy Waltz
28 Texas Two Step
29 Coeur Criminel