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André Gladu a Quebec filmaker along with Michel Breault in the 1970s -1980s made many films on the subject of french north american music including many on cajun music, They are called I believe "le son des francais des amériques.
I remember seeing one striking film on french Missouri fiddlers called "C'est p'us Comme Ca, Anymore"
There were at least 4 films called "Le Son des Cajuns." There is alot of beautiful footage from old time players in the 1970's. One on Zydeco has beautriful singing and playing by Delton Broussard, someone whose music I always enjoyed.
Gladu,s recent work on video or dvd is available through the ONF-National Film Board while the earlier 35 mm work can be obtained from
http://www.nanoukfilms.com/
I took a look at the "LE SON DES
FRANÇAIS D'AMÉRIQUE" list of titles: looks like a real treasure chest! I'd love to hear some French music from Chetticamp, Cape Breton, for example as mostly what you here there now comes from the Scottish tradition (though Chetticamp residents start a sentence in French and end in English, or visa versa, without giving it a thought).
I heard some of the Old Mines Mossouri tunes on Dennis Stroughmatt's CD "The Gambler's Fiddle" (Swallow Records) and you feel like you're listening to a forgotten root of Cajun music. I'm pretty excited because Dennis and part of Creole Stomp are going to be playing in our little cafe at the Earlville Opera House on November 12th, and will be playing French tunes from all over North America with the band name "L'Espirit Creole".
First band to ever play in the Arts Cafe was, by the way, Roger and Buffy's "Cleoma's Ghost", and that is an evening I remember fondly.
S'b'B
Re: Re: old films & videos on acadian and cajun music
For Cheticamp music check out : http://cheticampns.com/CultureF.html
or http://www.cheticampns.com/CultureE.html
There is a lot of Scottish music there too I believe , Joe Cormier style.
Just a couple of years ago, Père(Father)Ansèlme Chiasson passed away at the age of past 90 years old.
Over the past 40 years as a priest all over Atlantic Canada, he had collected and recorded a mountain of Acadian songs and stories. About 5 years ago before he died, his legacy was professionally recorded and archived at a studio in Chéticamp (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia. Père Anselme Chiasson personnally sang every song that was recorded. It took several months to produce. I'm not sure where this heritage treasure can be found, but it is available, and certainly represents a significant body of reference material for the next generation of artists who would like to explore for traditional Acadian musical material. Personally, I saw and met Père Chiasson at an outdoor mass he facilitated in beautiful Grand Pré about 10 years ago on August 15 (National Acadian day here in Atlantic Canada. He was a great man dedicated to his people and heritage.
Maz
Speaking of Dennis Stroughmatt, I just received a copy of Les Tracas de Morris, featuring Morris Ardoin on accordion and Dennis on fiddle. They're accompanied by a guitar and sometimes a triangle. It's a fine recording of Creole music, and it'll be a treat to hear Dennis and band at Earlville.