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Re: Ye Yaille Chere - Octa Clark?

Wouldn't the songs most closely associated with Octa Clark be instrumentals? Which songs with lyrics written by him should have been included?

He must have been somewhat known in the Lafayette area because he had a live radio show in the 1950s. This is covered in the notes to the Rounder long playing record, Ensemble Encore. There's even a picture of his band with a steel guiarist in it.

He first recorded for folklorist Ron and Fay Stanford around 1972. The songs Valse des Meches and Bosco Stomp are on the Swallow Records lp J'etait au bal, Music from French Louisiana, online at http://www.hechicero.com/louisiana/octaclark.html I know I told Glen Clark that this was the best music Clark and Duhon recorded, and he agreed.

I was told that Mr. Clark performed for a short while with the Balfa Brothers when they went to folk festivals out of state, but it did not last long because of their musical differences. Nathan Abshire, Hadley Fontenot, and Allie Young were better matches.

Octa Clark and Hector Duhon played at some of the earliest Festivals Acadiens, I think around 1974, 75 and so on, then had a gig at Mulate's Restaurant in Breaux Bridge.

Re: Ye Yaille Chere - Octa Clark?

Neal--is this knowledge coming from books and reports or from time you lived in Louisiana? I'm just telling you I was a Cajun music fan all my life (born in 1966) and I never heard of him until the 80's. The musicians I knew had never heard of him either. Not until the albums in the 80's and 90s. But I don't live in Lafayette area and this was well before information age of Internet. I'm saying that the folks on our end at least hadn't heard too much about him. This was my explanation of why perhaps he was not in YeYaile book. I had heard of Toups, Pewee, Mark Savoy, Joe Bonsall, Aldus, Belton and tons of others...but never Octa until 80s. Just my experience but I'm sure others here in LA could agree. He was relatively unknown outside of an inner circle of fans and musicians until 80s and became more of a legend in a broader sense and superstar in the 90s and after his death. People started appreciating him more then, it seems.

Re: Ye Yaille Chere

Here's my theory, Ye Yaille Chere referenced older or the most popular recordings of the songs referenced. At the time Ye Yaille Chere was written I don't believe Octa Clark had released a single recording therefore no songs to reference.

Re: Ye Yaille Chere

Ye Yaille Chere came out in 1990. Octa Clark had recorded well before then. He had two songs on J'etais au bal, Music from French Louisiana, which came out in 1974. I posted a link yesterday to a website by Ron Stanford, the producer.

http://www.hechicero.com/louisiana/octaclark.html

This website includes a mention of Octa Clark's live radio show. I also heard about his radio show from the lp Ensemble Encore for Rounder.

He and Hector Duhon were playing at Festivals Acadiens (Tribute to Cajun Music) in the late 70s. I know because I saw them. Beausoleil used to feature them too at some concerts because their accordion player, Bessyl Duhon, is Hector's son. The Arhoolie lp came out in 1981, I believe. That may be how some people first heard about him. This is all before Ye Yaille Chere was published.

I think he's not in Ye Yaille Chere because it is mainly a book of lyrics. Octa Clark's greatest originals were instrumentals. That's my guess on why he is not included.

Re: Ye Yaille Chere

And he's not nearly the only well known player not included.



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