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Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

I could have sworn I posted earlier but I don't see my response. Maybe I clicked Cancel by mistake?

Bravo! I thought the Cajun/Creole segment was well done! Started off with a couple of Amede Ardoin tunes, which I thought was a completely appropriate beginning though I never caught them saying his name. Loved the Breaux family stories and photos. And Louie did a nice job with the context of our music (it's crooked like the landscape!), Jolie Blonde etc.

I always dread hearing an announcer say something really cliched like "Cajun music is a gumbo of ----". People, not every mix of things in the world is a gumbo! Not even close! Robert Redford pulled up just short and called Cajun music a jambalaya! You can't win in this world!

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Roland Cheramie had posted a video of him saying "Cajun is more of a feeling than a culture" I jumped his ass. I looked for it on his page, he must have removed it.
Idiots everywhere
Even the know it all's are disappointing

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Regardless of what Roland said or implied, he's still done more to preserve Cajun French music and culture down the bayou than you ever will, Ralph Waldo.

John

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

don't bet on that

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

John D you know you may be right. After considering your statement I thought it might be a good idea for you to list all the wonderful things Roland has done to save the music.

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

I'm not going to waste my time arguing with a narcissist that feels he needs to hide behind a pseudonym.

John

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Now John are you backing down already? You know hypocrites are easy to spot. You for some reason decided to waste enough time to challenge me and I said back your mouth up or shut up. Oh and how's that song of the month thingy working for you?

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

I challenged you because you singled out a good friend of mine that's not here to defend himself. I challenged you because I love this forum and I'm tired of people like you getting on here, saying absolutely nothing constructive, and routinely driving off members that have dedicated their entire lives to playing and preserving Cajun music just because they don't think the same way you do. What reason would a professional musician have to get on a forum like this if as soon as he voices his opinion/advice on something people like you come out of the woodwork to tell him that he's wrong?


No where in any part of this story are you the hero; you're the bully and quite frankly a coward too for hiding behind a poorly chosen pseudonym.


John

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Playing the accordion has nothing to do with saving the culture or the music. So because my opinion is different than yours, it's wrong?
Got it

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Thanks for posting the link, Wade. Nice segment. I just knew they would use swamp scenes, but hey, the rest was awesome.

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

"Robert Redford pulled up just short and called Cajun music a jambalaya! You can't win in this world!"

Don't messin' with Jeremiah Johnson.

Maybe he meant "jam" balaya ?

Watch now: "American Epic: Episode 3"

Breaux/Falcon story starts at 40:47

Enjoy!
WF

http://www.pbs.org/video/3001259325/

Re: Watch now: "American Epic: Episode 3"

Did yall see those 7 black accordions stacked on those wooden shelves? Dam! The Cajun segment was done well. The segment right after on Mississippi John Hurt was eye opening. I worked alongside an old black man for about a month doing some manual labor some years ago. His voice, when he talked, was just like John Hurt. I could sit all day and listen to a voice like that. So I went on youtube and researched John Hurt which led me to another black guitarist born in back in 1849 nickname a "LeadBelly". Way older than Amedee Ardoin! Saw a picture of this old black blues singer/ guitar man holding a got dam accordion?! Title of the song was "Where did you sleep last night?" which later turned out to be a Cajun song called "Dedan les pins" (In The Pines). Now I'm starting to see where some of our Cajun music really came from. Old black blues singers. It's all startin to make sense now.

Thoughts on John Henry etc

Very moved by Mississippi John Hurt singing John Henry at the end (he recorded it as Spike Driver Blues). What a metaphor! Kind of tragic. The man says that the threat of modernism won't kill him, but it sort of does. But it doesn't if we still sing of John Henry and remember him and love him!

Also liked the segment about Blind Willie Johnson's music being shot into space. Somebody was using their noodle when they did that!

This episode was an hour and a half, a little bit more time to stretch out. It paid off! I had no idea that the Hawaiian segment connecting Maui with blues slide guitar, western swing, Nigerian juju music, and even Pink Floyd would be so interesting.

And then there was the story of the Hopi snake dancers. They would not be denied, and they did it through their music!

Finally, I had always thought of the great Lydia Mendoza as being an ancient, mythical figure, but then it turned out she was born the same year as my mother! Hmmm. Kind of makes me feel half-ancient!

Lots of food for thought!

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

American Epic as a series is wonderful and at times quite moving. Thanks America.

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Watched it in its entirety. Fantastic.

We are lucky to be Americans.

We are fortunate to be here now and enjoy the diverse cultures that made us who we are.

BTW
"Leadbelly" (Heddy Ledbetter)(sp) played the single row accordion which at that time was called a "windjammer".

Rees Wesson of Wales (GB) makes single row boxes called " The Windjammer".

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

Agreed!

Re: "American Epic: Episode 3": Short Documentary on Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers

That argument betwixt John D and Ralph Waldo sort of got me excited. I'm not sure which one it is, but I smell a Jerry! LOL, hey Jer, how's it goin?



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