This merits a new topic, Chris. The future of French in Cajun culture and music. To me, Cajun music has done more than its share for reviving pride in the culture, and if you realize how much interest there is worldwide in the music, well, it's hard to believe but there it is! I would never have guessed!

Those were true words said to the effect that what we call traditional Cajun music today was truly once upon a time quite new, foreign to an older generation, and not always immediately embraced! Shucks, even the accordion we love and identify with Cajun music was new once upon a time. I guess for music lovers like us, music is too powerful a force to contain. Not too much planning we can do, IMO.

On my recent trip home to Louisiana, I picked up Shane Bernard's book The Cajuns: Americanization of a People, read it as fast as I could, and I am still reeling with mixed feelings. The book is a few years old now but still very relevant. Where it left off, if I understood it, is that the French immersion movement in public schools in Louisiana is encouraging, but we will have to wait and see. Some folks who know a lot more than I do affirm that you need French to survive in order for the culture to survive. The fact that I wrote that in English speaks volumes, and leaves me with a worried heart, for sure, but what can I say?

Hey Neal!
Glad you joined the topic!

Here's another book for you:

Acadian to Cajun: Transformation of a people
1803-1877
Carl A.Brasseaux
University Press of Mississippi

I need to get that book you spoke of...I love reading things like that.

I also enjoy those type books. Another I have that gave great insight into how the south Louisiana gumbo pot of diversity came to be put together is Carl Brasseaux's "French, Cajun, Creole, Houma-A Primer On Francophone Louisiana". Mr Brasseaux answers lots of questions.

Another one I loved was "Cajun Sketches", by Lauren Post written in 1962 largely about customs which were at that time dying. Lots of pics.

Dad, the geneology buff, gave me a stack of those type of books that I havent finished going through yet.

Chris I have many times wrestled with your same dilemas, and have come to the same conclusions. I think we have at least 2 problems here, interesting the youth in the music, and interesting them in the language. In a perfect world they would be interested in both. And if interested in the language, there would have to be more support from several different sources to make it work.

A young gentleman named Rocky Mckeon who has visited here occasionally has a radical idea that I didnt like at first, and the purist in me still doesnt like. But he proposes interesting the youth in the language, not with things of old, but the things they are interested in today. There will always be some kids interested in the old traditions, but most arent, or wont be until older. He sings rap songs in cajun (yeah I know, but think about it). He also comes up with cajun terms for things kids today talk about. Maybe, just maybe, if that approach might work to interest the youth in the language today, then maybe sometime they may become interested in the music, and other things also.

But for now, I feel the music style must also be preserved, even if in transition. If young people pick up an accordion and play cajun style, but sing lyrics in english, I would, with some lament, applaud them. It is, as you know, a result of factors that are not their fault. And maybe those with an interest in the music, might strive to learn the language.

I am trying to teach my kids what I can of the language, and they like the music some. Unfortunately I have moved to Texas and they only hear it from me (and they say it with a funny accent). But they know more than their cousins in the Mamou area, and that is sad, but not their cousins fault. When I see that picture of you with your family all playing cajun music, I can only hope you know how fortunate you are.

Hey that rap idea might not be so bad...I don't like a lot of rap but it is mainly because of the subject matter.

When I visited France a few years back, I saw the Jetsons in the Basque language! I starting asking around about the people and their language and I think I understand that they have had to struggle to keep their language alive and have it accepted by France and Spain. I thought to myself...what if we had cartoons in Cajun! What if our kids grew up on that...hmm...same feeling in Montreal when I visited. If we had as much French TV as they do then we would be getting somewhere! It is a virtual immersion! When all the digital cable and satellite TV...why not?

I think if you get popular music and TV in CAJUN French then you might could save it...that is the way to reach the younger generation...through pop culture probably.

Yep, that's kind of the idea. I invited Rocky to come join the converstation. I feel he is on the right track. Nobody understands the young folks like young folks do. And I really feel if they got interested in the language at a young age, by however means it took, at a later age they would take interests in the more traditional aspects. Now, how to elect Rocky governor.

Bryan;

Is this the same Rocky? See the website link above.

I have enjoyed his site a lot recently.

Peace,
Griff

That's him.

Ça, c'est juste le début de Rocky. Va 'oir les autres websites au-dessus. Mon, j'crois qu'i' faut prendre l'attention des enfants avec les affaires qu'EUSSE aime pendant qu'eusse est jeune.

That's just the beginning of Rocky. Check out the other sites above. I believe that it's necessary to grab children's attention with things that THEY like while they're young.

Peut etre tu devrais commence un autre linge, neg, c'est trop en bas.

Tant pire. Si eusse connaît pas comment venir en bas de la page, eusse va pas le 'oir. C'est juste comme ça.

Rocky

Well I want to thank all you folks for you opinions and leads.

As an old timey banjo picker I can not begin to count how many time I have heard completly diffrent words and titles to the same melody.

When these same tunes were slicked up in the 60's by the Kingston Trio etc. it peak the interest of an entire generation who went back to the musical roots. They creating a new crop of musician to preseve the original style.

I like the sound of Cajun music it is lively and toe tapping. I am suprised that it is not used to sell cereal or advertise water parks like Bluegrass has.

There will always be those musicians who preserve the original music form and those who expand on it possibilities. I would just like to hear more of it.


RPr