Considering much of the farming populace back then was illiterate, in English and French, I wouldn't think much of anything would be documented to be able to research.
Even the voodoo reference made by Michael Doucet took place in New Orleans, or there abouts, where at least some people were literate and could document such.
Probably going to have to let go of ever knowing the answer.
Nice discussion for a cold saturday morning...
maybe there is more things that can play a role:
-Could be that cajuns would have stuck to fiddle music initially. (you know: immigrants, conservative, et cetera.
-Black musicians could have been more adaptable. They made their own instruments like the banjo, the frottoirs.
-The mouth harp (harmonica). the step from the mouth harp to the one row is a very logic one. Could be that the mouth harp was introduced a little earlier than the accordion? Was adapted by the black people first? Logically a harmonica player can play a few tunes on a one row in a short time.
- Funny thing is the adoption by white players. This states that there must have been a close relationship between black and white. Maybe in the "musicians social class" there was more equality than elsewhere?
I think it was hard work in the fields, and no one really having much of an upper hand, where there was more equality than elsewhere, and more side by side interaction. I don't think there was much of a "musician's social class" per se. Everyone had to work hard, and they were out in the field with each other every day.
I think I read something to that effect in Ann Savoy's book.
Dwight
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Replying to:
Nice discussion for a cold saturday morning...
maybe there is more things that can play a role:
-Could be that cajuns would have stuck to fiddle music initially. (you know: immigrants, conservative, et cetera.
-Black musicians could have been more adaptable. They made their own instruments like the banjo, the frottoirs.
-The mouth harp (harmonica). the step from the mouth harp to the one row is a very logic one. Could be that the mouth harp was introduced a little earlier than the accordion? Was adapted by the black people first? Logically a harmonica player can play a few tunes on a one row in a short time.
- Funny thing is the adoption by white players. This states that there must have been a close relationship between black and white. Maybe in the "musicians social class" there was more equality than elsewhere?
The accordion was resisted by quite a few old fiddle players because of its limitations. To some, it might have been like the bagpipes when it first showed up. I sure wish there was more info on this, but there is probably very little, and a lot is educated speculation.
Back then most families, if not most households, had musicians, and noone traveled beyond their communities. So even with the racial barrier, there was plenty of mixing of ideas in communities, whether it be food, language, or music. Many dont realize what is now considered Cajun music, at one time was pretty localized, like many other things, such as the dialects. When people started getting record players, and traveling a little, the music started being shared more, but at one time a lot of the music was different from area to area, look at the first recordings of the Balfa brothers, the Deshotel brothers, and others.
Chuck Guillory isn't the only one.
My wife and two of my daughters will do the same with a big knife.
They destroyed now several bellows, but I keep on repair them, just like the tires of my bike and keep on playing.
My third daughter loves the accordion but also the fiddle and she helps me with repairing.
Excellent article, notice all the mentions of "it will probably never be known"? For anyone who has not been to this website, there are a huge collection of great stories and and essays.
I concur -- Joe & Cleoma Falcon -- probably the "first" "Cajun" player(s) to be recognized as such by the "first" recording. Then again, I wasn't around then. Ha! First accordion player in Louisiana was probably Creole -- very likely in New Orleans. I can only discern this historical info through the same videos and books available to everyone else.