I've just bought the CD "Back to the Basics Volume II, Il faut que ca va" where Marc Savoy plays twelve classic Cajun songs. The CD comes with a two page cover booklet that does not give the names of the tunes played on the CD. No tune names printed anywhere on the CD and I did not find the tune list at http://www.savoymusiccenter.com. It seems as if the the CD had been published in a rush.
Anyone can help me out?

I don't have the CD yet, but I think that the CD is a kind of a puzzle.
Everybody have to guess or know which songs are on the CD.
Mark thinks that we all know the Classics and we do, isn't it ?

I think Ron is right,they are classics, so everyone should know them, and that`s what Mr. Savoy meant by not putting any titles on the album.

Not that I know all these tunes,but hey I`ve got time.

Wilfred

If this is really Marc's idea behind not giving song titles, I'm not so sure it's a good one.

I've met a number of people who are happy to give advice about learning to play, people who are genuinely happy to share what they know. And Marc is one of those people.

But if the goal is to bring people--particularly young Cajuns--into the fold and foster an interest in this music, then this gesture doesn't seem all that helpful.

A lot of people may interpret this as an attempt to keep the music away from novices. It could come off as though the people in the inner circle of Cajun music are saying "if you don't know what this is, then you shouldn't even be here."

It's the same as with the French language. A lot of older folk will give younger Cajuns grief if their accent isn't right or if they speak the "wrong" kind of French (i.e. Parisian French). What they don't realize is that it takes a lot of guts to try to speak French when it's not your first language.

People like Marc Savoy and the people who are working to revive the langauge have done a lot for the culture. But the last thing I want to see is that my culture has become some kind of exclusive "country club" where only the "right kind of people" can get in. I can't think of a faster way to kill Cajun culture than to do that.

Jude

so, someone who buys this to *learn* what
"the classics" are, is out of luck

wle.

I found 10 title on 12. The 2 others, I hesitate (1 an 3).

I think the first volume received a lot of feedback about the tracks being well known tunes played instrumentally and given new names. I think it was probably an attempt to prevent anybody from claiming rights to what Marc believes to be traditional melodies.

I also think that the Savoy brothers, Wilson and Joel, like to do creative "out of the box" things that provoke discussion. The omission of track titles was probably just that...trying to step away from the norm. It kinda like unwrapping a present if you don't know what the next track is.

O.K. , maybe I was a bit quick with my conclusion.

I like the album a lot, and it`s true what Ganey wrote, listening to the album is like unwrapping a present.

Wilfred

It was just an idea, about the puzzle.
Only Marc Savoy know why.
Maybe will some body ask him why there are no titles.

I am not sure I see what the big deal is. This is folk music, and it is pretty typical for a tune to have many variations in the tune, lyrics and title.

In groups I have played in, we always come up with our own "nick-names" and sort-cut names for the tunes.

-David

Well said...Who is to say what the "real" name of a song is anyway...What one musician calls a certain tune may not be what another musician calls it...I read somewhere (in Ye Yaille or Ann's book) that many of the songs that are named something like Pointe Noir or something like that are named so because whoever recorded them heard them at that place and remembered the tune that way...Personally, I think it's a great idea and you can call the tune whatever you want...I have songs on my Ipod called the cajun chanky chank song and so on...I even have a song by Dewey Balfa that I could never find the name to that is now named "Dewey's song that I like"...lol

Joey

The reason I asked help is that I like to know the names and story of the tunes I am listening or learning. For example, I like the story behind the tune Colinda. It would be a great pleasure to read where Marc Savoy learned these tunes and all stories he knows about them.
Miki

Colinda is wellknown song by Lucille Star.
She had a worlwide hit with it.
But it's also performed by many cajun artists.
The first version was a song of Dennis McGee and it was titled Madame Young.
Ans maybe it's an older song, but I don't know that.

It's a much older song, with a lot of debate about it. Some say it comes from an old African danse called the Calinda that was barred for being to suggestive. Hence "while your mom is not here, lets do the Colinda". Dont know how much of that is speculation or fact. Denus Mcgee used the tune with different words.

Ron, Colinda seemed to be a dance where a kind of taboo was around. Maybe voodoo, or too sexy?

Gus

On the first volume Marc named the tunes for the people he learned them from (I assume). We should be able to name the tunes on this volume w/o much trouble (though there's this huge gap between my recognizing a tune and being able to stick a name to it). Track 3 is Lacassine Special, yes? I thought Track 4 was High Point Two Step, but I know I'm wrong. Next

Having studied with Marc Savoy in Louisiana and Seattle, I can re-enforce the main train of thought here: When Marc learned his main repetore, the tunes were called different names by different players. If fact they might have been slightly different; altered by a musician that might have heard the melody only once!
It was a different deal before recording was available and standardized (ossified?) the tunes the tunes in the form we know them today.
Patrick, I'll get ahold of the CD and see if I can "name that tune". Later!
-John

Example: Kaplan Waltz and Jai Passe Devant Ta Port are very very similar in the chorus, but differ in the bridge treatment.

That Marc would "play" with classic tunes, change them a bit, combine elements from different songs, play variations or some such, just goes right along with the nature of folk music.

I mean Kaplan Waltz and Jolie Blonde have a very similar chorus with a different bridge treatment

Let the Games Begin Then!
Here is a tune Quiz number 1
http://members.chello.hu/nemethmik/cajun/Quiz-01-rev.mp3 (see link #3)
This is only 29 seconds and a bit altered to make the quiz a bit harder.
What is the name of the tune?

Have fun!
Miki

evangeline 2step (Iry Lejeune)

Gus

I think " Melville two-step ", slower.

font culottes two-step-Sidney Brown

I gotta go with Ganey, it's the same tune as Font d'Culottes. Seems like I remember someone rerecording that song recently and adding lyrics, was it Pineleaf Boys?

Fee Fee Ponchot

Hathaway Two Step (the version I have is played by the California Cajun Orchestra "Not Lonesome Anymore" CD.

It seems to me that Marc is playing a Bb accordion on this CD. Does that make any sense? Is the first tune Faire Quoi?

I think he plays a number of different accordions on the CD (as he did on Back to Basics 1). And I thought that first tune was the Sidney Brown Special.

Thanks Bassman. I think you are spot on about the first one being the Sidney Brown Special. I don't think I would have found on my own. I can see where Marc was coming from (at least I hypothesize); namely, learn the tune without preconceptions of what it is. Figure out on your own, or with friends, what you need to know. Attach labels and context later.