Hey can y'all direct me to some acapella recordings (particulary older recordings)? I'm listening to some Blind Uncle Gaspard, and Bee Deshotels but would like to increase my list! Thanks

Some songs by Edius NAQUIN, ballad Master.
http://www.annsavoy.com/shopnaquin.html

Another beautiful song a cappella :
"Les clés de la prison" (Keys to prison), old song by Elita Hoffpauir. Modern version by Steve Riley (CD Dominos)

Marc.

Allen Lomax had accrued quite a collection of early
Cajun music, much of it acapella ..

I'm not sure where to find it though ..

--bn

The Louisiana Recordings : Cajun and creole music - Alan & John A. Lomax
2 CDs Rounder 11661-1842-2 and 1843-2

Marc.

Link http://www.rounder.com/alanlomax has Alan Lomax's collection at rounder. He has 2 cd's of Louisiana music, almost to the bottom of the list, recorded in the mid 30's. Quite a bit of acapella, especially on the 2nd cd. Lot of other cool stuff from the Lomax's. I like the prison songs. On Yahoo music you can listen to the entire songs.

Also http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=851 is a cd that has some old acapella. Also on that site a huge collection of ancient stuff, I spent hours going through it a while back, fascinating stuff.

Also Mrs. Agnes Bourque on the cd Jetais Au Bal http://www.hechicero.com/louisiana/bourque.html I think you can hear the whole song on that site. Mrs. Bourque also on anothe Smithsonian Folkways song here http://www.folkways.si.edu/TrackDetails.aspx?itemid=5705

One thing interesting about the acapella songs is they use a French closer to today's standard French in pronunciation. Not sure if that is a formal form that is gone in La today, or that it is just the old pronunciation that is maintained just in music. Prayers were the same way.

I think that it's old pronunciation, that I understand very well. In the beginning, pronunciation was the same.

Marc.

I believe that the Folkways recording to which Bryan referred is titled "Cajun Songs from Louisiana," Folkways F-4438. This is a recording made by I. Bluestein in 1957.

You can order a CD copy of the original LP from Smithsonian Folkways. Just as a coincidence, the original LP (which is quite rare) is currently being offered on ebay, ending (I think) on Sunday. There is a lot of acapella singing on that LP/CD.

Just as a note, when the Smithsonian acquired the Folkways catalogue from Moses Asch, they did it with the proviso that all of the original Folkways recordings would be available to the public forever; so you can order CD copies of a lot of great music, including several terrific Cajun recordings, from Smithsonian Folkways.

Also, a couple of years ago, Louisiana Crossroads released a CD of (I think) mostly acapella Cajun songs by Cajun women. I have not bought a copy (I have to admit that for me, this acapalla music is an acquired taste that I have not completely acquired - tried, but not quite there.).

Also, I suspect that Marce Lacouture knows more about Cajun acapalla music than anyone else. It might be worth your effort to get in touch with her.

Sorry about not giving websites - I don't have them handy; but I think you can find all that I mentioned by doing searches on the internet.

Another CD with acapella songs :
"La musique de la maison : Women and home music in Louisiana" (Origin Jazz Library - OJL-3001).
34 short and very old songs by Alma Barthelemy, Lula Landry, Inez Catalon, Odile Falcon, etc...

Marc.

also....
keep in mind that in the 70s, Francophonie researchers analyzed Odile's songs and determined that they were around 400 yrs old. Her family, and their excellent vocal memory, had passed down the songs from France to Acadie to Louisiana orally and those tapes of her singing are the closest versions of what original French music sounded like in the 17th century.

WF

That's what I always think about when folks debate what is "traditional" cajun music.

Well to clear this up for now and in the future I define traditional Cajun music as the music that was recorded from the time Iry Lejeune recorded Love Bridge Waltz all the up to what is done with pretty much the kinds of instruments. All acoustic and with the same style as the past. Jude Moreau cd is a good example of modern day tradional Cajun music.
Le Piquant
Now I know that is my definitions so I understand how everybody else will define the music for themselves.

"how everybody else will define the music for themselves."

I still can't.

Mais dats up to dem. Me, I don't care. Good luck wit your project, defining or not to define the music.
Le Piquant

I found this one from Hazel Scott(UK).
She's a member of the Cajun Roosters

Back in the 70's, Zachary Richard did some heart-bearing accapella numbers on a couple of his early releases. If memory serves me, "Migration" has one or two that is quite amazing. Sorry for the vagueness, but may be worth a journey for those seeking a little more modern production quality.

The recording isn`t that old but I think the song is an old one.
Enjoy.

There's not much I can add after reading all these excellent suggestions! I think I am going to get the Louisiana Crossroads cd Jack mentioned upthread.

I think the Blind Nonc Gaspard songs all have guitar accompaniment, no?

Arhoolie's epic Folksongs of the Louisiana Acadians, recorded by Harry Oster (http://www.arhoolie.com/cajun-and-zydeco/folksongs-of-the-louisiana-acadians-various-artists.html), has a couple of good unaccompanied songs by Isom Fontenot of L'Anse Maigre (I think he was from L'Anse Maigre!). Cadet Roussel and J'Ai Traverse La Mer Et Les Montagnes.

For my ears, I think I like Edius Naquin of L'Anse Grise the best, (or is it Redell?) along with Agnes Bourque of Lewisburg. And Mr. Bornu from Morse on the Lomax field recordings of the 1930s.

I DO NOT like the one on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music by Didier Hebert, I Woke Up One Morning in May, which has an out of tune guitar. Not sure why he included that song on such an important introduction to folk music when he could have put the flip side, Far Away from Home Blues, with Dewey Segura on accordion. I don't think Harry Smith did a good job selecting Cajun and Creole songs for that landmark record, which overall was a great accomplishment for folk music in the 1950s, but did a much better job with country and blues music than it did with Cajun and Creole, in my opinion.

Thanks all for the recordings. Got some on da way!

Try The Archives of Cajun & Creole Folklore at Ul in Lafayette
call 337.482.1320
http://www.myspace.com/archivesofcajunandcreolefolklore
hey put out a great cd a year or so ago of women's acapelle music