Black Bayou: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two Step)"

Today's random song, Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two-Step), is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Bayou Noir (Back of Town Two-Step) can be found on their 1993 album Trace of Time, and their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 2008.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Riley_and_the_Mamou_Playboys

I Don't Deserve One: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Jamais Une Autre Chance"

Today's random song, Jamais Une Autre Chance, is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Jamais Une Autre Chance can be found on their 2003 album Bon Reve, and their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 2008.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Riley_and_the_Mamou_Playboys

Word to Your Mother: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Oh Mam (Oh Mom)"

Happy Valentine's Day! Now don't forget your mama! Today's random song, Oh Mam (Oh Mom), is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Oh Mam (Oh Mom) can be found on their 2003 album Bon Reve, and their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 2008.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Riley_and_the_Mamou_Playboys

Fool Me Once: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Je Suis Pas un Couillon"

Our random tune for today is by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun Louisiana band founded in 1988. The band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. This song, Je Suis Pas un Couillon (I am not a Fool) can be found on the 1998 album Bayou Ruler, on the 2009 album Live From Breaux Bridge, Pt. 2 and on the compilation album The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Quite a Girl: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Katherine"

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun Louisiana band brings us today's random tune, a waltz called Katherine. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Katherine can be found on the 1995 album La Toussaint and on the compilation album The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.

Putting Their Stamp On It: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "The Corner Post"

A Cajun Louisiana band brings us today's random tune, The Corner Post by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. The Corner Post can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Mommy Dearest: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Oh Mam"

Oh Mam (Oh Mom) is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Oh Mam (Oh Mom) can be found on their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 2008.

Keeping Culture: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Tiens Bon"

Our random tune for today, Tiens Bon (Hold On), is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also very personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Tiens Bon can be found on their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD (2008), and is an invocation of cultural heritage.

It's Pronounced Nack-a-tish: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Aux Natchitoches"

Happy Valentine's Day! From Cajun Louisiana comes today's random global song, a sad song about lovers, fittingly. Aux Natchitoches is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also very personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Aux Natchitoches can be found on their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD (2008).

Good for the Blood Pressure: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys featuring Sonny Landreth with "Zarico Est Pas Salé"

Zarico Est Pas Salé is a zydeco tune that Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys perform with Sonny Landreth. A Cajun band from Southern Louisiana, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys were founded in 1988. The band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Sonny Landreth is an American blues guitar player especially known for his slide guitar method and of whom Eric Clapton said that he is one of the most advanced and under-appreciated guitarists in the world. He is known as The King of Slydeco. He has released twelve albums. Zarico Est Pas Salé can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Mailing It In: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "The Corner Post"

We go back to Cajun Louisiana for today's random tune, The Corner Post by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. The Corner Post can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Into the Woods: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "La Pointe aux Pins"

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys bring us our random tune today. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also unique and personal. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category, and in 2013 Steve Riley took home a Grammy as part of The Band Courtbouillon, a Cajun jam band featuring Riley, Wayne Toups and Wilson Savoy. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. This song, La Pointe aux Pins (Pine Point), can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Sweet and Salty: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Zarico Est Pas Salé"

I've never really thought of zydeco as being "sweet" music, but I've never really thought of it as being salty either. Zydeco is too rooted in different types of music, such as the blues and country and a rollicking dance beat, to be sweet. But it often touches on a lot of cultural norms so present in folk music so it doesn't really have a salty flavor either. When I think of zydeco music, I think of a bunch of people getting together in the rural Cajun areas of Louisiana and just having a good time with each other over beer and dancing. You don't need too much sweetness or saltiness, just a good delicate balance between the two. I guess you could call zydeco the kettle corn of music.

Zarico Est Pas Salé is a zydeco tune that our first three-peaters, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, perform with Sonny Landreth. A Cajun band from Southern Louisiana, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys were founded in 1988. The band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Sonny Landreth is an American blues guitar player especially known for his slide guitar method and of whom Eric Clapton said that he is one of the most advanced and under-appreciated guitarists in the world. He is known as "The King of Slydeco." He has released twelve albums. Zarico Est Pas Salé can be found on The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys (2008).

Déjà vu: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys with "Oh Mam (Oh Mom)"

I couldn't find lyrics for this song, and I had hoped to see if the lyrics would echo anything of what I'm experiencing right now with my own mom. But, I couldn't find anything. I often think "Oh Mom" nowadays, but for different reasons than in the earlier stages of my life. I'm at the age where my mom is elderly, and experiencing all the fragility and uncertainties of a life of old age. She is forgetting more and more, particularly in the short term, her physical infirmities mean that she doesn't get out much, and she needs more and more supervision and care. So, at this point in my life my "Oh Mom" is a mix of empathy, exasperation, humor and some sadness. I have empathy that she cannot do the things she used to do, which is frustrating for her. I get exasperated with her, especially at the times she tries to do too much and gets herself tired, worn out, and perhaps into positions where she could be in danger. Humor comes at times we least expect it, when she can laugh a little about where she's at in life - laughing about forgetting something that she usually remembers, for instance. Sadness comes from comparing the mom I know now with the more vital, younger mom back a few years or longer. And, there is the wondering about how long she'll be with us - how many years? "Oh Mom..."

Oh Mam (Oh Mom) is performed by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, a Cajun band from Southern Louisiana and our first repeater on this daily global song list. Founded in 1988, the band takes its inspiration from Cajun traditional legends Dewey Balfa, Belton Richard and Walter Mouton. However, the music of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys has grown into a style that is distinctly Cajun but also personal to them. They sing almost exclusively in Cajun French. They have been nominated twice for Grammys in the Best Traditional Folk Album category and have released 11 albums to date as well as one compilation album. Oh Mam (Oh Mom) can be found on their Best of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys CD of 2008.

Ragin' Cajuns: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

When I lived in Milwaukee in the late 80s and early 90s, a friend was really into zydeco music.  It was my first introduction to music from Louisiana.  My girlfriend (now my wife and one of the hosts of the Global Music Show) and I were introduced to some zydeco artists through this friend, and went to see Wayne Toups and Zydecajun during a Bastille Days concert.

But my first real introduction to Cajun music occurred when Megan and I lived in San Antonio and drove to Louisiana to meet some friends for camping.  As we drove across western Louisiana, the music on the radio was full of accordion and violin, and the vocals sounded almost like the lonesome twang of country except they were in French.  Then a DJ came on and started talking.  "What's he saying?" I asked Megan.  "I don't know," she replied.  "I thought you knew French!" I exclaimed.  "That's French, but it's no French that I know," Megan said.

After living in New Orleans, I came to appreciate Cajun music, after attending concerts at Tipitinas and attempting to Cajun two-step to the likes of Bruce Daigrepont and other Cajun artists.  While classified by many as a "world" music, I began to see it as a uniquely American music, sung in French but with a lot of rhythms borrowed not only from the old world but also from the new.  It certainly gets your attention, especially when a good, upbeat song comes on.

One of the well-known Cajun bands of Louisiana is Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.  Originally formed in 1988, they have released 10 albums, of which two have been nominated for Grammys in the traditional folk category.  They have gone from being a primarily traditional Cajun band to one that blends their unique personal style, and sometimes a bit of blues, country and rock, with more traditional forms of Cajun music.  The band consists of Steve Riley on accordion, Sam Broussard on guitar, Brazos Huval on fiddle, saxophone and bass, and Kevin Dugas on drums.  Original guitarist Jimmy Domengeaux died in 1999, and co-founder David Greely retired due to hearing problems.

I first heard the band when Megan brought home their double CD The Best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.  The selection provided here is footage of a Tiny Desk Concert they did for NPR Music in 2011.