The Early Bird: Beausoleil and "Contredanse de Robin"

Beausoleil brings us today's random tune, called Contredanse de Robin. Beausoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups from playing traditional and original music in the Creole tradition of Louisiana. They have also gone beyond the traditional, incorporating rock and roll, jazz, blues, calypso and other genres. They are an extensive touring band, and they sing in both English and Colonial Louisiana French. The band takes its name from Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, who led the Acadian resistance to British deportation from Canada and led 193 exiles to safety in Louisiana. The band almost didn't come to be - Michael Doucet, one of the founders, was going to New Mexico to study Romantic Poets, but he won a Folk Arts Apprenticeship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. As he puts it: "I traded William Blake for Dewey Balfa," and he sought out every living Cajun/Creole performer to learn what he could about Cajun music and their techniques. He even encouraged some to resume performing. They are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. Contredanse de Robin can be found on their 1999 album of the same Vintage Beausoleil.

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/BeauSoleil

A Song of Mardi Gras: Jambalaya Cajun Band and "Le Chanson de Mardi Gras"

Today's tune is by the Jambalaya Cajun Band, and is called Le Chanson de Mardi Gras. A band that has been around since 1977, the Jambalaya Cajun Band specializes in Cajun music and is made up of people who have roots in Louisiana music and who are also advocates for the preservation of Cajun French language and culture. You can find Le Chanson de Mardi Gras on their 1992 album Instrumental Collection, as well as the 1992 various artists compilation Cajun and Zydeco Mardi Gras.

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://www.flattownmusic.com/artist/jambalaya-cajun-band/

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

Yes, Madame: Buckwheat Zydeco and "Madame Pitre"

Buckwheat Zydeco, the late accordion and zydeco player, brings us todays random tune - a zydeco version of an old standard. Buckwheat Zydeco was the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. He got the name "Buckwheat" from his childhood resemblance to a character on the Our Gang film shorts. Dural's father was an accomplished Creole accordionist, but Dural preferred rhythm and blues, and actually started out backing artists such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Joe Tex. He started his own funk band in the early 70s with some success, but then began backing zydeco legend Clifton Chenier as an organist and discovered the popularity of zydeco. His relationship to Chenier led him to take up the accordion, and after a year he felt confident enough to start Buckwheat Zydeco in 1978. Buckwheat Zydeco opened for and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, and it was one of the few zydeco bands to achieve mainstream success. This song, Madame Pitre, can be found on his 1992 album Turning Point.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat_Zydeco

Mama's Got a Squeezebox: Roddie Romero & The Rockin' Cajuns with "Da Big Squeeze"

Today's random song is by Louisiana accordionist Roddie Romero and the Rockin' Cajuns. Roddie Romero is from the town of Lafayette, Louisiana. Influenced early on by his grandfather's accordion playing, he taught himself how to play by reproducing the sounds he heard his grandfather make. Surrounded by his heroes, like Buckwheat Zydeco and other legends, he became a sought-after performer himself while still in high school - the scandal of his performances in nightclubs and bars as a minor led to the Roddie Romero Law in the state legislature, which allowed underage musicians to perform in such settings if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Sometime later, after seeing Sonny Landreth in Canada, Romero became enamored of the slide guitar, adding it to his repertoire. While the Rockin' Cajuns was one of his first bands, he now fronts the Hub City All-Stars. This song, Da Big Squeeze, is from the Roddie Romero & The Rockin' Cajuns' 1991 album of the same name, though we found it on the various artists compilation Cajun and Zydeco Mardi Gras (1992).

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: http://roddieromero.com/web/

A Little Burn in the Throat: Beausoleil and "Hot Chili Mama"

Beausoleil brings us today's random tune, called Hot Chili Mama. Beausoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups from playing traditional and original music in the Creole tradition of Louisiana. They have also gone beyond the traditional, incorporating rock and roll, jazz, blues, calypso and other genres. They are an extensive touring band, and they sing in both English and Colonial Louisiana French. The band takes its name from Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, who led the Acadian resistance to British deportation from Canada and led 193 exiles to safety in Louisiana. The band almost didn't come to be - Michael Doucet, one of the founders, was going to New Mexico to study Romantic Poets, but he won a Folk Arts Apprenticeship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. As he puts it: "I traded William Blake for Dewey Balfa," and he sought out every living Cajun/Creole performer to learn what he could about Cajun music and their techniques. He even encouraged some to resume performing. They are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. Hot Chili Mama can be found on their 1987 album of the same name and on the 1997 greatest hits album The Best of Beausoleil.

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/BeauSoleil

Art Deco: Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters with "Zydeco Party"

Today's random tune is by Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and his Zydeco Twisters. Rockin' Dopsie Jr. (pronounced Doop-sie) is the son of zydeco legend Rockin' Dopsie, who passed away in 1993 after a successful career bringing zydeco to greater attention in Europe and the United States where he assimilated R&B influences into zydeco. After his death, his band was taken over by Rockin' Dopsie Jr., who plays accordion accordion and washboard, and Tiger Dopsie on drums. Given an accordion at the age of nine, Rockin' Dopsie Jr. learned to play it by listening to and accompanying songs on the radio. He joined his father's band as a washboard player, which allowed him to dance while singing and playing. He continues playing washboard with the Zydeco Twisters, while his own son Anthony plays the accordion. You can hear this song, Zydeco Party, on Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters 2002 release Rockin' Zydeco Party.

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://www.rockindopsiejr.com/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockin%27_Dopsie

She's No Wilting Violet: Amanda Shaw and "The Meek Maids Reel"

Our random tune for today is by a Cajun fiddler from Louisiana. From Mandeville, Louisiana, Amanda Shaw first began playing classical violin at age 4 but by age 8 had begun playing and performing Cajun music. We (Mike and Megan) lived in New Orleans from 2000 - 2004 and we would often hear Johnny Fasullo (The Ragin' Cajun), who hosted a weekly Cajun and zydeco music show on WWOZ, play songs from Amanda Shaw's first album that she made at age 11 called Little Black Dog. She and her band The Cute Guys are regular performers around New Orleans, and she has released five albums. While her music is always based in the traditional Cajun styles, she has also incorporated more modern roots, southern, and country styles into her albums. This song, The Meek Maids Reel, is a more traditional instrumental number and can be found on her 2010 album Good Southern Girl. The video is from a performance she did on a New Orleans morning television show.

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/Amanda_Shaw; https://www.amandashaw.com/home

When the Stars Fall from the Sky: Zydeco Force and "Saints Go Marchin' In"

Today's song will make you want to dance! The song is Saints Go Marchin' In by Zydeco Force. Formed in 1998 in Opelousas, Zydeco Force became a regional favorite in Louisiana and East Texas. They were featured in the award winning film Schutze Gets the Blues, filmed in the former East Germany, Texas and Louisiana. The band is currently inactive. Saints Go Marchin' In can be found on the 1992 compilation album Louisiana's Best Cajun and Zydeco Music. Of course, When the Saints Go Marching In is a staple of Louisiana and American music, beginning as an African-American Christian spiritual dating from the early 1900s and becoming mainstream after Louis Armstrong's 1938 recording. It has been recorded many times in many different ways, with this one giving it a Cajun twist.

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.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco_Force

Her Appetite Hurts: Beausoleil and "Chanson de Cinquante Sous"

Today's random tune is by the band Beausoleil. Beausoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups from playing traditional and original music in the Creole tradition of Louisiana. They have also gone beyond the traditional, incorporating rock and roll, jazz, blues, calypso and other genres. They are an extensive touring band, and they sing in both English and Colonial Louisiana French. The band takes its name from Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, who led the Acadian resistance to British deportation from Canada and led 193 exiles to safety in Louisiana. The band almost didn't come to be - Michael Doucet, one of the founders, was going to New Mexico to study Romantic Poets, but he won a Folk Arts Apprenticeship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. As he puts it: "I traded William Blake for Dewey Balfa," and he sought out every living Cajun/Creole performer to learn what he could about Cajun music and their techniques. He even encouraged some to resume performing. They are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. This song, Chanson de Cinquante Sous, can be found on their 2013 CD From Bamako to Carencro. The song is a humorous warning to not take your beautiful, but hungry, girl to a restaurant with only 50 cents in your pocket, lest you get beat up for not being able to pay for her big meal.

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/BeauSoleil

Put a Spring in Your Steppin: Rockin' Sidney and "Zydeco Mardi Gras"

A little reminder of what happened a month ago is today' random tune, called Zydeco Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras Zydeco. The tune is performed by the late Rockin' Sydney, the performing name of Sidney Simien of Lebeau, Louisiana. Rockin' Sidney started out as a guitar R&B musician with some minor hits in Louisiana in the 1950s and 1960s. One of his songs from that period, You Ain't Nothin' but Fine, gained some national attention and was later recorded by The Fabulous Thunderbirds on their debut album. In the 1970s, Rockin' Sidney began playing zydeco music. Recognizing the growing popularity of zydeco, he picked up an accordion and formed a band. His stage shows featured parodies of Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco, complete with costuming. He became internationally known with his hit My Toot Toot, which has been covered by many well-known musicians. Rockin' Sidney died in 1998. Zydeco Mardi Gras can be found on his 1992 album Mais Yeah Chere! and on the 1992 various artists compilation Cajun and Zydeco Mardi Gras.

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/Rockin%27_Sidney

Put Up or Shut Up: Lil' Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers with "Git Yo' Money Up"

Lil' Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers bring us today's random tune, called Git Yo' Money Up. Lil' Nathan is Nathan Williams Jr., son of Nathan Williams who leads the Zydeco Cha Chas. At the age of 5 he began playing rubboard in his father's band, eventually playing drums and then accordion, eventually becoming a master of both the single note and triple row accordions. He formed the Big Timers at 14 as a freshman in high school in Lafayette, Louisiana, recording his first studio album called Zydeco Ballin'. After recording their second album, the Zydeco Big Timers became an in-demand band on the zydeco circuit. Lil' Nathan and his band have opened for major musicians such as Keith Sweat, Tank, New Edition, and Dru Hill among others. He has also gained a bachelor's degree in jazz studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and he plans to become a music and vocal teacher alongside his recording and performing career, and he is currently an instructor for students in the Zydeco Ensemble at Louisiana Lafayette. Git Yo' Money Up can be found on the Lil' Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers 2015 album Face 2 Face - Nate the Great.

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://nathanwilliamsjr.com/

Getting Jiggy with It: Beth Patterson and "Mary Patterson's/All in the Family/The Rathfarnham Lilters"

Beth Patterson brings us today's random tune, called Jigs: Mary Patterson's/All in the Family/The Rathfarnham Lilters. From Lafayette, Louisiana, Beth Patterson is a singer-songwriter who starts from a base of Irish and Celtic music and adds a few drops of Cajun, worldbeat and progressive rock. She began her career playing Cajun bass and as a classical oboist, and studied traditional Irish music and ethnomusicology at University College Cork in Ireland. She finished a bachelor's degree in music therapy at Loyola University in New Orleans, and she took up the Irish bouzouki which is now her preferred instrument. She was a founding member of the Poor Clares, an Irish ensemble that opened to rave reviews in New Orleans, and she has also released four solo albums and two with the Poor Clares. You can find Jigs: Mary Patterson's/All in the Family/The Rathfarnham Lilters on her 1999 album Hybrid Vigor.

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.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Patterson

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

Zydeco Birthday: Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band with "Co Fa"

Today's random song is dedicated to my spouse and partner in crime, Megan Kamerick, for it's her birthday today. Co Fa is a Louisiana zydeco song, but it almost sounds like it has a reggae feel. Co Fa is by Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band. Frank is a native of Louisiana, and started his Soileau Zydeco Band in 1990. They have put out thirteen studio albums and one live album. Co Fa first appeared on Keith Frank & The Soileau Zydeco Band's Live at Slim's Y-Ki-Ki album (1999) and can be found on Putumayo World Music's 2000 compilation CD Zydeco.

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.

Sources: http://www.keithfrank.com/

Let's Go Get 'Em: Cha Wa and "All On a Mardis Gras Day"

We are getting close to Mardi Gras in a few days, and the randomizer comes up with a winner in the form of today's song, called All On a Mardi Gras Day. The song is performed by Cha Wa, a band that melds New Orleans brass band sounds with the Mardi Gras Indian musical tradition and explores contemporary interpretations of traditional Mardi Gras Indian songs through the vocals of Big Chief Monk Boudreaux of the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indian tribe. Founded by drummer Joe Gelini, the band also features J'wan Boudreaux, grandson of Monk Boudreaux and himself the spyboy for the tribe. The name of the group, Cha Wa, means "we're coming for you" in the Mardi Gras Indian vernacular. You can find All On a Mardi Gras Day on Cha Wa's debut album Funk 'n' Feathers (2016).

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.

Sources: http://www.chawaband.com/#chawa-section

You See Gallup New Mexico: Buckwheat Zydeco and "Route 66"

Buckwheat Zydeco, the late accordion and zydeco player, brings us todays random tune - a zydeco version of an old standard. Buckwheat Zydeco was the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. He got the name "Buckwheat" from his childhood resemblance to a character on the Our Gang film shorts. Dural's father was an accomplished Creole accordionist, but Dural preferred rhythm and blues, and actually started out backing artists such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Joe Tex. He started his own funk band in the early 70s with some success, but then began backing zydeco legend Clifton Chenier as an organist and discovered the popularity of zydeco. His relationship to Chenier led him to take up the accordion, and after a year he felt confident enough to start Buckwheat Zydeco in 1978. Buckwheat Zydeco opened for and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, and it was one of the few zydeco bands to achieve mainstream success. This song, Route 66, can be found on his 2005 album Where There's Smoke There's Fire. He performs the song on the video with David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat_Zydeco

Baby It's Cold Outside: Buckwheat Zydeco and "On a Night Like This"

Today's random tune is by the late, legendary Buckwheat Zydeco. On a Night Like This is the title track of his 1989 album On a Night Like This. Buckwheat Zydeco was the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. He got the name "Buckwheat" from his childhood resemblance to a character on the Our Gang film shorts. Dural's father was an accomplished Creole accordionist, but Dural preferred rhythm and blues, and actually started out backing artists such as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Joe Tex. He started his own funk band in the early 70s with some success, but then began backing zydeco legend Clifton Chenier as an organist and discovered the popularity of zydeco. His relationship to Chenier led him to take up the accordion, and after a year he felt confident enough to start Buckwheat Zydeco in 1978. Buckwheat Zydeco opened for and collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, and it was one of the few zydeco bands to achieve mainstream success.

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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat_Zydeco

Cajun Music in Texas: BeauSoleil and "Two-Step de Port Arthur"

Our random tune for today is from Louisiana, and is by the band Beausoleil. Beausoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups from playing traditional and original music in the Creole tradition of Louisiana. They have also gone beyond the traditional, incorporating rock and roll, jazz, blues, calypso and other genres. They are an extensive touring band, and they sing in both English and Colonial Louisiana French. The band takes its name from Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, who led the Acadian resistance to British deportation from Canada and led 193 exiles to safety in Louisiana. The band almost didn't come to be - Michael Doucet, one of the founders, was going to New Mexico to study Romantic Poets, but he won a Folk Arts Apprenticeship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. As he puts it: "I traded William Blake for Dewey Balfa," and he sought out every living Cajun/Creole performer to learn what he could about Cajun music and their techniques. He even encouraged some to resume performing. They are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. This song, Two-Step de Port Arthur, can be found on their 2013 CD From Bamako to Carencro. Port Arthur refers to a city along the Gulf Coast in Texas.

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/BeauSoleil

Ripe as a Tomato: Lawrence Ardoin and "Hot House Zydeco"

Our random tune for today, Hot House Zydeco, is performed by Lawrence "Black" Ardoin. The son of Creole accordion legend Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, he joined his father and two brothers in the Ardoin Brothers Band as drummer, later taking over the accordion when his brother Gustave was killed in a car accident in 1974. Feeling stifled by traditional Creole music, he started a new band in the 1980s called the French Zydeco Band which branched out into Cajun and swamp pop. He also formed another band, Lagniappe, which included his son Chris on accordion. Hot House Zydeco can be found on the compilation CD Louisiana's Best Cajun and Zydeco Music.

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.

Sources: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lawrence-black-ardoin-mn0000674989/biography