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

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

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

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

They're a Rollin': Link Davis and "Bon-Ta-Ru-La"

Today's tune, Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let the Good Times Roll) is by Link Davis. A singer, fiddler, saxophonist, harmonica player and songwriter, Davis was born in Texas and was active in western swing, hillbilly, Cajun music, rockabilly, rock and roll and blues as session artist or main musician. His biggest hit was in 1953 with the Cajun classic Big Mamou. He became associated with the Houston music scene and died in 1972. Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let the Good Times Roll) can be found on the 1997 album Let the Good Times Roll, a greatest hits album. The original was released in 1958 as a single.

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://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/linkdavis.htm; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_Davis

French Colonies a World Away: Beausoleil and "Bamako"

Beausoleil brings us today's random tune, called Bamako. 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. Bamako can be found on their 2013 CD From Bamako to Carencro. The title refers to the capital city of Mali.

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

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

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

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

At the Lake's Bottom: Feufollet and "Au Fond du Lac"

Today's random tune is from down Louisiana way, in the Cajun country of Lafayette. Feufollet was formed in the late 1990s by some very young musicians (when they formed, their drummer was 8) and recorded their first record before they were teenagers. The band's name refers to the "crazy fire" or will-o-the-wisps in the swamps that mystified both travelers and swamp dwellers alike. Still a young band age-wise (all of them are in their 20s) they are an old band and very experienced in playing with one another. They do both straight ahead Cajun music, but they also improvise and add new elements to the old. This song, Au Fond du Lac, is from their 2010 Grammy nominated album En Couleurs, and creates a bluesy Cajun sound. The song is sung by former band member Anna Laura Edmiston, who left the group in 2012 to pursue new interests, and it addresses a drowned lover.

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://feufollet.net/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feufollet

Another Lonely Night: Belton Richard and "Un Autre Soir d'Ennui"

Today's random song is by Louisiana Cajun legend Belton Richard, an accordionist and singer who passed away in 2017. A member of the Cajun French Music Association's Hall of Fame, Belton Richard started playing accordion at age seven and was playing in his first band at age 12. He played a little pop and swamp rock, and then started his own band The Musical Aces in 1959. He was especially known for his range as a baritone. This song, Un Autre Soir d'Ennui, is one of his most famous, and can be found on 1994's The Essential Belton Richard Cajun Music Collection.

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/Belton_Richard

Waltz of the Big Marsh: Beausoleil and "Valse de Grand Meche"

Today's random tune is by Louisiana Cajun band BeauSoleil. BeauSoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups 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. BeauSoleil are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. This song, Valse de Grand Meche, can be found on their 1997 album The Best of Beausoleil and on the Michael Doucet with Beausoleil 2011 album Parlez-Nous A Boire & More.

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

Cajun Cowboy: BeauSoleil and "La Valse du Vacher"

BeauSoleil brings us our random tune for today, called La Valse du Vacher (Cowboy Waltz). BeauSoleil was founded in 1975, released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known groups 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. BeauSoleil are one of the few Creole/Cajun groups to win a Grammy. La Valse du Vacher can be found on their 1997 album The Best of Beausoleil and on their 1999 album 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

Love Hurts: Wayne Toups and Zydecajun with "True Love (Don't Leave Me Blue)"

Today's nice random tune is a waltz by Wayne Toups and Zydecajun. Songwriter and accordionist Wayne Toups is a well-known Cajun musician from Crowley, Louisiana. He started playing accordion at 13 and soon was winning local contests. He later began to combine Cajun music, zydeco, R&B and rock into a genre he labeled Zydecajun. Though he released his first album in the 1970s, his first album with the Zydecajun sound was 1986's Zydecajun. Besides releasing 16 albums and providing soundtracks for movies such as Steel Magnolias, Toups has also collaborated with such artists as Mark Chestnutt, Sammy Kershaw, Alan Jackson, George Jones and Garth Brooks. This song, True Love (Don't Leave Me Blue), is from his 1991 album Fish Out of Water.

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/Wayne_Toups; http://www.waynetoups.com/

Two of the Same: Beausoleil and "Tous les Deux pour la Même"

Our random tune for today, Tous les Deux pour la Meme, is by Louisiana Cajun group 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. Tous les Deux pour la Meme can be found on their 1997 compilation The Best of Beausoleil, on the 1999 compilation Vintage Beausoleil, and on the 2007 album Allons a Lafayette & More!

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/BeauSoleil;

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.

Dancing on the Gulf: Beausoleil and "Two-Step de Port Arthur"

Beausoleil brings us the random tune for today, called Two-Step de Port Arthur. 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. 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.