Clarence's directory of sound files and MP3 clips of old Cajun and Zydeco music |
|
Clarence's directory of sound files and MP3 clips of old Cajun and Zydeco music: Use the following to listen to some old recordings of Cajun and Zydeco music. You won't be able to download the sound files, but you can listen to them. This is located at www.cajunradio.org/listenold.html Please listen to Clarence's Cajun radio program in Baton Rouge. Saturdays 7pm-9pm on WBRH 90.3 FM View Clarence's Baton Rouge Cajun and Zydeco Schedule. Clarence needs your help - read a message from Clarence here. Note from Clarence: When asked what I consider the most important early historical recordings, I always have to refer to the "Lomax" recordings, the "Old-Timey" recordings, and the Historic "Victor Bluebird Sessions". The Lomax recordings were done in 1934 as a field project for the USA Library of Congress. It was called "Louisiana Cajun and Creole Music 1934 The Lomax Recordings". It was initially re-released on the Swallow record label as a vinal LP #8003-2. (I believe that the vinal version from Swallow is no longer in print). But, it has now been re-released in CD format on the Rounder label www.rounder.com Listen The Lomax Recordings Vol 1 (The Classic Louisiana Recordings: Cajun and Creole Music, 1934-1937) Rounder CD #4962 Listen The Lomax Recordings Vol 2 (The Classic Louisiana Recordings: Cajun and Creole Music II, 1934-1937) Rounder CD #4961 The Alan Lomax web site is at www.alan-lomax.com The Old-Timey recordings are a compilation of many of the early Cajun songs. They were released on the "Old-Timey" record label on vinal as follows: (The Old-Timey label is a subset of the Arhoolie label. www.arhoolie.com) OT-108 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 1: First recordings - The 1920's OT-109 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 2: The early 1930's OT-110 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 3: The string bands of the 1930's OT-111 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 4: The late 1930's OT-114 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 5: The early years 1928 - 1938 (includes 1st Jole Blonde) OT-124 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 6: Amade Ardoin -- His Original Recordings OT-125 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 7: Leo Soileau and His Four Aces - Pioneer Cajun fiddler OT-127 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 8: Hackberry Ramblers Early Recordings: 1935-1948 OT-128 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 9: Pioneers of Cajun Accordion I have copies of the vinal records but they are no longer in print as vinal. OT-108 and OT-109 have been re-released on the Arhoolie label Cassette # 213 titled "Cajun Music: The First Recordings 1928-34" OT-124 may be contained (not sure?) on the Arhoolie/Folklyric label CD # 7007 titled "Am�d� Ardoin-The Roots of Zydeco" Some of OT-114 Louisiana Cajun Music Vol 5: The early years 1928 - 1938 (includes 1st Jole Blonde) has been re-released on SONY/COLUMBIA as "Cajun Dance Party: Fais Do-Do" Columbia CK-46784. You can listen to it at Listen Amadie, Ophy and Cleoma Breaux - Original Jole Blonde 1928 "Ma Blonde Est Partie" Jole Blonde is considered to be the Cajun national anthem because of the historical and popularity of the song. Visit Clarence's web page on Jole Blonde at www.cajunradio.org/earlysongs.html The VERY first Cajun recording was called "Allons A Lafayette" recording by Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux in 1928. This song is included on the CD called "J'ai �t� Au Bal, Vol. 1" (I Went to the Dance, Vol. 1) Various Artists on the Arhoolie label CD/CASS 331. You can listen to this song at www.arhoolie.com/titles/331.shtml The first known recording containing the word "Zydeco" was the recording by "Jimmy Peters and The Ring Dance Singers" in 1934 as part of the historic Alan Lomax recordings. The word "Zydeco" is actually the words "Les Haricots". Phonetically speaking, the "S" from "Les" gets rolled over to the beginning of the word "Haricots" giving a pronounciation of "Zharicots". In french, you don't hardly hear the ending "ts" resulting in Zharico. The emphasis is on the 1st and 3rd parts of the word, hence ZHAR- i -CO. The "i" in the middle is pronounced like and "e", not like a long "I". When the phonetic "Zhareco" was translated into the written version it then was easily mispelled as "zydeco". Thus, the phrase "Les Haricots" which is french for " the snapbeans" is equivalent to the present day spelling of the word "zydeco". The first known recording containing the word "zydeco" was the song called "J'ai fait tout Le tour du pays" and was done in a Jure' (bluesy) style of chanting. The phrase "les haricots sont pas sale' " is repeated often. This translates into the phrase "the snapbeans they are not salty". This is an old phrase that implies that times are so tough that the person could not afford any salt meat to put in their beans. Thus, the meaning that times are rough. This song is on a CD recording on the Rounder label called "J'ai �t� Au Bal, Vol. 2" (I Went to the Dance, Vol. 2) Various Artists CD/CASS 332 (p.s.) The song on this CD is the same exact song, but rounder labeled the song as "Zydeco Sont Pas Sales" by Jimmy Peters and The Ring Dance Singers. You can listen to this song at www.arhoolie.com/titles/332.shtml As far as I know, the rest are unavailable except that Arhoolie may have some back stock of the vinal. The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions have been re-released in CD format by the Country Music Association. Listen Le Gran Mamou - A Cajun Music Anthology Vol 1, The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions 1928-1941 Listen Raise Your Window - A Cajun Music Anthology Vol 2, The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions 1928-1941 Listen Gran Prairie - A Cajun Music Anthology Vol 3, The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions 1935-1940 Re-Releases of older Cajun and Zydeco on the German label Trikont You can listen to snippets of their Louisiana recordings at www.trikont.com but they don't sell directly to the U.S. To mail order their CD's in the U.S., you can get them from www.othermusic.com. Particularly they have the early recording on Jadfel recording label LP101 called "Cleoma B. Falcon - A Cajun Music Classic". The Trikont CD has this album and additional Amade Ardoin songs together to make up the CD by Trikont called "Swamp Music Vol. 6: Prends Ton Courage - Early Black and White Cajun Music" CD's on the TRIKONT label from Germany: FLAMES OF HELL - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 1 / BEST OF CAJUN AND ZYDECO TRADITION JEWELS OF CAJUN MUSIC - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 2 / DOWN HOME MUSIC FROM SOUTH LOUISIANA KINGS OF ZYDECO - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 3 / BLACK CREOLE MUSIC FROM THE DEEP SOUTH MODERN CAJUN LOVERS - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 4 / MUSIC OF THE BAYOUS AND FRENCH ROCK N ROLL KRAZY KATS - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 5 / LOUISIANA SWAMP POP AND ROCK PRENDS DONC COURAGE - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 6 / EARLY BLACK AND WHITE CAJUN MUSIC LEGENDS OF ZYDECO - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 7 / THE OLD SCHOOL STRIKES BACK YOUNG ZYDECO DESPERADOS - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 8 / BLACK CREOLE SOUNDS OF TODAY NEW TRAIL RIDERS - SWAMP MUSIC VOL 9 / THE BIG CAJUN SQUEEZE VARIOUS CD's: Link Harry Choates (Fiddle King of Cajun Swing) Arhoolie CD# 380 Link Harry Choates, Amedie Ardoin, Dennis McGhee (J'ai �t� Au Bal Vol 1) Arhoolie CD# 331 Link Amedie Ardoin Arhoolie CD# 7007 Link Hackberry Ramblers Arhoolie CD# 399 Link Austin Pitre Arhoolie CD# 452 Link Lawrence Walker, Nathan Absire, Dewey Balfa Link The Old Timey Record Label Link Joe Falcon (Arhoolie #459 recorded in 1963) Link Cajun, Vol. 1: Abbeville Breakdown 1929-1939 Link A database search for Songs www.allmusic.com Link various at https://npmusic.org/artists.html Please listen to Clarence's Cajun radio program in Baton Rouge. Saturdays 7pm-9pm on WBRH 90.3 FM View Clarence's Baton Rouge Cajun and Zydeco Schedule. Clarence needs your help - read a message from Clarence here. Home Site index |