Cajun Music History

A great specialty of the folk music of North America is that, it is derived from several different cultures and has a very melodious history. When the Europeans migrated to the newly found American continent, they took with them the music of their lands. The music that we hear in North American nations as of today, is an evolved form of music that has been derived from several European folk compositions. The origin of Cajun music can be traced back to the Acadian colonists, who had settled down in the province of Acadia. This region stretched towards the east of Quebec, and included the Maritime provinces, parts of New England and Maine, and stretched till Philadelphia. The location of the colonies and a tinge of French colonial music has brilliantly shaped the Cajun music that we hear today.

What is Cajun Music

The Cajun music cannot be simply defined as the music of Louisiana. Cajun music is a very sensitive genre of music with ballads, tales and narrations characterizing the lyrics. The Fiddle and Accordion are of utmost importance and so is the triangle which keeps up the rhythm and tempo. The ballads are heavily influenced by the French culture and the melody and song texture is charmed by the sailor's compositions.

History of Cajun Music

In the year 1764, several French colonists and Acadians migrated to South Louisiana form Nova Scotia (Canada). During this time period the folk music of the United States was still quite young and Cajun music of the Fiddle and Ballads found its way into the hearts of the citizens of the United States.

A major boost to the Cajun musicians came in the 1800s when increasing trade, brought in Accordions to Louisiana. The combination of Fiddles and Accordions led to the eventual development of one octave, two-step compositions. The waltz, Foxtrot and some other beloved tempos were quickly adopted by the musicians and the dance culture of the West, and led to the development of highly infections rhythms and tempos. In the years following both the wars, the scenario drastically changed as immigrations led to the influx of different musical patterns in Cajun music. Country music, blues and acoustic rock were introduced into Cajun music. Incidentally, two epic songs were recorded in the post war eras. The first recorded song in Cajun music history was 'Let's go to Lafayette' and was recorded by Joe Falcon and Cleoma Falcon. In 1946, Harry Choates recorded the national hit Jolie Blonde.

The era following 1960s is often referred to as the Renaissance in Cajun music. During this period, musicians were bent on preserving the French culture within the music and you will notice that songs that were written during this period were often influenced by the French language. The Accordion was also used quite predominantly during this era. Jay Miller, Iry LeJeune and Nathan Abshire are some of the successful artists of the renaissance era. Newport Folk Festival, a music festival is often credited for popularizing Cajun music in the latter half of 20th century.

The 1980s and 1990s were considered to be the contemporary era of Cajun music with Wayne Toups, Carpenter Mary Chapin and BeauSoleil, belting out some amazing songs. This time period also saw an influx of rock music influence and the introduction of acoustic guitars and drums. Cajun music is melodious and colorful but like a ballad, its melody is never ending.