Friday, June 30, 2006
Tonight, I took Dylan, my ten year old son to the Borders Bookstore I work at to hear a cajun/creole outfit called Dennis Stroughmatt.
Dennis brought his wife Jennifer along to play the triangle, acoustic guitar and washboard.
Dennis played the fiddle and accordian, and sang as well.
Between numbers, Dennis told stories about the history of cajun/creole music.
If I understood him correctly, cajun music comes down to us from the French settlers who came to America through New Orleans and settled, in our our area, in what was then the northern tip of Louisiana.
'Creole' was a term applied to French descendants who were born on American soil.
'Creole' also was used to describe the descendants of the French settlers and African American slaves.
The music is warm and vibrant. Lively.
And the lyrics are engaging.
One song tells of a grandmother who laments her husbands death. He was killed and eaten by a wolf when he went out to get firewood. She does not lament his death per se, but the fact there is no firewood.
Another song tells of a young girl who cannot get married because she has no new dress. Then she has no new bonnett. Then she has no new shoes. And on and on.
Of course, the lyrics are in French, but Dennis would tell us the story of the lyric before each song was played.
Hearing these wonderful folktales told through the lyrics of cajun/creole music was a wonderful combination.
Dylan, who again is just ten years old, sat through an hour and a half, the entire show, without budging. He was completely into the stories and the music.
Dennis Stroughmatt is one of a handful of bands of this type, who actually tour the world and play professionally.
If you ever have the chance to see and hear live cajun/creole music, I highly recommend it!
It was a wonderful way to spend an evening!
Lastly, Dennis's two c.d.'s are entitled 'Creole Stranger' and 'The Gambler's Fiddle', both available on Swallow Records.
Dennis brought his wife Jennifer along to play the triangle, acoustic guitar and washboard.
Dennis played the fiddle and accordian, and sang as well.
Between numbers, Dennis told stories about the history of cajun/creole music.
If I understood him correctly, cajun music comes down to us from the French settlers who came to America through New Orleans and settled, in our our area, in what was then the northern tip of Louisiana.
'Creole' was a term applied to French descendants who were born on American soil.
'Creole' also was used to describe the descendants of the French settlers and African American slaves.
The music is warm and vibrant. Lively.
And the lyrics are engaging.
One song tells of a grandmother who laments her husbands death. He was killed and eaten by a wolf when he went out to get firewood. She does not lament his death per se, but the fact there is no firewood.
Another song tells of a young girl who cannot get married because she has no new dress. Then she has no new bonnett. Then she has no new shoes. And on and on.
Of course, the lyrics are in French, but Dennis would tell us the story of the lyric before each song was played.
Hearing these wonderful folktales told through the lyrics of cajun/creole music was a wonderful combination.
Dylan, who again is just ten years old, sat through an hour and a half, the entire show, without budging. He was completely into the stories and the music.
Dennis Stroughmatt is one of a handful of bands of this type, who actually tour the world and play professionally.
If you ever have the chance to see and hear live cajun/creole music, I highly recommend it!
It was a wonderful way to spend an evening!
Lastly, Dennis's two c.d.'s are entitled 'Creole Stranger' and 'The Gambler's Fiddle', both available on Swallow Records.
