Traditional Cajun Music

The following is meant for those readers who are not as familiar with Cajun music in general and wish to learn more about the unique culture of Cajun Louisiana.

A Brief History of the Cajun People

It is difficult to understand Cajun music without the understanding of a unique and very complex culture. The roots of Cajun culture began almost 400 years ago when French travellers settled in the area that is known today as Nova Scotia, Canada. These settlers were mostly seeking relief from economic and religious oppression in western France. Upon arriving, they acquired much knowledge from the indigenous Micmac people, not only as concerns survival in a new terrain, but also in the witnessing of a way of life in which all people were considered equal and power was awarded through merit, not inheritance. Being largely isolated from Europe, the settlers quickly formed an identity separate from any other, calling their new home "L'Acadie" after the Micmac word for "land of plenty." They became known as "Les Acadiens," or "Acadians". Though they still had ties to Europe, and were indeed destined to see their new home tossed around between England and France for another 150 years, they were no longer European themselves. They were an indisputable product of the western hemisphere, having combined many cultural influences to create a way of life all its own.

Governmental control of L'Acadie changed hands many times in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the Acadians maintained their identity in spite of this turmoil. They were under suspicion from both sides, and the English decided to settle the problem once and for all in 1755. They tricked many of the Acadians into coming to meetings, supposedly to discuss taxes. Once there, the English imprisoned them, eventually forcing them onto ships bound for English colonies and prisons. Some Acadians did escape this deportation, and there are many ways in which the different groups survived. All in all, this despicable act amounted to an attempt to exterminate the Acadian people altogether.

The attempt was not successful, however, due to the determination of the Acadians to hold on to their way of life. They found ways to survive; some escaped and hid in the woods near L'Acadie, some survived horrific sea voyages, some were imprisoned in England, some eventually made their way to France where they were ostracized and scorned. There are as many tales as there are Acadian families. Throughout this ordeal, however, there remained a constant dream of finding a new homeland where the Acadians could reunite and nurture their culture again. This dream became a possibility in 1764, when the word was sent out that the Spanish would welcome the Acadians to Louisiana. The vast territory was under Spanish control, and they were eager to fill it up with anyone besides the English settlers who were already pushing up against their borders. The Acadians began coming to Louisiana from around the world. The last major group arrived on seven ships from France, hired at the expense of the Spanish government, in 1785.

Once in Louisiana, the Acadians found themselves again in a new environment. They began farming and raising cattle, establishing a homeland for themselves even as control of the area changed from Spanish to French to American hands. The Acadians were determined to keep their culture alive. One way they did this was by allowing in outside influences- by being inclusive, not exclusive. The culture gradually absorbed influences from indigenous peoples of the area, from French and Spanish settlers who were already here, from Africans who began to arrive in greater numbers, from English, Irish and Scottish settlers who made their way in from the surrounding areas, from Germans immigrants, etc., etc. As this cultural transformation took place, the French word "Acadiens" gradually changed to "Cadiens" The same change took place in English: "Acadians" became "Cajuns." The roots were still as strong as ever, but a new branch was flourishing.

Today the Cajun people still survive, speaking much the same language their antecedents did 400 years ago. This cultural integrity had not been easy to maintain. The surrounding American mass-culture and the powerful reach of television have been perhaps the greatest threat of all to Cajun culture. But the Cajun way of life has survived, and regional cuisine, architecture, folklore, etc. have been maintained. Perhaps the best known part of Cajun culture, however, is the music. The audience for this music has grown from an entirely regional following thirty years ago to a large international fanbase today.

Tradtional Cajun Music and Dance

Cajun music exhibits the best if the culture. It is a strong, passionate music which does not shy away from direct, honest expression. It is almost always played for dancing, whether in the old style house dances or in more modern clubs. Most of the dances are either two-steps, waltzes or blues-influenced one-steps. They are fairly easy and meant to be accessible. Like many traditional dances, they are more an interaction between the partners and the music than a display of technique.

Like much traditional music in this century, Cajun music has been largely looked down upon. It appeared that it might be on its last legs in the early 1960's when a fiddler named Dewey Balfa got inspired to try to turn things around and save the music from extinction. Along with his brothers, he brought the music to international attention and in doing so inspired the Cajuns to see what they had almost lost. After playing festivals away from home for ten years, he helped create the first "Festivals Acadiens" in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1974. This festival, which displayed Cajun music with a pride never before seen so clearly in the area, helped inspire a complete cultural revival. The music which had become a source of embarrassment quickly regained its position as a source of pride to Cajuns both young and old.

Cajun Culture Today

Today the Cajun people are standing tall. After 400 years of almost constant pressure to conform to the larger cultures surrounding them, they have proven that their identity is too strong to be eradicated. This challenge has been increased greatly by the developments of this century, which have taken their toll on many subcultures. It appears that these challenges have largely been met in Louisiana, with many young people now taking pride in their heritage. A clear example of this is with the language. In the 1950's and 1960's, many people were punished in school for speaking French. Today, there are French immersion schools in which all classes are taught in a language that was considered shameful only a few decades ago.

This cultural revival has brought the Cajun people a lot of attention. While this is good for the Cajuns, certainly, it is perhaps not enough. It was Dewey Balfa's sincere hope that the further effect of his work would be to inspire other cultures as well. He hoped that others would see his pride and begin to feel it more strongly about their own heritage. If the story of the Cajuns can help to accomplish this, it will truly have done something marvelous. In learning of other cultures, we can always learn something of ourselves.

This site created and maintained by Kevin Wimmer (kwimmer@aol.com).
Copyright 1998, 1999 Kevin Wimmer and Balfa Toujours. All rights reserved.
Last updated 6/14/99.