Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Interview with and musical performance by Varise Connor and Eric Benoit
Varise Connor (Violin), Eric Benoit (Guitar)
0:00 - La Valse à Elise Mallet. Learned tune from his father; 'Goodnight Waltz'
4:18 - 'Polka à Varise'; Lionel Leleux talking in the background
-La Mazurka d'Eugene Michon
-Danced between polka and waltz, but not sure because that was before his time/he was too young to remember
8:32 - Hobson; 'Drunkard's Waltz'. "Shorty" LeBlanc's theme song
12:53 - 'Down South'; 'Westphalia Waltz'
17:03 - 'Kentucky'; 'La Caroline'; 'Lake Arthur Shuffle'
-Varise wants Lionel to come play some, but Barry wants Varise to fill up one tape before Lionel comes to play
21:51 - 'Jimmy Bryant's Waltz'; 'Aguillard Two-Step'
24:59 - 'Le rêve du Diable'; discussion of the Aguillards. They were brothers?/old-time fiddlers
-They're dead now; 'Valse à Abe'. Aguillards were from Eunice
27:43 - 'Andy's Waltz'. Varise and Lionel just learned the tunes, they didn't make a note of what the names were
-'Lake Arthur Stomp'; l'histoire du violon de Varise. Got it from his first cousin, Adlar Connor
-He sold it to Varise and Varise's father about 50 years ago. Lionel fixed it up for Varise. He wouldn't trade it for any other fiddle
-Varise's family of musicians - His father, uncle, and cousins played music and got Varise interested
-It took a few years before a musician got to playing real good
-Varise began playing at 12 years old. Took him about 5 years? before he did well?
Interview with and musical perfomance by Dennis McGee
Dennis McGee:
0:00 - Les filles de Benglaise (fragment; Rye Whiskey); Informal discussion on rosin and bows
2:04 - La reel du sauvage; Dennis retuning his fiddle
-Fragment of "La valse qui me fait du mal"
-Tante Aline. Iry LeJeune did "Viens me chercher."
4:47 - La valse des orphelins/La valse des musiciens/Trop jeune pour te marier; Eunice Two-Step
8:05 - Evangeline/Saturday Night Special? (originally cataloged as "One-step de chameau")
11:23 - Valse des Frugé (Louisiana Waltz/Mon papa by Robert Bertrand)
-origins of Tante Aline. Aline was an old black lady
Musical performance by Dennis McGee, Michael Doucet and Jeanie McLeary
Dennis McGee, Michael Doucet, Jeanie McLeary:
0:00 - La valse à Jean Billeaudeau (Port Arthur Waltz)
-There was a pretty girl who went to school, and he'd follow her home stop at the rose bush/thorn bush and sing to her
-"La belle bouclette de Choupique." Dennis never recorded that one; La valse à Guilbeau Pelloquin
-Killed in the Civil War. Played this waltz on his coffin before he got shot
-Bee Deshotels wanted to learn it from Dennis, and so said he put it on an album
-But Dennis said it didn't sound like it should. It's a hard waltz to play. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia
-He left maroon and got caught/shot by riflemen
6:35 - La valse à Napoléon Bonaparte. Napoleon played fiddle
9:17 - La valse des Marcantel (Rosalie?); La reel des Marcantel
11:51 - Pa Janvier (played then sung). Discussion of the song. 80-100 years old
-An old Native American lady would sing, and her husband would play that for marriages. Sad song
15:03 - "La marche des mariés" by Joe Falcon from Crowley/Lafayette. Dennis didn't know his songs
-Dennis played a little with Amédé, Cléopha (accordion)), and Ophé Breaux, more with Ophé since he played guitar
-Fiddling around; how Dennis started playing with Amédé Ardoin
-Both worked for the same man, Oscar Comeaux, in the fields. Boss liked music and put Amédé and Dennis together to play at night.
-Started playing together for good when Oscar sold to a black man, and both moved to Eunice
-Dance hall on the other side of Bayou Queue de Torture, Luma Arpin owned it. Another dance hall in Kaplan
-Brought so many people, Luma put a fence and people would jump the fence to go. Joe Falcon would come watch them.
-'Tit Nèg" Schexnyder (Shine Mouton's uncle) played with Amédé and Dennis. He makes guitars and plays well
-Dennis's son would put him to shame playing guitar. McGee family reunion May 27th in Port Barre
20:30 - T'en as eu, t'en auras plus; Rosina (Michael Doucet, violin)
-La valse à Tophile Young? (similar to Rosina; La valse à Jean Billeaudeaux); La valse des Ballots
Musical performance by Dennis McGee, Michael Doucet, and Jeanie McLeary
Dennis McGee, Michael Doucet, Jeanie McLeary:
0:00 - Kathleen; La valse de l'Anse Maigre (La valse du soûlard)
-Played that with Frère Devillier (took his life). Dennis wrote a few songs
-La valse du Côteau Magnolia (a tune Dennis composed)
4:20 - La valse des Frugé (wrote this one too; Louisiana Waltz/Mon papa)
-Dennis made this song, but the Frugés played it; Dennis didn't think he could sing when he first started playing fiddle
-Sang more when younger and had whiskey (opens up everything)
6:27 - Two-Step de Frère Devillier (Enterre-moi pas). Playing with Courville. Frère was a good accordion player
-La valse criminelle with some extra stuff in it (version A, in C?); La valse criminelle (version B, in G?)
10:53 - Oh Irene, You Gotta See Big Joe. Funny type of tune, accordion can't play it and he doesn't have a seconder
-La valse de la pénitentiaire de Bâton Rouge (Louisiana Waltz/Mon papa?)
14:47 - Eunice Two-Step (pour Amédé Ardoin). Dennis hasn't played a whole lot of Amédé's songs since he died
-Tante Aline (pour Amédé Ardoin). Iry LeJeune's "Viens me chercher," Iry played all of Amédé's songs
-Love Bridge Waltz. Amédé called it something else, but same song
18:51 - Two-Step à Abe (Eunice Two Step)
-Two-Step de chameau (Bois Sec plays the same song, but calls it "Quoi faire" and doesn't turn it)
21:40 - La valse du Côteau
-Dewey Balfa learned this tune and sang it on a record, but he doesn't do it justice according to Dennis
-La valse à Wade; Les veuves de la coulée/Adieu Rosa?
Interview with and musical performance by Dennis McGee
Dennis McGee:
0:00 - Bayou Pon Pon - Angélas LeJeune and Ernest Frugé recorded that
-big/long notes (bows?) in older music as compared to shorter notes (bows?) in newer music
-La valse de Guilbeau Pelloquin
-From Civil war, he played that on his coffin before he was shot and killed. Hard bowing on the turn
4:01 - La valse de Napoléon; Dennis is the only one who plays these tunes with that type bowing
-The bowing is what makes it hard. Barry notices he uses a lot more of the bow than other fiddlers
-Dennis says it's because you need a lot of bow to follow the note; La reel des Frugé
7:33 - La valse du bambocheur (La valse de Rebot) (Dennis' version); La valse à Pop
10:40 - Mardi Gras Song. Dennis doesn't care for it. Mardi Gras run in Mamou and Tasso, not in Eunice
-Arkansas Traveler (learned from his father-in-law, Eraste Courville)
-Dennis' father, John McGee, and his uncle, Ulysse McGee played fiddle. Ulysse played left-handed
14:15 - La danse du crapaud; Oscar and Valsin Aguillard were brothers from Port Arthur
-Will McGee. Oscar McGee, Joseph McGee's son were all good fiddlers. They all played old tunes; Tuning
16:57 - La reel des Deshotels; La reel des Courville (Contradance?). Turn reminds Barry of a certain song
-People quit dancing reels when Dennis was no longer a kid
-Contradances were still danced when Dennis was young, but people had forgotten how to dance reels
-Reels were hard to dance to and took good legs, had to jump
-Contradances were easier since you'd just turn around and dance to the beat
22:56 - La danse carrée (contradance)
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces (with Lionel Leleux, Virgil [18 years old] and Terry Montoucet, Hubert Maitre, Sammy Boudreaux (Don's son-in-law))
0:00 - Elle savait pas j'étais marié
4:06 - Hubert announcing to go see Deon Tegre? and Beausoleil at Booboo's
-"Allons à Lafayette/Lafayette Two Step" the "old way" for Mr. Jimmy Domengeaux
-Sammy thanks everyone for coming out tonight, especially the people from Belgium
7:48 - La valse du Grand Chemin (pour Barry Ancelet, his brothers and sisters and his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Elmo)
15:14 - Jeunes gens de la campagne, mariez vous-autres jamais (pour Mr. Baudoin)
-Hubert noodling around with "Pine Grove Blues."
-Play "Martin Webb et les Marais Bouleurs" at Ester Herbert's place, presented tomorrow night at USL in Bayou Bijou, Student Union at 7 pm
-People selling beer need change, so people need to buy beer according to Barry
22:03 - Love Bridge Waltz
-They would like to stay all night/all year to play all of the requested songs, but they probably won't be able to get to all of them
-"Faire l'amour dans les rangs de coton" (same tune as "Hollybeach Waltz/Tous les deux pour la même")
-Thanks Mr. Pat Calais from the Lafayette City Council and Mr. L.J. LeBlanc from the Lafayette Police Jury
32:41 - Le Two-Step du vieux temps (Catch My Hat). Request for "Hey Mom"
36:48 - Midnight Waltz; Virgil Montoucet takes accordion and shows how music is passed on from father to son
41:49 - Jambalaya (Grand Texas); Virgil is 18 years old and "ready to get married April 15th" according to Barry
-The music in Louisiana is not dead
47:24 - Hathaway Two-Step
***Only month and year were included in original notes, no specific day***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet, Lionel Leleux, Canray Fontenot and Lawrence Ardoin
0:00 - Allons à Lafayette
3:25 - J'ai passé devant ta porte
8:50 - Chère toute toute
14:00 - La dernière valse
18:40 - Présentation des danseurs de Namur, Belgique - Philippe Gustin, V.P. Perret
21:38 - Les musiciens de la Belgique
24:33 - Une valse (untitled) - Les musiciens de la Belgique et Lionel Leleux
28:45 - Une ronde - Les musiciens de la Belgique; Roll Out The Barrel
Canray Fontenot and Lawrence Ardoin:
38:11 - Quoi faire
41:45 - Je peux pas t'oublier
45:42 - French Blues
Musical performance by Bois Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - La robe barrée
3:09 - Le chicot à Bois Sec
6:31 - La valse de la Grande Prairie (fragment)
7:29 - Two-Step de Eunice
10:48 - Les bars de la prison
14:37 - La valse d'Oberlin
18:47 - Bernadette
22:51 - Les blues de Bosco
26:37 - Tu peux cogner mais tu peux pas rentrer
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Hector Duhon, Octa Clark, Dewey Balfa et. al
Duhon Family House Party: Hector Duhon (Fiddle), Octa Clark (Accordion), Dewey Balfa (Fiddle), Bessyl Duhon (Guitar), R.L. Duhon (Guitar), U.J. Meaux (Fiddle), Michael Doucet (Triangle)
0:00 - B.O. Sparkle Waltz
4:34 - Jolie blonde
9:18 - I'm Not To Blame (Rodney LeJeune's version)
12:16 - Bosco Stomp
16:06 - Balfa Waltz. Dewey didn't recognize it because Octa plays it differently on accordion
19:42 - Love Bridge Waltz; Messing around with "Back o' Town Two-Step"
22:43 - Drunkard's Dream
26:49 - Step It Fast
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific day or month***
Musical performance by Dewey Balfa et. al
Duhon Family House Party (Musique à trois violons): Dewey Balfa (Fiddle), U. J. Meaux (Fiddle), Hector Duhon (Fiddle), R. L. Duhon (Guitar)
0:00 - Allons à Lafayette in D
1:44 - Petit Maurice / 'Tit Maurice
3:35 - Perrodin Two-Step; Allen (Touchet?) good second fiddler according to Dewey
5:43 - Tous les soirs
7:12 - Tous les soirs (reprise with key change). Dewey thought it was originally a Cajun tune, he didn't know it was a country song; Diggy Liggy Lo? (fragment)
8:59 - J'ai passé devant ta porte
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific day or month***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion) & the Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Guitar & Vocals); Unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?)
0:00 - Evangeline Special (for Horace Guilbeau)
5:08 - Evangeline Special reprise
7:25 - The Wild Side of Life
8:09 - La valse des Cherokees (for people from Québec, Canada)
13:13 - Pauvre hobo
18:35 - Let's Rock and Roll (fragment)
19:19 - La valse de tout le monde (for Mr. Moreau)
24:11 - J'ai été au bal (for Keith & Mary Granger)
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion); The Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Rhythm guitar); unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?); unknown vocalist
0:00 - Don talking to friends from Canada and France in the audience
0:52 - Le hack à Moreau
-Don messing around on accordion
-Lionel messing around on fiddle
7:59 - Creole Stomp
11:21 - Creole Stomp reprise. Lionel starts it on the fiddle
-Hubert announces there is a request for "Dans le cœur de la ville" and that it'll be the last song
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion); the Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Rhythm guitar and Vocals); unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?)
0:00 - Allons à Lafayette (for Barry)
5:24 - Jolie blonde (La fille de la veuve/Ma blonde est partie) (for people from Québec, Canada)
10:06 - Bayou Pon Pon
15:02 - Chère Alice
19:29 - La valse d'orphelin (La valse de musicien/Trop jeune pour te marier)
22:14 - Lake Arthur Stomp
25:20 - Lake Arthur Stomp (reprise)
-Don messing around with Lake Arthur Stomp on accordion
27:21 - La porte d'en arrière
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and Lionel Leleux
Don Montoucet (Accordion); Lionel Leleux (Violin); Barry Ancelet (Guitar?)
0:00 - Je peux pas t'oublier (Lionel doesn't think it's "La petite fille du village") (fragment)
-La valse de Reno (Lionel starts in on fiddle. Barry practices singing it. Lionel keeps on playing it)
3:48 - La valse de Reno (reprise with accordion)
7:31 - Lacassine Special
-Request for "Joe Turner Blues". Someone missed the first session
9:03 - La valse du Grand Chemin. Don calls it "La Valse à Hubert [Maitre]"
15:02 - Petit mulet cotton maïs (actually starts Bois Sec's "Quoi faire")
-Talking about Bois Sec
16:20 - Peit mulet cotton maïs (old song)
-Barry tells Don he can't sing "Chère toute toute," so Don says jokingly that Lionel can do it
-Barry can sing "Fi Fi Poncho" (joke), but Varise says you can sing that song/there are words to that song
20:24 - Chère toute toute
-Varise says dancing with a pretty girl you want to marry, she could never refuse
25:18 - Pauvre Hobo
-First song Don learned. Reprise so that Lionel can show Barry something
-Amédé Breaux. Request for a Bascom Mouton song
***Only month and year were included in original notes, no specific day***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and Lionel Leleux
Don Montoucet (Accordion); Lionel Leleux (Violin); unknown guitar player and vocalist
0:00 - Don and Lionel messing around with the "Drunkard's Waltz"
0:56 - La dernière valse
4:46 - Les flammes d'enfer
***Only month and year were included in original notes, no specific day***
Interview with Lionel Leleux
Conversation for Archives of Indiana University with Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - From Leleux, LA 10 miles south of Crowley on Hwy 13, description of musical development
-First getting interested in the fiddle, first violin from Sears and Roebuck in 1924 for $4 and something
-Bascom Mouton music in 1923, untitled Bascom Mouton waltz
5:47 - Broken bow in 1925, making bows, repairing violins in 1927, building violins, first violin made
-Playing accordion music in 1929, 1931-1932
-Played with Felix Trahan, Joe Brasseaux, Nathan Abshire, and Angelas LeJeune in dancehalls, Nathan Abshire drinking moonshine
10:53 - string music in 1932 with Happy Fats and the Rainbow Ramblers, quit playing in 1935 (for 19.5 years) when first child was born
-playing with Adolphe Martinez, 'Tit Neg Broussard, Joe Falcon, Lawrence Walker; accordion tunes in the 1930s
14:27 - J'ai passé devant ta porte
16:28 - Chère Alice; Favorite accordion players--Nathan Abshire's timing, Joe Falcon
20:01 - Joe Falcon was Lawerence Walker's idol, then Walker developed his own style
-He could play many dances on the accordion that others could not
-Lawrence Walker modernized Cajun music; Elias Badeaux second fiddle; Lawrence's "Country Waltz" becomes "Chère Alice"
24:45 - Difference between old French and modernized French music, smoothness of modern Cajun music
-Iry LeJeune playing like Angelas Lejeune, Amédé Ardoin's old style in the 1931
-played fast; musical development throughout the years
Interview with Lionel Leleux
Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - Playing with Don Montoucet after Lawrence Walker died in 1973
-Lionel (fiddle), Jr. Benoit (guitar), Don Montoucet (accordion), Simon Schexnyder (drums)
-Don was a bus driver and mechanic and his father, Jacques, played as well
-Lionel had the most fun since playing with Lawrence. Don had to quit because of his health
-learning to play violin by ear; What is a musician?
4:56 - Playing for Codofil, 1st time Codofil sponsored Cajun music
-National folk festival in Virginia, touring in Central and South America; Some people think that musicians are no good
-role of the musician on the bandstand
-making violins from 1927-1932 without tools (breaking bottles for scrapers, cutting bones for finger board and saddle board nuts)
-eventually bought tools and wood; no one to show him how to do it. He had to learn on his own
11:16 - First violin sold; Second violin was made for Doug Kershaw
-Wallace Touchet's violin; finding geometrical formulas to build violins using trigonometry
-formulating varnish with a formula used by chemical engineer Josef Michaelman from Cincinnati Ohio--1600/1700s Italian violin curves
15:50 - Early schooling. Lionel almost didn't go to school; Violin making book--des grands mots
-what Lionel missed by quitting school; first violin; Lionel thinks his violins are well worth it
-The people who purchase them like them too
20:20 - Playing Strad. and Guarnieri violins for dances. Lionel got them in 1949
-First time Lionel saw good violins owned by an eye doctor from Abbeville who had no family down here. They were all up north
-When he died, they had an estate sale and Lionel's friend bought it, and Lionel bought it from his friend--Stradivarius and Guarnarius violins
25:04 - Borrowing money to buy violins. Lionel had 4 violins and people wanted to buy them
-He didn't have enough money to buy the Strad and Guanarius. He liked them and sold his 4 others after getting his hands on them
-compares his he makes to those 2 nice violins; Lawrence liked the Strad. more; "La 'tite noire/la 'tite négresse"
-difference between Stradivarius and Guarnarius violin --Strad. smooth and sweet/ Guarnarius robust. Lionel likes them both
Interview with Lionel Leleux
0:00 - Description of violin making from beginning to end; use of spruce and maple
-Use maple to make the back, ribs, and head
-Spruce is top and usually made with 2 pieces. Back can be made with either 1 or 2 pieces
3:06 - Making the curve--checking frequency; measurements of ever cut of wood; resonant tones/making wood sound
-use of hot iron; neck and end block; carving scroll and cutting neck. All by hand
-fingerboard, pegs, and older tailpieces made of ebony 'la touche'/Tailpiece made of airplane metal makes it light
-making his own varnish, Joseph Michaelman
-he can't say how long it takes to make a violin, because he does it when he's not cutting hair or fixing violins, "au temps perdu."
-2.5 months to cut the wood. 1.5 years to make a violin
6:42 - Invented machine to degrossir (thin) wood. Don Montoucet did his welding. It's hidden under a sheet
-Concept of machine from Carr's machine, but not exactly same
-Albert H. Carr--professional violin maker, professional musician and violin appraiser from Albuquerque met in 1967
8:45 - Visiting Carr. First time talking to a real violin maker
11:27 - Carr made 1.5 million bows during WWII at a factory in Independence, Missouri
-Quit mass production because he didn't couldn't compete with prices of other makers
-special order from $100/150 a bow and $1,000 a violin, some maybe more; childhood dream of violin making full-time
-dreamed of making violins before he dreamed of playing
Musical performance by Lionel Leleux
Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - La dernière valse
3:11 - Le special de '73; Marié avec une et en amour avec une autre
8:11 - La petite flamme bleue; Weeping Willow. Howard Mire and Lionel played it in A (while playing with Joe Falcon)
-While playing with Lawrence, Lionel played "Nobody's Darling But Mine" and "Weeping Willow" because Lawrence had to take a break
-Lawrence asked what Lionel had played
-That was the last time he played that song with Lawrence (because it was in the wrong key/couldn't play it in that key on accordion?)
-"Shirt-tails were flying"
13:28 - Chère Bassette; Pauvre hobo (for Keith)
19:39 - Madame Sosthène; Over the Waves
26:27 - La porte d'en arrière
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - Untitled Creole Waltz (May be a version of "Rainbow Waltz"/"Trop jeune pour marier"?)
-Le Nouveau Cucaracha
6:28 - Lacassine Special; Quoi faire
12:51 - Johnny Can't Dance; La valse de Grand Bois (Alleman Waltz)
16:43 - Cadien de Church Point
21:17 - Mermentau Waltz (99 Year Waltz/Convict Waltz); Bachelor's Life (Happy Go-Lucky)
28:24 - Blues song (sung by Clarence Ledet)
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific day or month***
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - French Blues
3:06 - Danser avec moi (Hey Maman, Hey Papa)
9:03 - Josephine est pas ma femme; Mathlida (fragment)
13:05 - Madame Edouard (Petite ou la grosse); Oh petit monde / Oh 'tit monde
20:46 - Oh yé yaille, ça me fait du mal (Marche pas aussi Vite?/Camey Doucet's song)
-(group singing)--Black Ardoin recording with E. Poullard; I Don't Want Nobody Else But You
28:17 - Games People Play; Lâche pas la patate; Blues (fragment); Games People Play (reprise)
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - Cadien de Church Point
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Harmonica and Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - La valse de grand chemin
4:43 - Chère toute toute
8:56 - Chère toute toute (reprise with harmonica); Untitled Waltz (Cowboy Waltz turn/bridge?)
12:56 - Cher bébé créole; Drunkard's Waltz
18:11 - Untitled Waltz (1st part sounds like Cowboy Waltz, 2nd part sounds like Eunice Waltz/Crowley Waltz/Lafayette Playboys Waltz/Mon vieux homme)
-Untitled Polka (Joe Falcon's version)
***Recorded over two days: 08/19/1977 and 08/20/1977***
Interview with and musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - Eunice Two-Step (Jolie catin); How Sidney Hebert began to play the accordion. Had band before they got married
-Didn't play dances, they played party/bouquet dances Monarch Accordion
-Family and musical brothers. 6 brothers and 3 sisters
-Oldest brother (Whitney) played accordion and fiddle, but can't play anymore because of his stroke
4:44 - Sidney sold Monarch and gave up music for 30 years
-There's now 9 years he's had his new accordion, he had forgotten everything; how Antoine Hebert began to play the violin
-Was in the service from 1942-1951, Started up again with Wilson Wright off and on
-Sidney played at parties, Antoine played a few dances; family history from around Maurice/Coulée Île des Cannes
-old time music--valse à vieux (deux) temps, mazurkas, polkas; father's music (danses du vieux temps)
-Sidney learned that polka from a record of Joe Falcon the other day
-Didn't learn from father, played new songs like "Fi Fi Poncho," "Pauvre hobo," "La valse qui m'a apporté en terre."
-Father didn't play that kind of music; Sidney is 66 years old, Antoine 56
-Sidney can't play like he used to; Timing is key for dancing
8:36 - Fi Fi Poncho; Assi dans la fenêtre de ma chambre (flip side of "Saute crapaud"?)
12:43 - Bayou Teche (Columbus Frugé); Valse de Grand Bois (La valse des Mèche; old way)
-Don says there's 3 ways to play that song
18:44 - Beginning dances with waltzes (playing two or three waltzes and then a two-step throughout the night)
-Valse de Grand Bois (modern way). Reprise on turn (Don Montoucet on accordion)
22:49 - Valse de Grand Bois (in the style of Mr. Caliste Richard). Reprise on turn
Musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - La valse du Pont d'Amour
4:15 - Ma blonde est partie (Jolie blonde/La fille de la veuve) (Sidney on vocals)
Copies of 78 rpm recordings
Amédé Breaux:
0:00: - Poor Hobo
Nathan Abshire:
2:49 - Pine Grove Blues
5:37 - Valse de Kaplan
8:35 - Two-Step de Choupique
11:20 - La valse à Bélizaire
14:32 - Pine Grove Boogie
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78 rpm recordings
Nathan Abshire:
0:00 - Pine Grove Boogie
2:46 - Hathaway Waltz
Austin Pitre:
5:24 - Evangeline Playboy Special
8:25 - La valse de Chataigner (Louisiana Waltz)
Pee Wee Broussard:
11:21 - Creole Stomp
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
Pee Wee Broussard:
0:00 - Chère toute toute
Lee Sonnier:
2:40 - Two-step de Cankton (Two-step de Tee Mamou/Nonc André)
5:43 - War Widow Waltz (Laura Broussard on vocals)
Lionel Cormier:
8:39 - Sundown Playboys Special
11:09 - Welcome Club Waltz (Reno Waltz)
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Walfus Two-step (La talle d'éronces)
2:33 - Oakdale Waltz (B.O. Sparkle Waltz)
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Redigitize - error around 24 minutes
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Looking for singer who fell asleep; request for 'Crying Waltz'?
-La valse de quatre-vingt dix-neuf ans (Convict Waltz/Mermentau Waltz) (for Mr. & Mrs. Dupré)
8:12 - Lacassine Special (for Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Courville, Johnson's Grocery "Boudin Man" and his wife fixes best martini, Party from Lafayette, Mr & Mrs. Kenneth Andrus, and Mrs. Merlin Fontenot)
12:14 - La valse de Reno; call Austin Pitre up to the bandstand
17:20 - Lafayette Two-Step; Austin Pitre thanking people for calling him up and saying he'll only play 2 or 3 songs
22:29 - La valse de St. Landry (La valse de Duson/La valse qui me fait du mal/La valse des Opelousas/La valse de Stelly/Big Boy Waltz)
-fiddler messing around with the Balfa Waltz. request for Mathilda
27:34 - Mathilda
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Bayou Pon Pon (for Sandra)
4:37 - La valse de Kaplan
9:03 - Pine Grove Blues
14:14 - Pine Grove Blues (2 reprises); dances every Saturday night at Lakeview
-Dewey Balfa next Saturday night. Sunday the 8th at 4pm, free dance for busload from Canada
-Every Friday night, this band is at Hilda's Lounge in Eunice (old Antley's Place?)
17:38 - I Don't Want You Anymore; Dennis Courville at Courville's Fruit Stand open 7 days a week
-"Might have a few rotten bananas, but for the most part you'll come out alright"
23:27 - La valse de la Grande Prairie; people from Eunice, Lafayette, Iota, Québec
29:37 - Mockingbird
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Mockingbird
0:44 - Mexican Jumping Bean (Snowball); daughter who just got married would like a Charlie Pride number
-request for Mathilda for the people from Arnaudville and New Orleans
Austin Pitre:
5:24 - La valse de Cadien
9:50 - Jolie blonde
15:14 - Two-step à Tante Adèle
19:28 - Snowball (Mexican Jumping Bean); Austin thanks Merlin Fontenot, Mr. Cormier, and the whole band
24:44 - The Last Waltz (for Margie and Elmo Ancelet and Aunt Ida, Eddie Bellard, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Carpenter)
30:19 - San Antonio (Parts of Bachelor's Life/Happy-Go Lucky) (for Margie and Elmo Ancelet, Irene and Lee, Bobby and Jimmy, Aunt Ida)
"On va les embêter" - poetry and music collaboration by Jean Arceneaux and Michael Doucet
Jean Arceneaux (Reader), Michael Doucet (Fiddler/vocalist)
0:00 - Je suis cadien
4:05 - Travailler c'est trop dur
4:40 - Je suis cadien (continued)
5:15 - Je m'endors
5:45 - Je suis cadien (continued)
8:00 - Balfa Waltz
8:40 - Je suis cadien (continued)
16:50 - Je suis cadien (starting from "un cri amer")
17:30 - Barry Ancelet talks about the "On va les embêter" collaboration, originally prepared for La Fête du Tricentenaire à La Rochelle, 1982
18:40 - Je suis cadien (starting from "Hé, tu connais / il y a des fois que je me sens embêté...")
20:38 - Barry Ancelet talks about the "On va les embêter" collaboration, originally prepared for La Fête du Tricentenaire à La Rochelle, 1982
21:00 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
21:58 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
23:45 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS / "Pauvres nous-autres et chers les autres"
25:17 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
26:42 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
27:36 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
27:55 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
28:40 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
29:20 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
30:05 - Jean Arceneaux & Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
31:10 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Two-step de Mama (Lacassine Special) (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Columbia 40514
3:11 - French Blues (Nathan Abshire & the Rayne-bo Ramblers) Bluebird B2177
6:19 - Two-step de Jennings / Tostape de Jennings (Amédé Ardoin) Decca 17002
9:26 - La valse des chantiers pétrolifères (Amédé Ardoin) Decca 17002
12:32 - La Valse de Pénitentiaire (La Valse de Bambocheur) (Dennis McGee) Vocalion
15:13 - One-step de Choupique (Dennis McGee) Vocalion
***No specific year of recording, 1943?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Quelqu'un est jaloux (Delui Guillory, Lewis Lafleur) RCA Victor 22209
3:02 - Ma petite blonde (Delui Guillory, Lewis Lafleur) RCA Victor 22209
6:13 - Petite ou la grosse (Leo Soileau & Three Aces) Bluebird B 2197
9:17 - Dites-moi avant (Leo Soileau & Three Aces) Bluebird B 2197
12:19 - La valse criminelle (Leo Soileau & Mayuse LaFleur) RCA Victor 21770
15:09 - Ton père m'a mis dehors (Leo Soileau & Mayuse LaFleur) RCA Victor 21770
18:04 - One-step de Chataignier (LeJeune & Frugé) Brunswick 493
21:01 - Perrodin Two-Step (Angelas LeJeune) Brunswick 369
24:02 - Blues de voyage (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Bluebird B2189
26:56 - Valse des amitiés (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Bluebird 2189
29:45 - Tante Aline (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Columbia 40514F
***No specific year of recording, 1930s?***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces/Merlin Fontenot et al.
Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces:
Live at Antler's (Lafayette, LA):
0:00 - Grand Mamou
5:06 - Reno Waltz
9:43 - Les flammes d'enfer, reprise
16:23 - Colinda, reprise (for "Frenchie")
21:19 - Bosco Stomp, reprise
26:25 - Midnight Waltz (for Beulah)
30:08 - Pine Grove Blues
NOT INCLUDED IN RECORDING:
Live at the Lakeview Club (Eunice, LA):
-Bayou Pon Pon
-La valse de Kaplan
-Pine Grove Blues
-I Don't Want You Anymore
-La valse de la Grande Prairie
-Mockingbird
Musical performance by Varise Connor & Lionel Leleux
0:00 - LG3-Gibson Guitar. One of two guitars Hank Williams had that was given to a fellow in Lake Charles
-One of Andy's friends bought it from this fellow and owed Andy's dad $50
-So instead of giving him the $50, he gave him the guitar. The other is in a museum in Fort Worth, TX
-Andy acquired it before he died in 1951/52; Kentucky
2:30 - Maiden's Prayer; Varise calls Lionel Leleux to come play and give Varise a break; Cross-tuning
4:54 - Sawmill Two-Step and reprise; Retuning fiddle
8:45 - Anna Mae Waltz; Sabine Blues
12:58 - Ranger's Waltz; retuning fiddle; calls Lionel to come play again
16:13 - You Got to See Mama Every Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All); Creole Waltz
19:50 - Chacoter on "Perrodin Two-Step"; Varise wants Eric to come take Andy's place on guitar; Jimmy Bryant's Waltz
Lionel Leleux:
22:30 - J'ai été au bal; Belizaire's Waltz
27:27 - Les flammes d'enfer; La dernière valse; Untitled Two-Step (Bascom Mouton?)
Interview with James Domengeaux and Jacques Souchel
James Domengeaux (CODOFIL President); Jacques Souchel (USL French Foreign Exchange Student);
0:00 - 'La semaine en français' every Sunday at 9:30 AM on KPEL
-Conversation au sujet du Congrès international des Amériques
-3-5th of April 1972. 20 different countries (France, Canada, Haiti, Martinque, Guadalupe, Togo)
-montrer la Louisiane que le monde francophone était très interessé dans le movement de préserver et dévélopper/montrer au monde francophone que les Louisianais parlent bien le français
-'Le Figaro' (le plus grand papier/gazette à Paris) avait une expression de Gouverneur Edwards de son discours dessus la première page: "Soyons fier de notre langue - le français aujourd'hui et toujours." Accepté par le monde francophone
-Jacques est l'étudiant français du campus, représentant la France
-James Domnegeaux only chose Lafayette because there's place/facilities for the delegates to assemble
-He didn't want to have it in New Orleans since they've lost so much more French than Lafayette has
-Wanted to show that we remain different by speaking French here a lot, on the bayous, at stores, at school, at church, etc.
-Also because of the auditorium his brother, Judge Domengeaux built and because Lafayette is the seat of South Louisiana/capital of Acadiana
-James doesn't want to give the idea that Lafayette speaks the most French in Acadiana. Might speak more French in St. Martin, Evangeline, & Avoyelles (Cochon de Lait Festival), Acadia, Vermilion parishes.
-The entirety of south Louisiana is involved in preserving the French language and developing a bilingual society. Also interested in north Louisiana
5:31 - Cajuns, Creoles, Descents of Napolean's army in Avoyelles and Evangeline parishes, as well as Anglophone's in the north of the state are for the preservation and development of French
-1/3 of Louisiana's population understands and speaks French; some like Domengeaux aren't formally educated in French, however, the orally transmitted French is something that can be developed and used to our advantage
-last week in Paris magazine, a 6-page article about Louisiana including color pictures of birds in Henderson, Canadian geese at Florence Club in Gueydan, Mrs. Bob Lowe's house.
-Author of this article said the main attractant to this area was the French language
-French Canadian TV Guide which reaches 1.5 million families had an article on the cover about Louisiana
10:17 - Jacques est le premier Français à venir en Louisiane depuis des siècles (he wasn't expecting so many people here to still speak French -- he came here to learn English)
-speaking French with locals at the grocery store. No trouble understanding one another but might have to go slow
-on parle pas la même à Auvergne qu'à Paris; l'accent marseillais
-giving tour of USL campus before and after the Congrès to French delegates; the necessity of speaking French
-Speaking in french about the importance of speaking French, not talking about it in English
-north Louisianians; LSU in Baton Rouge; President Keiser from Nachitchoes married a lady from Terrebonne and told stories in French
14:02 - Other professors in north Louisiana are supportive of the "renaissance" of the French language in South Louisiana
-they understand the people of the U.S. can no longer be monolingual - learning French allows them to go so many more places as opposed to only communicating with the Anglophone world
-James was 17 years old before he went to New Orleans - people didn't travel back then
-responsibility of being bilingual especially in the current age when it takes only 3-5 hours to get to London/Paris
-everyone is for the development of French and bilingualism except for the public school system (they claim they don't have money, teachers, etc.)
20:04 - A few places where French Immersion has taken root; French immersion teacher, when there should be 35 in New Iberia
-7/1,100 teachers that teach French in Lafayette; Not seriously in schools according to Domengeaux - either do it 100% or not at all, no in between
-At USL, kids are interested in the French language; French Circles in Student Union
-Richard Guidry and fiancée Pat Courville; David Marcantel
-started learning French in 10th grade - need to start earlier in elementary grades
-speaking French with grandparents at home will become the style in 10/15/20 years
-French will become just as common as English
-French tourists will be compelled to come to Louisiana because the lack of a language barrier
Interview with Richard Guidry
'La semaine en français' every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM on KPEL: Entrevue avec Richard Guidry
0:00 - Étudiant de 4ème année à l'Université de Louisiane à Lafayette, dans le Collège d'éducation
-Président du Cercle français
-Richard aspires to be a French teacher; speaking French with his family - mother speaks French with grandparents
-Gueydan in Vermilion Parish - everyone speaks French in Gueydan
-Anglophone 'colony' from Midwest trying to learn French and adopting all of the Cajun customs such as eating rice and gravy, boudin, chaudin, drinking coffe
-rice farmers; Guidry's father is the fire chief in Gueydan and does electrical/plumbing work on the side
-most firemen in Gueydan are volunteers, meaning they get a bonus at the end of the year/Christmas time from the town of Gueydan
4:58 - Son voyage en Guadeloupe - went on scholarship from the French government for future French teachers (about 20 from Louisiana, most from North Louisiana, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge.
-Only 4 from Acadiana. Richard and black girl from McNeese the only two who spoke French at home/with their families
-locals were shocked that Americans could speak French so well - they sang folk songs and showed their custom to the people of Guadalupe
-Richard sang 'J'ai fait tout le tour du Grand Bois'; 'Les Acadiens de la Disperssion' documentary in USL archives - get a copy from Mr. Charles Bernard
-showing film in Gueydan (shocked to see Canadians that spoke just like them using the same expressions)
8:40 - Richard didn't feel completely at home because Guadalupe is a black culture, and Richard was never really exposed to that at home (felt more at more among Francohpones)
-links between Louisiana and French Antilles: both speak Creole
-young girl from Breaux Bridge whose family speaks Creole - not the same language, but close enough to understand one another
-youth in Guadalupe are speaking more French and losing their Creole
-less of a racial distinction between blacks and whites like in the U.S.
-same system Louisiana had after Civil War (pure blacks, mulatoes, caltrons - has more white blood than black blood, Creoles)
-Creoles don't mix with blacks - French mix with blacks because it's been a French state since 1946 (like Hawaii is a U.S.).
-Martinique and French Guiana, Île de la Réunion; three other places where Creole is spoken
-Blacks would speak Creole amongst themselves and were shocked when Richard was able to comprehend and answer them
13:53 - Expressions in Louisiana French/Guadalupe French that are no longer used in standard French like 'un petit bougre'; gombo févi (okra), sugar cane, mirlitons (vegetable pear) both in Louisiana and Guadalupe
-common folk songs; Guadalupe people are mixing their folk songs with modern music to create something similar to Louisiana jazz
-1,500 miles/8-hr flight ($300) from New Orleans to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadalupe
17:43 - Richard didn't expect how much poverty there was because of the industrialization of the sugar cane industry
-Blacks don't have work anymore, some immigrate to France for work
-they drink wine, eat French bread, drive French cars, they would feel right at home in France
-Some believe Guadalupe's economy would be better off becoming an independent state
-tourism new to Guadalupe; La Plage de Sainte-Anne
Interview with James Domengeaux and Mme. Charlotte Borga
James Domengeaux; J.-F. Cormier; Ph. Delarme; Mme Charlotte Borga:
Date: 10 septembre et 1 octobre (no indication of the year/1971 or 1972?)
Programme de la serie : 'La semaine en français' sur les ondes de la radio KPEL chaque dimanche matin à 9:30 AM
0:00 - James Domengeaux, président du CODOFIL going to France with several delegates and Governor Edwards
2:27 - thanking Dr. Delarme for his work in preserving and developing French in Louisiana via these interviews/this radio show
-survival of movement to promote the French language in Louisiana
5:42 - Bilingualism is the goal--in 20 years Louisiana will be completely bilingual
-French education involves language and culture of Louisiana
7:41 - Commercial interests and similarities between Louisiana and Ivory Coast - similar climate, sugar cane industry, Creole French; showing delegates around Acadiana
9:51 - Aristocrats speak French in New England
-In Louisiana, French is spoken and in 20 years, we'll speak like aristocrats according to Jimmy Domengeaux
-discussion of Louisiana French compared to standard French
-nothing wrong with Louisiana French -being able to speak English correctly as well as French correctly like in Canada
-local accent pretty and easy to understand
12:06 - Discussion of George Pompidou. Louisiana will be the first place he visits when he comes to the U.S. Elected in 1969
-Jean Bernard, financial advisor or French president, Nixon and Connelly
14:30 - Professors of French teaching in kindergarten; volunteers from the convent to teach French for a year
-Prime Minister of France will come to Louisiana
-made Louisiana known to the rest of the Francophone world; Domengeaux got the ball rolling with CODOFIL
19:04 - Borga's first visit to Louisiana and happy to hear so many people speaking French
-mission of bilingual education for everyone via twinning cities in the Francophone world or commerce between Francophone countries
-Cajuns being receptive to being reunited with Francophone family; having French take root again in the lives of Louisianians
-Lafayette as sister city to Longueuil, Québec; price a bigger deterrent than distance
24:10 - Discussion of dates of programs to perfect students' French
-foreign exchange programs and their advantages; studies that aren't touched on in France
speaking to university presidents