Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog

Kermit Venable and Beau Basin with Lionel Leuleux on fiddle;

00:00 - Bayou Pon Pon;
03:11 - La valse des misères;
07:08 - Amédé Choupique two step;
10:44 - La valse des Guillbeaux
13:30 - Le blues Francais;
16:55 - Step It Fast;
20:12 - Kaplan Waltz;
24:15 - Home Sweet Home;
26:55 - La valse de malchanceux - acoustic version with accordion, fiddle and t-fer;
30:20 - Evangeline Special;

00:00 - La valse de Belizaire;
04:43 - Discussion - Nonc Allie's dad purchasing his first accordion, Playing fais do do’s in early days with first band;, Sterling and Monarch accordions;
07:00 - Jolie Blonde;
09:25 - Discussion - Mayeus LaFleur;
09:50 - Ton papa ma jeté dehors;
13:13 - La valse criminelle;
16:22 - Discussion - Les mazurkas, polkas, et des contredanses
17:50 - Allons danser, Colinda;
20:10 - La valse de Duralde;
13:14 - Allons a Lafayette;
26:20 - Les ‘tits yeux noirs;

01:23 - Les ‘tits yeux noirs;
05:00 - La valse de Duralde;
06:18 - Crowley two step;
09:03 - Jolie Blonde;
12:27 - La valse des Cherokees;
15:07 - Bosco Stomp;
15:48 - Chère bébé Créole;
18:48 - La valse de marriage;
21:45 - Eunice two step;
23:55 - Grand Mamou - Instrumental version;
27:06 - Lacassine Special;
28:19 - Reno Waltz;

Stories told by Glen Pitre;
00:01 - La truie maline;
02:42 - take 1 - Le marron de mon grandpère;
05:18 - take 2 - Le marron de mon grandpère;
07:48 - Take 1 - Les giraumont;
09:49 - Take 2 - Les giraumont;
11:50 - Le vent du nord;

Mme. Évelia Boudreaux recorded by Barry Ancelet;
12:21 - Les bêtes;
15:07 - La vie dans la campagne;
16:15 - L'histoire de 'tit poucette;
23:30 - Les amusements;
24:50 - La famille des ouararons;

00:00 - François Leleux - Lionel's great grandfather served in the Civil War;
04:00 - Lionel recounts how he became interested in violins;
06:15 - Story about Lionel's first 3/4 sized violin, purchased for $4.50, 50 cents per week;
09:25 - His bow hair eventually broke, so he purchased a hank of bow horsehair for 22 cents to rehair his bow, that was his first rehair job;
10:10 - Was given a fiddle in 1927 that needed repair, that became his first repair job;
12:15 - Lionel's fiddle playing idol was Bascom Mouton;
15:20 - Story about how he would look for pictures of violins in his early school textbooks, stopped school in the eighth grade;
18:00 - Lionel recounts finding books that explain how to make a violin;
19:20 - Violin varnish;
20:00 - Talks about why he regretted leaving school, missed out on math and chemistry knowledge that could've helped him in the violin trade;
25:30 - Discusses his favorite woods to use;
29:00 - Arching and graduations of the violin plates;

Lionel Leleux;
00:00 - Explaining the different parts of violin bows;

Inez Catalon;
11:20 - Introduction - Born in Vermilion Parish;
12:15 - Story - Mae West;
13:40 - Story - Le bourgue qu'était planter sur le coin;
14:30 - Story - Les bananes;
15:30 - Story - Les vigilantes;
23:10 - Les esclaves;

Storytelling sessions with Inez Catalon and Carrol Moreau

Des maisons; la cuisine; le lait; la nourriture; le Depression; les clos d'huile; le francais Cadien;

Storytelling by Hubert "Anatou" Clement, Sr.

Michael Doucet:

01:00 - Dancing to Cajun music
02:35 - Dudley Leblanc's Hadacol and its connection to dance
03:45 - The flow of the music and how it connects to dance
04:45 - Students giving feedback on dance expression to Cajun music

06:00 - His experience of Cajun music growing up and people dancing
10:00 - Allow emotions to guide their dancing
11:40 - Ways of reaching goals
13:35 - His intriguing visits and learning from older people, sparked his desire to preserve and pass on the music and history
20:00 - Experience learning by ear and the transfer of knowledge

30:00 - Origins of the waltz
32:00 - Class dances to 'Jolie Blonde'
37:30 - Polka
41:00 - Class dances to various songs
{end - Part 1}

Wilson Savoy's Traditional Cajun Music Ensemble Class with special guest, Michael Doucet:

00:00 - Review of previous week's class
00:40 - 'Bosco Stomp'
12:50 - 'Midland Two-Step'
21:20 - 'Cherokee Waltz'
25:00 - Comparing excerpts from different songs like 'Grand Mamou,' and 'Viens Me Chercher'

27:00 - Wallace "Cheese" Reed
35:15 - 'Bayou Teche Waltz'
40:00 - Origin of songs and how some people learned them
44:00 - Ways the accordion can imitate fiddle sounds; and discussing the diatonic accordion
{end - Part 1}

Michael Doucet speaks to a class, and is joined by the traditional music ensemble

00:50 - Significance of Cajun music being local and his journey learning and playing music
02:25 - Speaking about Irene Whitfield Holmes' thesis
03:00 - Cajun music in the 1970's and young people discovering traditional music

03:25 - NEA grant to study fiddle styles of Acadiana and immerse Cajun and Creole Music into primary schools with Dewey Balfa
07:00 - Different French dialects in Louisiana
13:15 - 'Happy One-step'
25:00 - 'Acadian Two-step'
{end}

Michael Doucet, Forest Huval, Megan Brown, & Jo Vidrine:

01:30 - 'La Valse du Regret'
15:00 - 'Papa George'
21:00 - 'La Valse de la Vie'

26:00 - Mentions the author, Varmin Daigle, of 'La Valse de la Vie.'
28:00 - Discussing the design of the BeauSoleil Home
{end - Part 2/Video}

BeauSoleil and Renaissance Cadienne visit a dance class at U.L. Lafayette

02:00 - 'Kaplan Waltz'
07:00 - 'Mazurka' by Varise Conner

10:20 - 'Mazurka'

16:24 - 'Sainte Anne's Reel' and Dancing
21:29 - 'Allons à Lafayette'
26:40 - Jig

34:58 - Reel with danse ronde
39:19 - Reel with danse ronde take 2
42:56 - 'La valse à Pop'
{end - Part 1}

BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet:
Michael Doucet (Fiddle), Mitch Reed (Fiddle), Jimmy Breaux (Accordion), David Doucet (Guitar), Tommy Alesi (Drums), Billy Ware (Percussion)

01:12 - Double Fiddle Waltz
03:50 - Double Fiddle Medley; 'Reel de Deshotels,' 'French Jig'
08:00 - Experience of playing music professionally and developing into a touring group
09:30 - 1970's population census and bringing music into primary schools with Dewey Balfa via grants
15:00 - Michael Doucet and Canray Fontenot playing at Carnagie Hall
15:40 - David Barry: creator of Francophone Studies at U.S.L.

17:00 - Becoming full time touring musicians
18:20 - How the music is received outside of Louisiana
19:00 - Learning from other types of music
20:00 - Core group of young Cajun musicians and scholars working in the late 70's
23:55 - Johnny Gimbal's words on being a successful musician
25:00 - Improving as a musician and staying true to yourself

25:30 - Advises students to be themselves when playing music
26:50 - Jimmy Breaux talking about his accordions; evolution of accordion / melodeon
29:10 - Definition of the word "Creole." Differences between Cajun and Creole musics
32:20 - RCA, developing a phonograph, and the need for native music to increase sales

32:40 - Amedé Ardoin and Dennis McGee recordings
35:25 - Austin Sonnier, black Jazz music scene in Southwest LA, and Kid Jordan
43:00 - 'Chanky-Chank Francais'
{end}

Billy Ware:

00:40 - First experiences playing music; Bongo drums
01:45 - Taking lessons from Charlie Gahn
02:45 - Birthplace (Mobile, AL), family history, and how his parents met; eventually moving to Lafayette. Family owned Belle Grove Plantation in White Castle
04:30 - Learning to play drums

09:00 - Playing with different bands and attending jam sessions in high school
10:30 - Francis Pavy
11:50 - Attending U.S.L.
15:30 - Playing for dance studios
17:50 - Music and living in California

27:40 - Experimenting with different types of percussion instruments
28:00 - Modeling his playing style from Jazz recordings
32:15 - Flexitone and experimenting with obscure percussive instruments
33:45 - Percussion instruments taken on the road
36:15 - Experimenting and learning from early music making programs on the computer

39:30 - Returning to Louisiana, and playing with BeauSoleil; Tommy Alesi getting involved with the band
42:50 - Deciding to stay with BeauSoleil full time
45:20 - Touring
48:00 - Forming a tight band
50:00 - Remembering Tommy Comeaux
{end}

David Doucet:

01:00 - Experience at the Blue Moon Jam Session
02:30 - BeauSoleil's use of more chords, compared to most Cajun groups
04:00 - Hiring bands for the World's Fair, in New Orleans
04:10 - Snooks Eaglin and his unorthadox playing style
05:30 - Lack of creativity in the current Lafayette music scene
08:00 - Playing music on the strip in the late 70s; Mother's Mantle

09:00 - Early BeauSoleil
10:00 - Guitar origins and influences like: Doc Watson and Mississippi John Hirt
13:00 - Recollections of black and white musicians playing together, including his, Dewey Balfa, and brother, Michael Doucet's involvement
17:20 - The influence of Paul Prudhomme
17:40 - Programing the Cajun music sector in the World's Fair

20:00 - Luderine Darbonne with the Hackberry Ramblers at the World's Fair
22:30 - Recording the "Parlez-nous à boire" album in 1984
24:00 - The tune 'Prairie Home Companion'
25:30 - Bringing Dennis McGee and Sady Courville to New York for the Music of the World Concert
27:00 - Dennis McGee being hospitalized in New York

31:00 - Stylistic differences between Mitch Reed and Michael's styles
34:00 - Brotherly experiences growing up, and music's correlation
38:00 - Michael moving to California in 1972, and picking up the guitars he left at home
42:50 - Attending Cathedral High School with Zachary Richard
45:00 - Michael's car accident in 1971

50:40 - Michael recording himself at home in David's youth
50:55 - Raul Breaux
56:00 - Street performing
01:00:00 - Memories with Octa Clark at Mulate's
{end}