Spotlight on History
En Français: Cajun Music
LPB’s entire En Français series, which aired from 1980-1993, is now freely available for streaming here on the LDMA thanks to a Recordings at Risk grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources. The series was produced in conjunction with the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) and is the only original LPB series broadcast entirely in French. You can view the entire series here.
Over the next three months, we’ll be highlighting some of the best stories from the series. First, let’s take a look at the treasure trove of interviews and performances from the stars of Cajun music.
Zachary Richard (1981)
See an interview and in-studio performance by the Scott native. You can also view an earlier performance here.
Michael Doucet & Annick Colbert (1982)
Watch Doucet and Colbert discuss the roots of Cajun music and perform a few example songs. Click here to view part 2 of their interview on modern Cajun music.
Bourré (1982)
View an interview with Bruce Daigrepont, the lead singer and accordion player, and an energetic performance by this band from New Orleans.
Dewey Balfa & Marc Savoy (1982)
See an interview with the fiddler and the accordion player discussing the history of Cajun music. Click here to view their performance from Part 2 of their visit.
Jim Olivier (1982)
View an interview and performance by Olivier, the well-known Lafayette broadcaster and singer, and V.J. Boulet, an accordion player.
Camey Doucet (1983)
Watch an interview and performance by Doucet, a well-known Cajun radio host from Crowley.
History of Cajun Music (1983)
Check out an in-depth interview with Dr. Barry Ancelet, a folklorist from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now ULL), on the history of Cajun music.
Joseph Douglas Badon (1983)
See an interview and performance with the Cajun and country musician from Henderson.
Beausoleil (1984)
Enjoy an in-studio performance by the preeminent Cajun band led by fiddler Michael Doucet.
Hadley Castille (1984)
View an interview with the St. Landry Parish native and a performance by Hadley Castille and the Cajun Grass Band.
This project is supported by a Recordings at Risk Grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). The grant program is made possible by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.