Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Down in the Bayou
Following the explosive Tab Benoit performance that I went to, I decided to go down to the Long Beach Bayou Festival to check out the sounds of Louisiana.
It comprises 3 distinct styles, namely Cajun, Creole and Zydeco, but their history and how they are differentiated is still quite confusing to me. If you are so inclined you can try reading this, which should shed some light on its origins and the people behind it. I am far from being an expert on this culture and music but here’s my personal impression of it so far. It’s probably not the most accurate, and if anyone out there can correct me I’d be keen to hear about it, as well as anything else you can share.
It originated from the black Creole slaves and exiled Canadians of French descent who brought along their native music and folk-songs to New Orleans in Louisiana. Generally speaking, the modern band line-up consists of drums, bass, guitar, accordion and a corrugated sheet metal contraption known as a frottoir. Some variations include fiddle, which would usually be found in the more traditional groups with a folk-sy sound. Today it includes many other musical influences such as blues, RnB, soul, funk and reggae, which might reflect some of its’ African-American and Jamaican origins. It also has a strong association with Mardi Gras and I’m sure it makes a great combination, mind-numbing partying and music.
Come to think of it, Mardi Gras is something else that I should check out sometime in my life too, especially to investigate the effects of throwing plastic beads at attractive women.
The music makes for great dancing. The beats seem simple enough, but when you listen closely to it you'll find lots of embellishments that make it catchy. The bands played hard and kept the momentum and energy way up, though once in a while they threw in a waltz-sounding number to take it slow. Generally, it has a very lively and boisterous feel to it, with the off-beats giving it some bounce. The defining sounds of the accordion and frottoir give it a distinctive sound which I can’t really describe here, and in fact may sound downright weird to those of you musically weaned on a staple of radio hits. If you’d just open up your ears though, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that this stuff really grooves. Among some of the performers there were Dexter Ardoin and T-Broussard, who are the next generation of accordion players keeping the music alive. Here’s where you can hear some of it.
The food is simply fantastic as well. I got to try some Jambalaya (which is also the title of a song. I’m sure you’ve heard it before), kind of like a wetter version of nasi goreng with bits of chicken, beef and sausages thrown in and just as spicy. Crawfish is also another delicacy which would be familiar to crab-lovers. Marinated in some spice and steamed in a large pot, they come out in varying shades of red, all nice and juicy. Though they’re pretty small, like a miniature lobster, they taste great and half the fun is in shelling them. It makes for a big mess though, just like eating crab, but those of you who’ve seen my living quarters would know that it’s nothing new to me.
So there I was, sitting on the grass as the sun went down, enjoying my crawfish and the zydeco being played after a day of taking in a new cultural experience. This was just a small approximation of life in New Orleans, Louisiana, but it planted a seed of desire to go there and experience it for myself. That’s for a future adventure.
In the meantime, listen up now folks. It doesn’t get much better than this. Food and music are the essence of life, so keep on eating and keep on playing.
It comprises 3 distinct styles, namely Cajun, Creole and Zydeco, but their history and how they are differentiated is still quite confusing to me. If you are so inclined you can try reading this, which should shed some light on its origins and the people behind it. I am far from being an expert on this culture and music but here’s my personal impression of it so far. It’s probably not the most accurate, and if anyone out there can correct me I’d be keen to hear about it, as well as anything else you can share.
It originated from the black Creole slaves and exiled Canadians of French descent who brought along their native music and folk-songs to New Orleans in Louisiana. Generally speaking, the modern band line-up consists of drums, bass, guitar, accordion and a corrugated sheet metal contraption known as a frottoir. Some variations include fiddle, which would usually be found in the more traditional groups with a folk-sy sound. Today it includes many other musical influences such as blues, RnB, soul, funk and reggae, which might reflect some of its’ African-American and Jamaican origins. It also has a strong association with Mardi Gras and I’m sure it makes a great combination, mind-numbing partying and music.
Come to think of it, Mardi Gras is something else that I should check out sometime in my life too, especially to investigate the effects of throwing plastic beads at attractive women.
The music makes for great dancing. The beats seem simple enough, but when you listen closely to it you'll find lots of embellishments that make it catchy. The bands played hard and kept the momentum and energy way up, though once in a while they threw in a waltz-sounding number to take it slow. Generally, it has a very lively and boisterous feel to it, with the off-beats giving it some bounce. The defining sounds of the accordion and frottoir give it a distinctive sound which I can’t really describe here, and in fact may sound downright weird to those of you musically weaned on a staple of radio hits. If you’d just open up your ears though, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that this stuff really grooves. Among some of the performers there were Dexter Ardoin and T-Broussard, who are the next generation of accordion players keeping the music alive. Here’s where you can hear some of it.
The food is simply fantastic as well. I got to try some Jambalaya (which is also the title of a song. I’m sure you’ve heard it before), kind of like a wetter version of nasi goreng with bits of chicken, beef and sausages thrown in and just as spicy. Crawfish is also another delicacy which would be familiar to crab-lovers. Marinated in some spice and steamed in a large pot, they come out in varying shades of red, all nice and juicy. Though they’re pretty small, like a miniature lobster, they taste great and half the fun is in shelling them. It makes for a big mess though, just like eating crab, but those of you who’ve seen my living quarters would know that it’s nothing new to me.
So there I was, sitting on the grass as the sun went down, enjoying my crawfish and the zydeco being played after a day of taking in a new cultural experience. This was just a small approximation of life in New Orleans, Louisiana, but it planted a seed of desire to go there and experience it for myself. That’s for a future adventure.
In the meantime, listen up now folks. It doesn’t get much better than this. Food and music are the essence of life, so keep on eating and keep on playing.
# posted by BloozeGit @ 12:23 pm 
