Customer Reviews

Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader

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Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step & Swing gives a fresh new perspective on the music of the Cajuns, showing that it is not a completely isolated cultural artform, but a result of a unique ethnic people who are contsantly being influenced and changed by thier American nieghbors, integrating mainstream culture into thier own, without losing the Cajun identity.

The book fills in many of the blanks we all wonder about...how did these musicians actually live and learn. Reviews many overlooked bands and musicians that were never given credit because the are "outside the cultural boundaries."

My favorite aspect of Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader, is how it focuses not on the romantic idealism of South Louisiana, but focuses on the reality of this Franco-Catholic culture surrounded by an Anglo-protestant America, and the effects of this constant influence from the outside-in.

I recommend this book to any Americana music lovers, Cajun/Creole fans, musicians, and any Cajun who wants to understand more where many of our musical traditions and stigmas have evolved through the years

It states quite early on that it's going to be about cajun music and not zydeco - apart from where they meet - but as a collection of essential articles about the music and people and more - it can't be beaten - only updated, as time passes.