Customer Reviews

Another Saturday Night - Classic Recordings From The Louisiana Bayous

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Rufus Jagneaux is the main reason I own this... In my high school days, my Mom remarried to a Cajun man and we moved to Lake Arthur, Louisiana. I loved the history and legends of the Cajun people. I was yet a kid when Rufus Jagneaux released "Opelousas Sostan" and I well remember the hysteria of it all. LOL - One would have thought the world was ending. Below is a brief history regarding "Rufus Jagneaux," as I remember it.

In 1960`s, just as in the mainstream of other "rebellious American youths," the Cajun American youths had been dissenters. Many were in the "Hippie" movement at full swing. This, of course, as with the majority of America's recent generation and older generations, was a sense and source of great discontent. Acadians had been striving hard to be accepted as mainstream Americans. Though extremely proud of their heritage, the majority of the younger generation did not learn to speak the language their parents and grandparents spoke. The youths were being taught standard subjects, in Standard English, in standard schools.

In 1970, a "Cajun Hippies," Benny Graeff formed a "new traditional" Cajun music group, which he named Rufus Jagneaux. Benny chose the name Jagneaux owing to its being a traditional Cajun surname that would allude to his ancestry's roots (also, Jagneaux had Jag in it which is a tribute to his admiration of The Rolling Stone's Mick Jagger). Rufus Jagneaux eclectic music combination was a mixture of rhythm & blues, country & western, Black Creole, Cajun, American Folk, and a splash of good ol' Rock & Roll. In 1971, Rufus Jagneaux had a major regional hit with the song "Opelousas Sostan," which used lively harmonically play to render the kinship of typical accordion music played in old-time-archetypal Cajun music.

In the face of accomplishment and enormous talent, Rufus Jagneaux, as the case with similar "new sound" music bands, were never well accepted amongst the Cajun's established musical entertainers or communities. The band was blacklisted in the Cajun musical fairs and jamborees due to their association with the perceived views of "mixed music," "free-loving-lifestyle," and "culture in opposition of acceptable values." The "hippy-image" of music, clothing, and social attitude were unacceptable, even in the heart of Louisiana's "Land of Cajun," were the peoples had and were experiencing their own forms of discrimination from most "White America."

Without me trying to explain to the uninitiated, these tracks are mainly by 'Swamp Pop' artists....who are stylistically neither Cajun , OR Zydeco ..To understand the music by these classic Swamp Pop artists I recommend you read a book called 'Swamp Pop' , By Shane Bernard .. He should know what it's all about; his Father Rod Bernard cut the Classic 'Swamp Pop' tune of all time , 'This Should Go On Forever' way back when .I recognise several of the classic 'Swamp Poppers' on this great collection , Tommy McLain , Clint West ,Huey 'Cookie' Thierry and the Cupcakes ,etc .. a great collection put together by a man who knows his stuff .. the great Charlie Gillett , author and writer of many articles and books on American roots music. You will also notice on the sleeve design/title of this CD there is no mention of this being a "Cajun" unquote , release .

This is a simply wonderful compilation of fairly obscure music from Louisiana. It is not a cajun compilation although it does contain examples of the classic stompin accordian sound. Rather it is a melting pot of American influences ( Soul. Country, Blues, R&B and cajun). Its a bit like spending a night playing pool and drinking beer in a juke joint somewhere in the Bayous. This would be the music on the jukebox.

I bought this album on vinyl in the 70s and it was widely regarded as a classic back then. I played it to death. I`m very happy to have it on cd now!

Sublime americana.

This album certainly delivers on something, just not what I wanted. For those who think of "bayou" music as cajun, accordian/harmonica/thumping bass type stuff, as I was looking for, only about 1/3 of the tracks here deliver. The rest is the same type of rockabilly/honkytonk stuff that I don't necessarily associate with "bayou" - more like "anywhere in the 50's, moreso in the South." I was looking to inject some cajun into my cd collection. I'll keep looking!