Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Instructional Cajun Fiddle with Dewey Balfa - Master Tapes for Smithsonian Folkways Instructional Cajun Fiddle Release
Tape degraded at the beginning, cleans up after first minute or so.
00:05 - Fiddle and guitar version of Jolie Blonde;
06:15 - Fiddle and guitar version of Perrodin two step;
08:30 - Fiddle and guitar version of Grandpa's Waltz;
11:45 - Fiddle and guitar version of La valse des grands bois;
13:00 - Fiddle and guitar version of Les barres de la prison;
15:12 - Fiddle and guitar version of the Mardi Gras Song;
18:00 - Demonstration of sliding and bending notes for Port Arthur Blues;
21:45 - Rolling notes;
22:20 - Chère bébé Créole;
26:18 - Demonstrating trills with Danse Carré
Instructional Cajun Fiddle with Dewey Balfa - Master Tapes for Smithsonian Folkways Instructional Cajun Fiddle Release
00:50 - "Old Lonesome Sound" La valse des bambocheurs played at a slow speed;
02:10 - La valse des bambocheurs - regular speed with guitar accompaniment;
03:15 - Indian on a Stump - regular speed;
05:50 - Discussion about Instruments used in Cajun music;
12:30 - "uptown" style fiddling in Cajun music - Doug Kershaw, Rufus Thibodeaux;
14:45 - Dewey's style when playing with a full, amplified band;
22:20 - High pitched singing style in Cajun music;
24:40 - Cajun yell;
26:22 - J'ai étais au bal - slow speed seconding;
30:00 - Regular and double time waltz examples;
32:55 - Types of dances - fais do-do, dancehalls, "the pen,"
39:40 - Explaining the lyrics of the Mardi Gras Song;
47:00 - Mardi Gras runs - rules, customs
Danny Brasseaux and Cajun Express - Commercial Recording
KAJUN -5039
Side A
La special des jours de minuit
Mémoirs de Mama
La valse sans espoir
Marche vite
La valse du Bayou Teche
Side B
Le special du Bayou Noir;
Les larmes cadjines
Arret de trainailles dans mes souliers
Quand j'etais pauvre
Petits yeux noirs
Cliff Newman with Phil Menard - The Louisiana Travlers (sp) - Cajun Smash Hits
Side 1;
1. Introduction
2. The Reno Waltz
3. Tee Mon
4. My Father-in-law's Sorrows
5. The Grand Prairie Waltz
6. The Chatagnier Waltz
7. Jolie Blonde
Side 2
1. D&M Special
2. Alleman Waltz
3. I Went To The Dance
4. The Louisiana Waltz
5. Lacassine Special
6. The Lawtell Waltz
Dewey Balfa and Peter Schwarz Apprenticeship Lessons - 1984
0:00:30 – "Toutes les Soirs”
0:02:30 – Finding corner posts & choosing strings to play on
0:04:35 – Variations of G chord on second fiddle
0:06:16 – Supporting the lead with second fiddle
0:08:16 – Le Bourdon (droning)
0:10:04 – “Les Flammes D’enfer” seconding
0:11:24 – Carrying the beat
0:14:16 – “Perrodin Two Step”
0:21:29 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:24:03 – “Quoi Faire”
0:25:04 – Loosening up
0:27:51 – G in an A position & a little grace note
0:30:09 – A chord positions
0:31:02 – E chord positions
0:34:40 – “Madame Sosthene” in A
0:43:27 – Little run
0:44:17 – Don't forget the grace notes
0:48:18 – Moving positions; a double stop
0:55:28 – “Canadian waltz”
1:02:32 – Working on contrasting/complementing leader before rhythm
1:04:27 – Learning to place runs and double stops
1:04:57 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:07:55 – Developing individual style
1:08:35 – Carol England playing Dewey’s exact style
1:10:46 – Making sure runs end in the right place (DL’s singing)
1:11:48 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:14:20 – Options in A
1:16:02 – “Lake Arthur Stomp"
1:20:16 – “Louisiana Waltz”
1:21:31 – Walk down
1:25:31 – Hearing a harmony
1:28:31 – More grace notes
1:28:43 – Learning a run
1:34:40 – Playing without backup
1:39:32 – “Love Bridge Waltz”
1:44:44 – 1:46:00 – No sound
1:48:07 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
1:49:20 – Second fiddle changing chords to keep harmony
1:55:19 – Cajun fiddles contradict but harmonize with each other
1:55:39 – “J'étais au Bal”
2:02:13 – Complementing the lead fiddle
2:04:16 – “Louisiana Waltz”
2:06:56 – 2:08:06 – No sound
2:10:44 – Bow work
2:22:07 – “Port Arthur Blues”
2:26:08 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:33:28 – Cajun bridges
2:33:54 – Second fiddle accent on pulling bow down
2:34:42 – “Perrodin Two Step”
2:40:07 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:42:48 – 2:43:09 – No sound
2:43:20 – “Fifteen-Year-Old Waltz”
2:44:18 – Watching Dewey’s bow arm
2:45:40 – Adding shuffling part
2:48:31-2:48:50 – No sound
2:52:43 – Seconding practice
2:53:14 – Melody comes in
2:55:32 – Feedback
2:57:34 – “Lovebridge Waltz” w/ Peter on lead fiddle
3:01:51 – Seconding technique w/ more Cajun rhythm
3:04:04 – 3:04:13 – No sound
3:04:13 – Single string seconding
3:12:45 – Contrasting the lead fiddle
3:15:14 – 3:16:00 – No sound
3:16:04 – “Beautiful rosy cheeks”
3:19:10 – Freedom in Cajun music
Presentation to Young Students with Dewey Balfa
00:28 – Asking young students about fiddle vs. violin
02:01 – The bow & rosin
03:04 – “Frère Jacques”
03:34 – The triangle
05:10 – Playing spoons
06:45 – Fiddlesticks
09:43 – The accordion
12:27 – The guitar
14:20 – Bringing it all together (“Quo Faire”)
16:50 – Introducing Peter
17:49 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
19:58 – “Wagon Wheel Special”
21:02 – “Quo Faire” (again)
22:25 – “Grand Mamou” with triangle
23:28 – “Perrodin Two Step”
24:09 – “J’etais au Bal” with fiddle sticks
28:58 – Accordion mechanics
26:41 – “Chère tout tout”
27:32 – “J’ai Passe Devant Ta Porte”
28:07 – “Lake Arthur Stomp”
29:09 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
30:18 – “Quo Faire”
Dewey Balfa & Band Gig
00:00 – "Chere Mom”
01:55 – “Louisiana Waltz”
07:25 – “Steppin Fast”
11:43 – "Valse de Bélizaire”
16:47 – “The Back Door”
20:50 – “Faded Love”
24:43 – "Valse de Grand Chemin”
27:33 – “Port Arthur Blues”
30:40 – “J’etais au Bal”
35:42 – “Choupique Two Step”
39:40 – “En Bas du Chêne Vert”
42:59 – "Chere Mom”
Dewey Balfa & Band Gig
0:00:10 – “Blues de Basile”
0:04:13 – "Nobody Wants Me”
0:07:48 – “Zydeco Sont Pas Sale”
0:12:12: - "Mulberry Waltz”
0:16:28 – “Les Veuves De La Coulée”
0:20:24 – “Pine Grove Blues”
0:27:18 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:31:29 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
0:36:14 – “Les Flammes D’enfer” (encore)
0:38:31 – “T’es Si Aisee Pour Aimer”
0:41:39 – “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:44:14 – “Valse de Bélizaire”
0:47:05 – “Balfa Waltz”
0:49:41 – waltz
0:55:56 – “The Back Door”
0:58:08 – two step
0:59:28 – “Le Valse de Grand Bois”
1:02:29 – “Les traces de mon Boghei”
Dewey Balfa, Michael Doucet, & Band Gig
0:00:01: “Lovebridge Waltz”
0:02:37 – “Choupique Two Step”
0:05:32 – “Valse de Bélizaire”
0:10:19 – Duralde Waltz
0:14:10 – “J’etais au Bal”
Silent bit
0:18:54 – Dennis McGee Tune (with Michael Doucet)
0:20:04 – “Flammes D’enfer”
0:23:04 – Saying goodbye
0:24:16 – “Flammes D’enfer”
0:27:57 – “Tits Yeux Noir”
0:31:41 – “Lacassine Special”
0:35:44 – La valse de Grand Bois
0:39:31 – Saturday Night Special
0:43:33 – “Kaplan Waltz”
0:47:51 – “Choupique Two-Step”
0:53:26 – “B.O. Sparkle Waltz”
0:57:48 – “Veuve de la Coulee”
0:58:47-0:59:01 – no sound
0:59:14 – “J’ai Vu le Lou, le Renard, et la Belette”
1:04:08 – “Old Fashion Two Step”
Basile Cajun Hour Excerpt KEUN 1
0:05 – Instrumental two step being played on radio
0:46 – Announcer (French & English)
1:48 – Dewey introduces the band
3:02 – Waltz
06:25 – Announcer
Don Thibodeaux and the Pine Grove Boys Gig
00:01 – “Mulberry Waltz”
03:26 – “Midnight Playboy Special”
05:02 – "La Valse de Tout L’monde”
07:44 – “Les Veuves de la Coulée”
10:26 – “Mamou Two Step”
12:18 – “Faire Attention C’est Mon Coeur Qui Vas Casser”
15:12 – "Mom Je Suis Toujours Ton Petit Garçon”
18:45 – Unnamed Waltz
21:33 – “Laisse-moi parler à ton coeur”
24:36 – “La valse de famille”
Mamou Lundi Gras
0:00:06 – “The Back Door”
0:02:27 – “Cher Bébé Créole”
0:05:40 – “La Danse de Mardi Gras”
0:11:12 – “73 Special”
0:14:03 – “Cherokee Waltz”
0:16:58 – “Pine Grove Blues”
0:20:06 – "Blues Français”
0:24:01 – “Allons a la Queue de Tortue”
0:26:30 – “J’etais au Bal”
0:29:18 – “Grand Prairie Waltz”
0:33:35 – “Bayou Teche Waltz”
0:37:26 – “Hee Haw Breakdown”
0:40:47 – “La valse de 99 ans”
0:44:33 – “Les Flammes D’enfer”
0:46:48 – 0:47:09 No Sound
0:51:05 – “La pistache à Tante Nana”
0:54:01 – “Quo Faire”
0:57:05 – “Touts les deux pour la même”
1:01:15 – “Bosco Stomp”
1:05:33 – “La Danse de Mardi Gras” encore (very low volume)
1:07:57 – “Hicks Wagon Wheel Special”
1:11:10 – “Je Veux Me Marier” (very low volume)
1:13:34 – Peter’s outro
Mark Savoy, D.L. Menard, and Doc Guidry Workshop
00:26 – Playing for a sit-down crowd vs. a dance
01:27 – Mark Savoy’s and D.L. Menard’s manufacturing businesses
04:22 – “C’est dans la Coeur de la Ville”
08:29 – Instruments in newer Cajun music
10:23 – “Perrodin Two-Step”
13:35 – Cajun jigs and reels
15:58 – “Mardi Gras Jig”
18:22 – Southwestern Louisiana Mardi Gras traditions
20:42 – Different Louisiana dialects
22:46 – “Les Traces de Mon Buggy”
27:44 – “Les Zydeco Sont Pas Sale”
32:19 – “Jambalaya”
37:53 – “Wafus Two Step”
40:18 – "Valse de Grand Chemin”
45:06 – Second fiddle before the accordion