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.
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion) & the Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Guitar & Vocals); Unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?)
0:00 - Evangeline Special (for Horace Guilbeau)
5:08 - Evangeline Special reprise
7:25 - The Wild Side of Life
8:09 - La valse des Cherokees (for people from Québec, Canada)
13:13 - Pauvre hobo
18:35 - Let's Rock and Roll (fragment)
19:19 - La valse de tout le monde (for Mr. Moreau)
24:11 - J'ai été au bal (for Keith & Mary Granger)
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion); The Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Rhythm guitar); unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?); unknown vocalist
0:00 - Don talking to friends from Canada and France in the audience
0:52 - Le hack à Moreau
-Don messing around on accordion
-Lionel messing around on fiddle
7:59 - Creole Stomp
11:21 - Creole Stomp reprise. Lionel starts it on the fiddle
-Hubert announces there is a request for "Dans le cœur de la ville" and that it'll be the last song
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces
Don Montoucet (Accordion); the Wandering Aces; Lionel Leleux (Violin); Sammy Boudreaux (Drums); Hubert Maitre (Rhythm guitar and Vocals); unknown steel guitar player (Melvin Sonnier?)
0:00 - Allons à Lafayette (for Barry)
5:24 - Jolie blonde (La fille de la veuve/Ma blonde est partie) (for people from Québec, Canada)
10:06 - Bayou Pon Pon
15:02 - Chère Alice
19:29 - La valse d'orphelin (La valse de musicien/Trop jeune pour te marier)
22:14 - Lake Arthur Stomp
25:20 - Lake Arthur Stomp (reprise)
-Don messing around with Lake Arthur Stomp on accordion
27:21 - La porte d'en arrière
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and Lionel Leleux
Don Montoucet (Accordion); Lionel Leleux (Violin); Barry Ancelet (Guitar?)
0:00 - Je peux pas t'oublier (Lionel doesn't think it's "La petite fille du village") (fragment)
-La valse de Reno (Lionel starts in on fiddle. Barry practices singing it. Lionel keeps on playing it)
3:48 - La valse de Reno (reprise with accordion)
7:31 - Lacassine Special
-Request for "Joe Turner Blues". Someone missed the first session
9:03 - La valse du Grand Chemin. Don calls it "La Valse à Hubert [Maitre]"
15:02 - Petit mulet cotton maïs (actually starts Bois Sec's "Quoi faire")
-Talking about Bois Sec
16:20 - Peit mulet cotton maïs (old song)
-Barry tells Don he can't sing "Chère toute toute," so Don says jokingly that Lionel can do it
-Barry can sing "Fi Fi Poncho" (joke), but Varise says you can sing that song/there are words to that song
20:24 - Chère toute toute
-Varise says dancing with a pretty girl you want to marry, she could never refuse
25:18 - Pauvre Hobo
-First song Don learned. Reprise so that Lionel can show Barry something
-Amédé Breaux. Request for a Bascom Mouton song
***Only month and year were included in original notes, no specific day***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and Lionel Leleux
Don Montoucet (Accordion); Lionel Leleux (Violin); unknown guitar player and vocalist
0:00 - Don and Lionel messing around with the "Drunkard's Waltz"
0:56 - La dernière valse
4:46 - Les flammes d'enfer
***Only month and year were included in original notes, no specific day***
Interview with Lionel Leleux
Conversation for Archives of Indiana University with Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - From Leleux, LA 10 miles south of Crowley on Hwy 13, description of musical development
-First getting interested in the fiddle, first violin from Sears and Roebuck in 1924 for $4 and something
-Bascom Mouton music in 1923, untitled Bascom Mouton waltz
5:47 - Broken bow in 1925, making bows, repairing violins in 1927, building violins, first violin made
-Playing accordion music in 1929, 1931-1932
-Played with Felix Trahan, Joe Brasseaux, Nathan Abshire, and Angelas LeJeune in dancehalls, Nathan Abshire drinking moonshine
10:53 - string music in 1932 with Happy Fats and the Rainbow Ramblers, quit playing in 1935 (for 19.5 years) when first child was born
-playing with Adolphe Martinez, 'Tit Neg Broussard, Joe Falcon, Lawrence Walker; accordion tunes in the 1930s
14:27 - J'ai passé devant ta porte
16:28 - Chère Alice; Favorite accordion players--Nathan Abshire's timing, Joe Falcon
20:01 - Joe Falcon was Lawerence Walker's idol, then Walker developed his own style
-He could play many dances on the accordion that others could not
-Lawrence Walker modernized Cajun music; Elias Badeaux second fiddle; Lawrence's "Country Waltz" becomes "Chère Alice"
24:45 - Difference between old French and modernized French music, smoothness of modern Cajun music
-Iry LeJeune playing like Angelas Lejeune, Amédé Ardoin's old style in the 1931
-played fast; musical development throughout the years
Interview with Lionel Leleux
Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - Playing with Don Montoucet after Lawrence Walker died in 1973
-Lionel (fiddle), Jr. Benoit (guitar), Don Montoucet (accordion), Simon Schexnyder (drums)
-Don was a bus driver and mechanic and his father, Jacques, played as well
-Lionel had the most fun since playing with Lawrence. Don had to quit because of his health
-learning to play violin by ear; What is a musician?
4:56 - Playing for Codofil, 1st time Codofil sponsored Cajun music
-National folk festival in Virginia, touring in Central and South America; Some people think that musicians are no good
-role of the musician on the bandstand
-making violins from 1927-1932 without tools (breaking bottles for scrapers, cutting bones for finger board and saddle board nuts)
-eventually bought tools and wood; no one to show him how to do it. He had to learn on his own
11:16 - First violin sold; Second violin was made for Doug Kershaw
-Wallace Touchet's violin; finding geometrical formulas to build violins using trigonometry
-formulating varnish with a formula used by chemical engineer Josef Michaelman from Cincinnati Ohio--1600/1700s Italian violin curves
15:50 - Early schooling. Lionel almost didn't go to school; Violin making book--des grands mots
-what Lionel missed by quitting school; first violin; Lionel thinks his violins are well worth it
-The people who purchase them like them too
20:20 - Playing Strad. and Guarnieri violins for dances. Lionel got them in 1949
-First time Lionel saw good violins owned by an eye doctor from Abbeville who had no family down here. They were all up north
-When he died, they had an estate sale and Lionel's friend bought it, and Lionel bought it from his friend--Stradivarius and Guarnarius violins
25:04 - Borrowing money to buy violins. Lionel had 4 violins and people wanted to buy them
-He didn't have enough money to buy the Strad and Guanarius. He liked them and sold his 4 others after getting his hands on them
-compares his he makes to those 2 nice violins; Lawrence liked the Strad. more; "La 'tite noire/la 'tite négresse"
-difference between Stradivarius and Guarnarius violin --Strad. smooth and sweet/ Guarnarius robust. Lionel likes them both
Interview with Lionel Leleux
0:00 - Description of violin making from beginning to end; use of spruce and maple
-Use maple to make the back, ribs, and head
-Spruce is top and usually made with 2 pieces. Back can be made with either 1 or 2 pieces
3:06 - Making the curve--checking frequency; measurements of ever cut of wood; resonant tones/making wood sound
-use of hot iron; neck and end block; carving scroll and cutting neck. All by hand
-fingerboard, pegs, and older tailpieces made of ebony 'la touche'/Tailpiece made of airplane metal makes it light
-making his own varnish, Joseph Michaelman
-he can't say how long it takes to make a violin, because he does it when he's not cutting hair or fixing violins, "au temps perdu."
-2.5 months to cut the wood. 1.5 years to make a violin
6:42 - Invented machine to degrossir (thin) wood. Don Montoucet did his welding. It's hidden under a sheet
-Concept of machine from Carr's machine, but not exactly same
-Albert H. Carr--professional violin maker, professional musician and violin appraiser from Albuquerque met in 1967
8:45 - Visiting Carr. First time talking to a real violin maker
11:27 - Carr made 1.5 million bows during WWII at a factory in Independence, Missouri
-Quit mass production because he didn't couldn't compete with prices of other makers
-special order from $100/150 a bow and $1,000 a violin, some maybe more; childhood dream of violin making full-time
-dreamed of making violins before he dreamed of playing
Musical performance by Lionel Leleux
Lionel Leleux:
0:00 - La dernière valse
3:11 - Le special de '73; Marié avec une et en amour avec une autre
8:11 - La petite flamme bleue; Weeping Willow. Howard Mire and Lionel played it in A (while playing with Joe Falcon)
-While playing with Lawrence, Lionel played "Nobody's Darling But Mine" and "Weeping Willow" because Lawrence had to take a break
-Lawrence asked what Lionel had played
-That was the last time he played that song with Lawrence (because it was in the wrong key/couldn't play it in that key on accordion?)
-"Shirt-tails were flying"
13:28 - Chère Bassette; Pauvre hobo (for Keith)
19:39 - Madame Sosthène; Over the Waves
26:27 - La porte d'en arrière
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - Untitled Creole Waltz (May be a version of "Rainbow Waltz"/"Trop jeune pour marier"?)
-Le Nouveau Cucaracha
6:28 - Lacassine Special; Quoi faire
12:51 - Johnny Can't Dance; La valse de Grand Bois (Alleman Waltz)
16:43 - Cadien de Church Point
21:17 - Mermentau Waltz (99 Year Waltz/Convict Waltz); Bachelor's Life (Happy Go-Lucky)
28:24 - Blues song (sung by Clarence Ledet)
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific day or month***
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - French Blues
3:06 - Danser avec moi (Hey Maman, Hey Papa)
9:03 - Josephine est pas ma femme; Mathlida (fragment)
13:05 - Madame Edouard (Petite ou la grosse); Oh petit monde / Oh 'tit monde
20:46 - Oh yé yaille, ça me fait du mal (Marche pas aussi Vite?/Camey Doucet's song)
-(group singing)--Black Ardoin recording with E. Poullard; I Don't Want Nobody Else But You
28:17 - Games People Play; Lâche pas la patate; Blues (fragment); Games People Play (reprise)
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot and the Ardoin Family Band
Bois-Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, Ardoin Family Band:
0:00 - Cadien de Church Point
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Harmonica and Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - La valse de grand chemin
4:43 - Chère toute toute
8:56 - Chère toute toute (reprise with harmonica); Untitled Waltz (Cowboy Waltz turn/bridge?)
12:56 - Cher bébé créole; Drunkard's Waltz
18:11 - Untitled Waltz (1st part sounds like Cowboy Waltz, 2nd part sounds like Eunice Waltz/Crowley Waltz/Lafayette Playboys Waltz/Mon vieux homme)
-Untitled Polka (Joe Falcon's version)
***Recorded over two days: 08/19/1977 and 08/20/1977***
Interview with and musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - Eunice Two-Step (Jolie catin); How Sidney Hebert began to play the accordion. Had band before they got married
-Didn't play dances, they played party/bouquet dances Monarch Accordion
-Family and musical brothers. 6 brothers and 3 sisters
-Oldest brother (Whitney) played accordion and fiddle, but can't play anymore because of his stroke
4:44 - Sidney sold Monarch and gave up music for 30 years
-There's now 9 years he's had his new accordion, he had forgotten everything; how Antoine Hebert began to play the violin
-Was in the service from 1942-1951, Started up again with Wilson Wright off and on
-Sidney played at parties, Antoine played a few dances; family history from around Maurice/Coulée Île des Cannes
-old time music--valse à vieux (deux) temps, mazurkas, polkas; father's music (danses du vieux temps)
-Sidney learned that polka from a record of Joe Falcon the other day
-Didn't learn from father, played new songs like "Fi Fi Poncho," "Pauvre hobo," "La valse qui m'a apporté en terre."
-Father didn't play that kind of music; Sidney is 66 years old, Antoine 56
-Sidney can't play like he used to; Timing is key for dancing
8:36 - Fi Fi Poncho; Assi dans la fenêtre de ma chambre (flip side of "Saute crapaud"?)
12:43 - Bayou Teche (Columbus Frugé); Valse de Grand Bois (La valse des Mèche; old way)
-Don says there's 3 ways to play that song
18:44 - Beginning dances with waltzes (playing two or three waltzes and then a two-step throughout the night)
-Valse de Grand Bois (modern way). Reprise on turn (Don Montoucet on accordion)
22:49 - Valse de Grand Bois (in the style of Mr. Caliste Richard). Reprise on turn
Musical performance by Sidney Hebert and the Hebert Brothers
Sidney Hebert (Accordion) and the Hebert Brothers with Sammy Boudreaux (Guitar), Antoine Hebert (Violin), Eddie Hebert (Triangle), Doris Hebert (Snare) and Don Montoucet (Accordion)
0:00 - La valse du Pont d'Amour
4:15 - Ma blonde est partie (Jolie blonde/La fille de la veuve) (Sidney on vocals)
Copies of 78 rpm recordings
Amédé Breaux:
0:00: - Poor Hobo
Nathan Abshire:
2:49 - Pine Grove Blues
5:37 - Valse de Kaplan
8:35 - Two-Step de Choupique
11:20 - La valse à Bélizaire
14:32 - Pine Grove Boogie
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78 rpm recordings
Nathan Abshire:
0:00 - Pine Grove Boogie
2:46 - Hathaway Waltz
Austin Pitre:
5:24 - Evangeline Playboy Special
8:25 - La valse de Chataigner (Louisiana Waltz)
Pee Wee Broussard:
11:21 - Creole Stomp
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
Pee Wee Broussard:
0:00 - Chère toute toute
Lee Sonnier:
2:40 - Two-step de Cankton (Two-step de Tee Mamou/Nonc André)
5:43 - War Widow Waltz (Laura Broussard on vocals)
Lionel Cormier:
8:39 - Sundown Playboys Special
11:09 - Welcome Club Waltz (Reno Waltz)
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Walfus Two-step (La talle d'éronces)
2:33 - Oakdale Waltz (B.O. Sparkle Waltz)
***No specific year of recording, 1950s?***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Redigitize - error around 24 minutes
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Looking for singer who fell asleep; request for 'Crying Waltz'?
-La valse de quatre-vingt dix-neuf ans (Convict Waltz/Mermentau Waltz) (for Mr. & Mrs. Dupré)
8:12 - Lacassine Special (for Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Courville, Johnson's Grocery "Boudin Man" and his wife fixes best martini, Party from Lafayette, Mr & Mrs. Kenneth Andrus, and Mrs. Merlin Fontenot)
12:14 - La valse de Reno; call Austin Pitre up to the bandstand
17:20 - Lafayette Two-Step; Austin Pitre thanking people for calling him up and saying he'll only play 2 or 3 songs
22:29 - La valse de St. Landry (La valse de Duson/La valse qui me fait du mal/La valse des Opelousas/La valse de Stelly/Big Boy Waltz)
-fiddler messing around with the Balfa Waltz. request for Mathilda
27:34 - Mathilda
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Bayou Pon Pon (for Sandra)
4:37 - La valse de Kaplan
9:03 - Pine Grove Blues
14:14 - Pine Grove Blues (2 reprises); dances every Saturday night at Lakeview
-Dewey Balfa next Saturday night. Sunday the 8th at 4pm, free dance for busload from Canada
-Every Friday night, this band is at Hilda's Lounge in Eunice (old Antley's Place?)
17:38 - I Don't Want You Anymore; Dennis Courville at Courville's Fruit Stand open 7 days a week
-"Might have a few rotten bananas, but for the most part you'll come out alright"
23:27 - La valse de la Grande Prairie; people from Eunice, Lafayette, Iota, Québec
29:37 - Mockingbird
***Only year was included in original notes, no specific month or day***
Musical performance by Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, and Austin Pitre
Merlin Fontenot, David Lee Guidroz, Austin Pitre:
0:00 - Mockingbird
0:44 - Mexican Jumping Bean (Snowball); daughter who just got married would like a Charlie Pride number
-request for Mathilda for the people from Arnaudville and New Orleans
Austin Pitre:
5:24 - La valse de Cadien
9:50 - Jolie blonde
15:14 - Two-step à Tante Adèle
19:28 - Snowball (Mexican Jumping Bean); Austin thanks Merlin Fontenot, Mr. Cormier, and the whole band
24:44 - The Last Waltz (for Margie and Elmo Ancelet and Aunt Ida, Eddie Bellard, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Carpenter)
30:19 - San Antonio (Parts of Bachelor's Life/Happy-Go Lucky) (for Margie and Elmo Ancelet, Irene and Lee, Bobby and Jimmy, Aunt Ida)
"On va les embêter" - poetry and music collaboration by Jean Arceneaux and Michael Doucet
Jean Arceneaux (Reader), Michael Doucet (Fiddler/vocalist)
0:00 - Je suis cadien
4:05 - Travailler c'est trop dur
4:40 - Je suis cadien (continued)
5:15 - Je m'endors
5:45 - Je suis cadien (continued)
8:00 - Balfa Waltz
8:40 - Je suis cadien (continued)
16:50 - Je suis cadien (starting from "un cri amer")
17:30 - Barry Ancelet talks about the "On va les embêter" collaboration, originally prepared for La Fête du Tricentenaire à La Rochelle, 1982
18:40 - Je suis cadien (starting from "Hé, tu connais / il y a des fois que je me sens embêté...")
20:38 - Barry Ancelet talks about the "On va les embêter" collaboration, originally prepared for La Fête du Tricentenaire à La Rochelle, 1982
21:00 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
21:58 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
23:45 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS / "Pauvres nous-autres et chers les autres"
25:17 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
26:42 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
27:36 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
27:55 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
28:40 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
29:20 - Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
30:05 - Jean Arceneaux & Michael Doucet radio spot for KRVS
31:10 - Jean Arceneaux radio spot for KRVS
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Two-step de Mama (Lacassine Special) (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Columbia 40514
3:11 - French Blues (Nathan Abshire & the Rayne-bo Ramblers) Bluebird B2177
6:19 - Two-step de Jennings / Tostape de Jennings (Amédé Ardoin) Decca 17002
9:26 - La valse des chantiers pétrolifères (Amédé Ardoin) Decca 17002
12:32 - La Valse de Pénitentiaire (La Valse de Bambocheur) (Dennis McGee) Vocalion
15:13 - One-step de Choupique (Dennis McGee) Vocalion
***No specific year of recording, 1943?***
Copies of 78rpm recordings
0:00 - Quelqu'un est jaloux (Delui Guillory, Lewis Lafleur) RCA Victor 22209
3:02 - Ma petite blonde (Delui Guillory, Lewis Lafleur) RCA Victor 22209
6:13 - Petite ou la grosse (Leo Soileau & Three Aces) Bluebird B 2197
9:17 - Dites-moi avant (Leo Soileau & Three Aces) Bluebird B 2197
12:19 - La valse criminelle (Leo Soileau & Mayuse LaFleur) RCA Victor 21770
15:09 - Ton père m'a mis dehors (Leo Soileau & Mayuse LaFleur) RCA Victor 21770
18:04 - One-step de Chataignier (LeJeune & Frugé) Brunswick 493
21:01 - Perrodin Two-Step (Angelas LeJeune) Brunswick 369
24:02 - Blues de voyage (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Bluebird B2189
26:56 - Valse des amitiés (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Bluebird 2189
29:45 - Tante Aline (Amédé Ardoin & Dennis McGee) Columbia 40514F
***No specific year of recording, 1930s?***
Musical performance by Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces/Merlin Fontenot et al.
Don Montoucet and the Wandering Aces:
Live at Antler's (Lafayette, LA):
0:00 - Grand Mamou
5:06 - Reno Waltz
9:43 - Les flammes d'enfer, reprise
16:23 - Colinda, reprise (for "Frenchie")
21:19 - Bosco Stomp, reprise
26:25 - Midnight Waltz (for Beulah)
30:08 - Pine Grove Blues
NOT INCLUDED IN RECORDING:
Live at the Lakeview Club (Eunice, LA):
-Bayou Pon Pon
-La valse de Kaplan
-Pine Grove Blues
-I Don't Want You Anymore
-La valse de la Grande Prairie
-Mockingbird
Musical performance by Varise Connor & Lionel Leleux
0:00 - LG3-Gibson Guitar. One of two guitars Hank Williams had that was given to a fellow in Lake Charles
-One of Andy's friends bought it from this fellow and owed Andy's dad $50
-So instead of giving him the $50, he gave him the guitar. The other is in a museum in Fort Worth, TX
-Andy acquired it before he died in 1951/52; Kentucky
2:30 - Maiden's Prayer; Varise calls Lionel Leleux to come play and give Varise a break; Cross-tuning
4:54 - Sawmill Two-Step and reprise; Retuning fiddle
8:45 - Anna Mae Waltz; Sabine Blues
12:58 - Ranger's Waltz; retuning fiddle; calls Lionel to come play again
16:13 - You Got to See Mama Every Night (Or You Can't See Mama At All); Creole Waltz
19:50 - Chacoter on "Perrodin Two-Step"; Varise wants Eric to come take Andy's place on guitar; Jimmy Bryant's Waltz
Lionel Leleux:
22:30 - J'ai été au bal; Belizaire's Waltz
27:27 - Les flammes d'enfer; La dernière valse; Untitled Two-Step (Bascom Mouton?)
Interview with James Domengeaux and Jacques Souchel
James Domengeaux (CODOFIL President); Jacques Souchel (USL French Foreign Exchange Student);
0:00 - 'La semaine en français' every Sunday at 9:30 AM on KPEL
-Conversation au sujet du Congrès international des Amériques
-3-5th of April 1972. 20 different countries (France, Canada, Haiti, Martinque, Guadalupe, Togo)
-montrer la Louisiane que le monde francophone était très interessé dans le movement de préserver et dévélopper/montrer au monde francophone que les Louisianais parlent bien le français
-'Le Figaro' (le plus grand papier/gazette à Paris) avait une expression de Gouverneur Edwards de son discours dessus la première page: "Soyons fier de notre langue - le français aujourd'hui et toujours." Accepté par le monde francophone
-Jacques est l'étudiant français du campus, représentant la France
-James Domnegeaux only chose Lafayette because there's place/facilities for the delegates to assemble
-He didn't want to have it in New Orleans since they've lost so much more French than Lafayette has
-Wanted to show that we remain different by speaking French here a lot, on the bayous, at stores, at school, at church, etc.
-Also because of the auditorium his brother, Judge Domengeaux built and because Lafayette is the seat of South Louisiana/capital of Acadiana
-James doesn't want to give the idea that Lafayette speaks the most French in Acadiana. Might speak more French in St. Martin, Evangeline, & Avoyelles (Cochon de Lait Festival), Acadia, Vermilion parishes.
-The entirety of south Louisiana is involved in preserving the French language and developing a bilingual society. Also interested in north Louisiana
5:31 - Cajuns, Creoles, Descents of Napolean's army in Avoyelles and Evangeline parishes, as well as Anglophone's in the north of the state are for the preservation and development of French
-1/3 of Louisiana's population understands and speaks French; some like Domengeaux aren't formally educated in French, however, the orally transmitted French is something that can be developed and used to our advantage
-last week in Paris magazine, a 6-page article about Louisiana including color pictures of birds in Henderson, Canadian geese at Florence Club in Gueydan, Mrs. Bob Lowe's house.
-Author of this article said the main attractant to this area was the French language
-French Canadian TV Guide which reaches 1.5 million families had an article on the cover about Louisiana
10:17 - Jacques est le premier Français à venir en Louisiane depuis des siècles (he wasn't expecting so many people here to still speak French -- he came here to learn English)
-speaking French with locals at the grocery store. No trouble understanding one another but might have to go slow
-on parle pas la même à Auvergne qu'à Paris; l'accent marseillais
-giving tour of USL campus before and after the Congrès to French delegates; the necessity of speaking French
-Speaking in french about the importance of speaking French, not talking about it in English
-north Louisianians; LSU in Baton Rouge; President Keiser from Nachitchoes married a lady from Terrebonne and told stories in French
14:02 - Other professors in north Louisiana are supportive of the "renaissance" of the French language in South Louisiana
-they understand the people of the U.S. can no longer be monolingual - learning French allows them to go so many more places as opposed to only communicating with the Anglophone world
-James was 17 years old before he went to New Orleans - people didn't travel back then
-responsibility of being bilingual especially in the current age when it takes only 3-5 hours to get to London/Paris
-everyone is for the development of French and bilingualism except for the public school system (they claim they don't have money, teachers, etc.)
20:04 - A few places where French Immersion has taken root; French immersion teacher, when there should be 35 in New Iberia
-7/1,100 teachers that teach French in Lafayette; Not seriously in schools according to Domengeaux - either do it 100% or not at all, no in between
-At USL, kids are interested in the French language; French Circles in Student Union
-Richard Guidry and fiancée Pat Courville; David Marcantel
-started learning French in 10th grade - need to start earlier in elementary grades
-speaking French with grandparents at home will become the style in 10/15/20 years
-French will become just as common as English
-French tourists will be compelled to come to Louisiana because the lack of a language barrier
Interview with Richard Guidry
'La semaine en français' every Sunday morning at 9:30 AM on KPEL: Entrevue avec Richard Guidry
0:00 - Étudiant de 4ème année à l'Université de Louisiane à Lafayette, dans le Collège d'éducation
-Président du Cercle français
-Richard aspires to be a French teacher; speaking French with his family - mother speaks French with grandparents
-Gueydan in Vermilion Parish - everyone speaks French in Gueydan
-Anglophone 'colony' from Midwest trying to learn French and adopting all of the Cajun customs such as eating rice and gravy, boudin, chaudin, drinking coffe
-rice farmers; Guidry's father is the fire chief in Gueydan and does electrical/plumbing work on the side
-most firemen in Gueydan are volunteers, meaning they get a bonus at the end of the year/Christmas time from the town of Gueydan
4:58 - Son voyage en Guadeloupe - went on scholarship from the French government for future French teachers (about 20 from Louisiana, most from North Louisiana, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge.
-Only 4 from Acadiana. Richard and black girl from McNeese the only two who spoke French at home/with their families
-locals were shocked that Americans could speak French so well - they sang folk songs and showed their custom to the people of Guadalupe
-Richard sang 'J'ai fait tout le tour du Grand Bois'; 'Les Acadiens de la Disperssion' documentary in USL archives - get a copy from Mr. Charles Bernard
-showing film in Gueydan (shocked to see Canadians that spoke just like them using the same expressions)
8:40 - Richard didn't feel completely at home because Guadalupe is a black culture, and Richard was never really exposed to that at home (felt more at more among Francohpones)
-links between Louisiana and French Antilles: both speak Creole
-young girl from Breaux Bridge whose family speaks Creole - not the same language, but close enough to understand one another
-youth in Guadalupe are speaking more French and losing their Creole
-less of a racial distinction between blacks and whites like in the U.S.
-same system Louisiana had after Civil War (pure blacks, mulatoes, caltrons - has more white blood than black blood, Creoles)
-Creoles don't mix with blacks - French mix with blacks because it's been a French state since 1946 (like Hawaii is a U.S.).
-Martinique and French Guiana, Île de la Réunion; three other places where Creole is spoken
-Blacks would speak Creole amongst themselves and were shocked when Richard was able to comprehend and answer them
13:53 - Expressions in Louisiana French/Guadalupe French that are no longer used in standard French like 'un petit bougre'; gombo févi (okra), sugar cane, mirlitons (vegetable pear) both in Louisiana and Guadalupe
-common folk songs; Guadalupe people are mixing their folk songs with modern music to create something similar to Louisiana jazz
-1,500 miles/8-hr flight ($300) from New Orleans to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadalupe
17:43 - Richard didn't expect how much poverty there was because of the industrialization of the sugar cane industry
-Blacks don't have work anymore, some immigrate to France for work
-they drink wine, eat French bread, drive French cars, they would feel right at home in France
-Some believe Guadalupe's economy would be better off becoming an independent state
-tourism new to Guadalupe; La Plage de Sainte-Anne
Interview with James Domengeaux and Mme. Charlotte Borga
James Domengeaux; J.-F. Cormier; Ph. Delarme; Mme Charlotte Borga:
Date: 10 septembre et 1 octobre (no indication of the year/1971 or 1972?)
Programme de la serie : 'La semaine en français' sur les ondes de la radio KPEL chaque dimanche matin à 9:30 AM
0:00 - James Domengeaux, président du CODOFIL going to France with several delegates and Governor Edwards
2:27 - thanking Dr. Delarme for his work in preserving and developing French in Louisiana via these interviews/this radio show
-survival of movement to promote the French language in Louisiana
5:42 - Bilingualism is the goal--in 20 years Louisiana will be completely bilingual
-French education involves language and culture of Louisiana
7:41 - Commercial interests and similarities between Louisiana and Ivory Coast - similar climate, sugar cane industry, Creole French; showing delegates around Acadiana
9:51 - Aristocrats speak French in New England
-In Louisiana, French is spoken and in 20 years, we'll speak like aristocrats according to Jimmy Domengeaux
-discussion of Louisiana French compared to standard French
-nothing wrong with Louisiana French -being able to speak English correctly as well as French correctly like in Canada
-local accent pretty and easy to understand
12:06 - Discussion of George Pompidou. Louisiana will be the first place he visits when he comes to the U.S. Elected in 1969
-Jean Bernard, financial advisor or French president, Nixon and Connelly
14:30 - Professors of French teaching in kindergarten; volunteers from the convent to teach French for a year
-Prime Minister of France will come to Louisiana
-made Louisiana known to the rest of the Francophone world; Domengeaux got the ball rolling with CODOFIL
19:04 - Borga's first visit to Louisiana and happy to hear so many people speaking French
-mission of bilingual education for everyone via twinning cities in the Francophone world or commerce between Francophone countries
-Cajuns being receptive to being reunited with Francophone family; having French take root again in the lives of Louisianians
-Lafayette as sister city to Longueuil, Québec; price a bigger deterrent than distance
24:10 - Discussion of dates of programs to perfect students' French
-foreign exchange programs and their advantages; studies that aren't touched on in France
speaking to university presidents
Interview with Félix Richard
0:00 - Popular dancehalls; graduated in 1935; Gérard Forestier's danchall 1.5 miles east of Vatican going towards Carencro
-Esta Hébert's danchall 1.5 miles west of Vatican; Babineaux's dancehall in Bosco/Mire (between Vatican and Rayne)
-Tee Maurice; Pointe Noire, edge of Marais Bouleur - many people killed; improvement as schools opened
-Marais Bouleur and Carencro fights; Tee Maurice, people from all over went
-Joe Hanks was a good bouncer at Tee Maurice; played music for 12 years
-if there weren't 650/680-700 tickets sold just boys, wasn't a big dance - only boys paid to enter the dance, girls and men did not
3:59 - truck that went around to different towns around Acadiana; Joe Hanks took his pistol out to fix trouble and calm people
-Mme. Joe Latour's O.S.T. Club in Rayne - wasn't overly popular like Tee Maurice
-Ellis and Freddy Richard ran Tee Maurice (Félix and Freddy were in the same class at school in Cankton and spent a lot of time together)
-Ellis paid for the truck drivers' gas; Wagon Wheel between Scott and Duson on Hwy 90/Old Spanish Trail
-dancehalls used to be lit, with benches all around, no table or chairs; parents brought their daughters to the dance - a boy didn't pick up a girl and bring her to the dance, they didn't have the right; girls had long dresses and heels
10:15 - Types of dances - two-step/one-step, waltz; old dances like polkas, valsuriennes, valses à deux temps
-Jim Crow; father played round dances; best dancers usually won a cake; Jitterbug become popular around 1946/47/48
-playing at Cowboy's near I-10 between Scott and Lafayette; dancing 'Cotton-eyed Joe' - sort of like the old dances
-less lighting in modern dancehalls; parents would've never brought their daughter to a dim dancehall
-25 cents/ticket on your suit coat; cotton/linen suit in the summer, wool suits in the winter
18:00 - Hector Duhon was the popular band, country western; Doc Guidry and Happy Fats played a little too
-Papa Cairo; just before the steel guitar became popular
-house dances when Félix started playing guitar with Aldus Roger and a triangle player
-playing a surprise party/house dance between Vatican and Bosco during Lent, because dancehalls would close during that time to make repairs
-Félix learning to play guitar; played in Rayne, at the Step-In Club in Lawtell, LA
-Leo Soileau and his string band played the Green Lantern in Lawtell; 1942/43 dance with the accordion
-Lawrence Walker played around Texas and Félix played with Aldus, he doesn't know of any other accordion players at that time
-Cleveland Mire and the Jollyboys of Bosco, Nathan Abshire
23:35 - memories of Iry LeJeune - his father said that Iry was a miracle and wanted to go to the Four Rows Club in Duson to hear him
-He bought a "setup" (a quart of whiskey, 3 or 4 cokes and '7-ups and ice?); father watching Iry play the entire dance
-(1942/1943); working for Isaac Dominique's slaughterhouse
-stopped at Mathilde Babineaux's in Lafayette for keg beer and saw Iry for the first time (before Four Rows)
-playing a dance with the scheduled band. Iry was better than a radio
30:51 - Iry became more popular after he died; God didn't give him sight, but gave him talent with his fingers
-4/5 years old, couldn't see well enough to pick cotton
-Uncle Angelas LeJeune gave Iry his accordion to play - tried to imitate his uncle
-Amédé Ardoin; phonograph, no radio or TV; Amédé was not as refined as Iry according to Félix
-Pine Island at Philomen Forestier's dancehalls - people came from Egan, Crowley, Rayne
-had a fiddle player (probably McGee), guitar player, and a triangle player (all white) - Félix was 15/16 years old
-Mayeuse LaFleur, Amédé Breaux from Crowley
37:53 - roads were too bad to travel far; going to the dance on sulky in white pants
-les niches aux bals; cutting harnesses; people weren't as civilized and afraid of the law
-les deux nicheurs qui courtisait la même fille (histoire vraie - similar to the folk tale)
44:21 - having money, a horse and buggy for going out and courting
-he's too busy working that he might be too old for the young girls at the dance
-finally went to the dance with his nice buggy and nice horse; someone had painted his horse green
Interview with Félix Richard
0:00 - Cankton had one of the best basketball teams - players were all men
-Trail Rides, dances, cochons de lait chez Mr. Ellis Richard - He doesn't have legs, but he was just as strong as the bouncer
-coming back from their trip to Canada; playing "Allons Chez Tee Maurice"
-Ellis wanted his name mentioned as much as possible, good or bad; Félix would go out with Freddy Richard
-Freddy went to bed later than Félix because he always to care of watching places where people would play card/craps.
4:48 - He never had a wallet, folded his money. Had money in every drawer and the house was left unlocked and open
-People would steal if they knew; 20 cents a gallon of gas ($1 for 5 gallons)
-Freddy always paid before Félix; old people used to have to work harder for less money
9:36 - Father used to cut cane (after helping grandfather and there was so little money) for $1 a day, food, and a place to sleep
-He had to clean the cane, while the others just had to cut the cane
-black lady whistling and singing along with father; people don't know what it is to work hard
-hard work in cotton fields - everyone would help out one another picking cotton and breaking corn when a farmer would fall sick
-no one was time anymore to lend a helping hand
-nobody goes to visit others; going 10 years without seeing your first cousins
-seeing family at the funeral home. "Times have not changed, people have."
15:34 - old days without radio, telephone, tv, cars - all people could do was visit neighbors and play 'la cambille?'
-(flipping a knife in air and watch it land on its ends)
-tirer un 'padgo' - someone would make a bird out of dry courtableau wood with a head, a tail, wings, and a body and put in on a post and shoot at it until it breaks/falls to the ground
-people were happier when they would get together for Sunday dinners (lunch)
-old folks' home vs. staying at home sick and being taken care of
-being hurried to live life instead of visiting and taking time with elderly family; going to see the doctor
20:26 - appendicitis killed a lot of kids; heart attacks
-a lot of money nowadays to have a lot of children - didn't cost much back in the day, but girls cost more than boys because they were in more things
-Homecoming Court - Félix had to find 2 convertibles, new suits, new dresses, and new party dresses
-$50 for Dr. Cank to take care of his wife during all 9 months of pregnancy and 6 months after
-from Coulée Croche to Cankton; how Dr. Cank got his nickname; Dr. Cank making house calls/delivering babies
-wanted to deliver 2,000, but made it to 1,985 and had enough
28:56 - Benoit family had a sugar mill. Made syrup at home or bought it from the sugar mill
-If you didn't have money to buy syrup, had to make it yourself at the mill; Junction of la Coulée Croche
-'Vin de canne' (sugar cane juice, no alcohol) - would drink it after working at the sugar mill in the winter
-Toffé--drink after taking out the syrup and cook it until it was thick (might be made with alcohol)
35:51 - Moonshine with rice or corn and sugar - mash, put in charred oak barrels to age, strong, easier to make beer
-best beer brewers would let it age before selling; like a gumbo, it's always better the next day
-black bottles because light is not good for beer, darkness ages beer quicker; bouncers Joe Hanks/Martin Webb
-Martin Webb took care of Esta Hébert's dancehalls
Martin Webb was the only one who could control that dancehall because the Marais Bouleurs would come often to try and take over the place - people respected him
-Joe Hanks was another Martin Webb, they would've known who was looking for trouble
42:02 - shooting bottles was in style, Ogé Guilbeau was the best
-Oscar Guilbeau was always a fighter - he was smaller than his father, Ogé
-Harold Léger, Pianque's brother lost an eye because of a fight
-Rendez-vous between Blanco Savoy (big man) and Pierre Montoucet?
-fighting and would stop if one screamed enough; a lot of fights over girls, who was stronger, etc.
Interview with and Musical Performance by Freeman Fontenot
Freeman Fontenot:
0:00 - Jolie catin; Mazurka/Fais do-do bébé
3:43 - La danse à Mentau(?) Guillory; Freeman learned to play at age 14 from défunt Monsieur Adam
-Dolton Vidrine et Mayeuse Dugas (good white accordion player from Elton/Basile)
-Amédé Ardoin style; Amédé sang - Adam didn't sing but was a better accordion player than Amédé
7:38 - Amédé would be 78/79 if he'd still be alive, a couple years older than Freeman
-Freeman says he can't sing; La danse à Mayeuse Dugas (One Step?)
-Une danse à Adam (Quadrille); Le Hack à Monsieur Dugas - 2 chevaux sur le hack
12:50 - Chanson d'Amédé. Reprise with violin (Michael Doucet); Amédé had a whistle/kazoo too
16:41 - Bilken Blues; La danse à Glenn Landry (Bully Jack?)
21:04 - Valse d'Amédé; Le chemin de Rougeau; Trois-quatre
Stories told by Mr. and Mrs. Walter & Evelia Boudreaux
***Copy of AN1-128***
0:00 - Le conte du garçon et l'aveugle (The Blindman in the Bleachers)
-Heard at her cousin's funeral in Duson from the priest - no more pain or hurt in heaven
-gave up play time to spend with his father
5:01 - Le conte de la fille qui méprisait tout le monde; contes des prêtres au Canada
8:03 - Le conte de la fille qui faisait des somersets; Petite Poucette (expanded)
15:25 - Le conte du grand-père et son petit-fils; le médecin: le truck et le cadillac
18:32 - Discussion of telling stories and reviving memories. No tv or radio, so mother would tell stories
-Sometimes there was a graphophone, playing outside/with dolls. Told more stories as kids got older
-Mr. Walter knows a few jokes, but never told stories (it's not interesting to him); hearing/accumulating new stories
-first time Barry came in 1974, he asked for 5 different stories
-the second time he came in 1975, she told him 12 more different stories for a total of 17 different stories
-new football story - Richard from Rayne that was first cousins with her father who died
-one died on Friday and another cousin died on the following Monday; des contes forts/'menteries' pour dire une histoire
26:25 - reference to 'Suce ma langue' (forgotten story); le chat qui dansait (remarkable)
32:44 - Le commis-voyageur; Experience Story: l'homme de couleur embourbé
39:33 - Les salles de danses dans le voisinage - Silver Slipper à la Pacanière; Romain Meche
-there was no Happy Landing at the time. René and Félix Stelly Rosale on Arnaudville Road
-les musiciens de la region - Joe Falcon, Lawrence Léger, Ozémé Guilbeau et son frère 'Chaoui', Joe Robin
-Gérard Forestier's dancehall; Caliste Comeaux's dancehall; Noah Brasseux's dancehall
42:44 - Martin Webre and the other lawmen at Esta Hébert's place
-Officers/bouncers were tough - one bouncer hit a boy and broke his stick
-la bataille chez Ophé Meche, les Guilbeau vs. les Landry; Walter Boudreaux recounts a story of a knife fight
Stories told by Mr. and Mrs. Walter & Evelia Boudreaux
0:00 - contes: knife fight
-les Guilbeau contre les Landry, les Meche et les Melancon, les Meche et les Rogers; Marais Bouleur, Ossun
4:44 - la bataille aux courses chez Payo Morin: Stelly vs. Quibodeaux; someone died in knife fight near Arnaudville
-Officer Martin Webre and his stick/pistol; Mr. Walter and his father-in-law went to St. Martinville for the trial
-Martin Begnaud a été tué par les petits Français
-Walter Boudreaux thinks they hanged the French people in Scott - there's a book about the story (Baleine/Badon?)
11:42 - Les musiciens dans les salles de danse
-Joe Robin et son garçon, Joe Falcon, Guidry, Ozémé et Oswell 'Chaoui', Lawrence Légeret
-Joe Falcon was the most popular but charged enough to make money
-Walter Boudreaux thinks Lawrence Walker was in Texas at that time; Foreman's dancehall just outside of Scott; politician dances
15:38 - Cousin Dudley LeBlanc; Boudreaux's son was able to go to Southwestern but ended up dropping out
-There was no work because he was too young, so Leblanc hired him at Hadacol
-he was fired, rehired and ended up receiving a scholarship to go back to college
-Dudley Leblanc running for governor - gave speeches and had barbecues
24:10 - Régis Boudreaux (Walter Boudreaux's uncle) - moonshiner/whiskey maker, fighter, politician and bouncer, friends with Dudley LeBlanc
-Régis selling his whiskey/moonshine
27:37 - Moonshining against the law in the area, all hidden - recipe for whiskey (with corn, sugar, and water), hot spots
-old moonshiner René Guilbeau is 80 years old
-Régis and Edouard Derousselle from Arnaudville were the biggest moonshiner in the area
-faire du whiskey à La Prairie Ronde; les mauvaises places: Marais Bouleur, doesn't know about Mamou/St. Landry - had fights everywhere
-Walter Boudreaux recounts a fight he witnessed
35:25 - Régis Boudreaux: constable, canaille, general - not sure if he was a moonshiner/whiskey maker at that time
-He couldn't shoot a man; Régis' uncle caught the black man and brought him to Opelousas
-Régis and someone else were getting there as the black man was entering the courthouse
-Régis était un homme dur, died around 75 years old. His brother Albert got shot and had a stroke
-Dr. Pavi from Leonville going to see Albert at hospital in Opelousas
-Dr. Pavi and Régis waited for each other to initiate conversation
43:09 - Kids picking on Evelia Boudreaux's father at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau because he was so short
-Régis went before her father and uncle (taller than her father)
-Régis told her father he'd stop the teasing; he pulled a knife and the teasing stopped then
-her father and Régis were both short men, expect Régis wasn't afraid of anything
-Walter Boudreaux was 16-18 years old (1917/18). Walter Boudreaux is 75 and Evelia Boudreaux is 70
-Régis et Darrell étaient amis; Jean, an uncle; Meche shot a black lady's dog on the way back from a dance
-The next day, he went to Walter Boudreaux's grandfather and told him where he went
Stories told by Mr. and Mrs. Walter & Evelia Boudreaux
0:00 - Régis shot the dog. Going to the dance the following Saturday
-John Déjean, went to court and Régis spent 11 months in prison in St. Martin
-he stayed there and spent the weekends at home?; Walter Boudreaux's grandfather died before he could remember
-Régis Boudreaux était en prison et constable en même temps
-Stayed constable as long as he wanted, no one would've challenged him; break for ice cream
3:28 - Régis Boudreaux était bambocheur. He wouldn't eat, just drink
-He would stop for certain periods of time and take up drinking again later; moonshiner/whiskey maker
-Il est marié et il a deux enfants. He's about 70 years old
-Story of people (malfaiteurs) coming to rob Régis of his whiskey; used to use pistols more often back then?
6:46 - L'homme à garde soleil et Madame Grand Doigt/Boogyman quand les enfants étaient canailles
-Feux follets qui te suivaient - une lumière qui voyageait le soir
9:17 - L'homme dans la lune (la chasse-galerie)
-il a été à la chasse au lieu de la Messe, alors Dieu l'a mis dans la lune
Creole folktales by Wilson Mitchell dit Ben Guiné
0:00 - Jokes were common back in the day; Froumi et butterfly (conte-fable)
5:58 - Vieux nègre et vieux blanc: Oh, fiva! (conte)
14:42 - Vieux nègre et vieux blanc: Metayer Joe et maïs qui baissait (conte)
21:45 - Histoire de la famille- Mère était créole
-Le père (pure américain) et sa sœur, orphelin, élevé par un sauvage (Amérindien)/traiteur puis par Joe 'Coon' Savoy (blanc) de Parks
-Puis Mr. Mécou(?) de Lafayette a pris son père et sa sœur
28:35 - Bouki et Lapin couri baptiser (conte); trésors cachés, gardés par un revenant (légende)
35:40 - Vieux nègre et vieux blanc, la course pour la charrue et le livre - pourquoi les Noirs travaillent pour les Blancs (conte-étiologique)
40:16 - Vieux nègre et vieux docteur: Nègre prend la place du docteur (conte)
45:06 - La récolte à la part: conditions de vie à Saint-Jean. 60 sous par jour de travaille. Droits des Noirs. Haler un char
Cajun folktales by René R. Wiltz and Bernice J. Wiltz
René R. Wiltz; Bernice J. Wiltz:
Bernice Wiltz:
0:00 - Hibou et oiseau dans un arbre (conte)
2:01 - "Je suis chrétien" (cantique). Sang for confirmation. 15 years of catechism, then confirmed
-Kissed his (priest's?) ring. Learned songs with father who died in 1963. The whole family sang
4:44 - "Le voici l'agneau si doux" (cantique); Songs from a long time ago - Bernice is 80 years old
7:23 - "Sur le mois de Marie" (cantique); Cutting cane - no one sang while doing so
-"J'irai la voir un jour" (cantique) - Father sang that one often
-Father would sing often but only cantiques, kids would sing other types of songs
10:52 - Bouki et Lapin et Les puits d'eau (conte)
-La poule et le pain de maïs (conte); Heard of 'Sauterelle et Froumi'
13:01 - Lapin Couri Baptiser - Bernice's father-in-law told that one often
-Gambler le cheval (vraie histoire orale); Bernice used to know more tales
René Wiltz:
15:08 - Digging for buried treasure (légende)
17:29 - Les revenants (légende) - ça ressemblait à des hommes, mais c'était pas des hommes
Creole narratives and folktales by Mary Fentroy
0:00 - "Lapin puis Tortue fait la course" (conte); Heard stories from father
3:28 - "M'après rouler dans bras Bon Dieu" / "Working in my Jesus arms" (work song - only chorus)
-Social Security troubles (not being old enough? Born in 1897); 'Old Folks Pension'; early working system
-working from sunup to sundown, not spending time in night clubs
-60 years old and ineligible for Social Security; disabled with arthritis, doing clothes
10:20 - still washes on a washboard; lady offered to buy her a washing machine
-education to make good money and good manners; good manners and behavior will take you anywhere you want
-meeting a stranger; she will never live anywhere else but in St. Martin Parish
15:22 - Mary can't read English, but she can write her name
-early Cade work ways, sugar mills, cutting cane in the cold, hauling cane with wagons, mules, and oxen
-Freedom train in '77; slavery days/cutting days; buying slaves and slavery trade
-naming slaves; "Watercot"; "Rolling in my Jesus arms"; Fighting and grudges
22:11 - Raising children; Barry's grandfather told stories; "L'éléphant et le serpent" (conte)
28:27 - Trust; changing times; Biblical prophecy; people will grow weaker and wiser
-Education to be high class; Barry going to be a teacher; poetry from school--Lawrence Dunbar's "Regarde la Neige"
-"Vieille femme, viellie femme, regarde dans le sac"
36:20 - Carlton Wilson & early music around Cade
-Talius Wilson, son, has a band in New Iberia; accordion players, sang in French - Clifton Chenier
-Washington Brothers band had a cornet, a bass drum, a guitar, trombone; dancing rock and roll/shimmy
-saloons and etiquette in old days; couldn't go out with a girl without a suit coat
41:15 - Girls were not allowed to pass in front of saloons, that was a place for men
-world is changing every day and better learn how to live in it
-Mr. Roy at the Dodge garage was a fine white man, very nice man
-Buzz was going to teach and needed a car; trust and respect between races
Interview with Félix Richard
0:00 - Le cheval peinturé vert
4:29 - Les deux frères qui étaient au bal (conté par Barry Ancelet)
-des plaques (records) au Nouveau Brunswick
-recording music - Félix played 12 songs with Sterling Richard (son) on guitar and Bessyl Duhon (violin) for the Smithsonian
-Kenneth spent 4 weeks in France and heard Félix's tapes
-Accordion contest in Church Point - French guy stood in front of the stage learning from everyone
-teacher who taught at USL and Alexandria was on vacation in Québec - Félix taught her and Mary accordion
10:05 - Félix says you can't buy talent - you have to determined and have good enough arms/fingers to play accordion and have it in you
-Félix played 12 songs slow for her to learn from and she practiced for 3 weeks
-After she came back, Félix was impressed and said she could play
-Louisiana Hayride not far from Alexandria - whoever wants to go play can try out, and if they're good enough, they'll let them play - like a Grand Ole Opry
-"La Porte en arrière" was her first song - Félix says he had trouble learning the turn
-Varise Connor tells his grandsons to make some noise on the guitar to cover up his mistakes
-Félix hasn't seen the lady since then. Now, a Domingue fellow from Carencro is taking lessons/wants to learn "Chère toute toute" with Félix
-He has arthritis and two good accordions, but Félix doesn't think he has it
-Bessyl Duhon wanting a take to practice backing up; "Archet de violon est pas bon"
15:45 - fiddle Kenneth bought for $150 was made in 1923 - made for a symphony orchestra and ended up in a pawn shop in Nashville
-fiddle seconding; Barry Ancelet's house - 120 years old, made in 1860 and has money hidden in the walls
-Dédé Anderson (black man who works for L. Leo Judice and has a lot of property between Scott and Duson) was hired for 50 cents/day to dig for treasure
-Il a trouvé une chaudière d'argent et l'a donnée à Mr. Leo parce qu'il pouvait pas faire à rien, étant "nègre."
-Un Chiasson (un mauvais homme) était invité à soinger cette affaire
-Ils l'ont mis dans un wagon pour aller à la banque
-Il voulait tuer "le nègre" pour "split" entre Chiasson et Judice, et "split" en deux au lie de le "split" en trois avec "le nègre."
-Mr. Leo a acheté 1,500 acres pour "le nègre" entre Scott et Duson et 400/500 acres aux Opelousas
22:02 - Chaudière à sirop; pirate's money?; Chrétien Point
-haunted house where no one could stay - everyone heard noises coming from up top in the attic/garçonnière, but it was a racoon that got caught in a trap and broke the chain and was living up there
-Chrétien Point bought and remodeled - 1812 or 1700 something. A French man came and bought it, made his own bricks out of dirt her dug behind the house
-Not many houses that lasted throughout all the hurricanes and bad weather. About $100,000 worth of repairs. Cornet?
27:51 - Tanisse Faul from the other side of Cankton - a man that would not stop walking, not to eat, sleep, anything
-Stopped at Dugas/Dupuis store to buy 'un pain de 5 sous'
-Fin voleur (vrai conte); Nègre qui volait des poules quand il avait faim; les vigilantes
31:38 - Alphé Kilchirst coming back from a dance one night seeing the black man hanged naked
-Supposedly it was Castilles who did that. No trial ever took place
-Castille et son frère ont été couper du bois tant que "le nègre" travaillait dans le clos
-La femme à Castille a donné au "nègre" un pint d'eau sans disant
-Il a attrapé son bras au lieu du pint d'eau et a halé le bois et l'a ammaré à un poteau
-Le "nègre" a été rejoindre son père à Church Point parce qu'il avait peur. Il fallait se livrer
-Castille pouvait pas trouver sa femme quand il est revenu de couper le bois. Lynching the black man
-blood scared the horse more than the owner; colored people couldn't be found in town inj Sunset, rough town
41:15 - regretting whipping/lynching a black man who asked pardon of what he did, but he didn't do whatever he was accused of doing
-They hanged him regardless; Hangings - everyone had to take a part in it
-Martin Begnaud's murder and les 'petits français' hanging. Sheriff cutting the cord and dividing it up among the crowd
-lying to the Sheriff about finding money; brûler le petit bougre de Duson à chaise éléctrique
-Il a tué un homme à Abbéville; le malfaiteur (avec des enfants) est pendu
-Son garçon braillait sur le bord du chemin et disait que chaque fois quelque chose de bon se passait au village, sa mère voulait pas le laisser aller
-Mais ils étaient après pendre son père
44:56 - Mr. Kit, black man who rides a buggy to Scott. Small man, 83 years old and has more muscle than Barry will ever have
-bullies hit him with stick when he went to Scott to buy some grain/seeds; Man sold all his seeds
-$75/seed because it's a special seed, but you only need one
-Each one will give you 6 bales of cotton - more if it's a good season
-You'll have all the corn you need to put up, cucumbers, Irish potatoes and enough cane syrup for the year
-Man had trouble building his house