Cajun Music — The Sound That Survived

The Acadian exiles brought French folk songs and fiddle reels to Louisiana, and over generations the music adapted to Louisiana instruments and Louisiana French. Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux recorded the first Cajun music record, "Allons à Lafayette," for Columbia in 1928. By then the core ensemble had shifted: the accordion arrived with German immigrants in the 1880s and quickly displaced the fiddle as lead instrument. Accordions were brought to Acadiana in the 1890s and became popular by the early 1900s, though it was initially an unaccompanied solo instrument. The accordion was favored for how loud it was, unamplified, in noisy dance halls; its ability to stay in tune; and its durability. Many of the German factories producing diatonic accordions for the United States market were destroyed during World War II. Some Cajuns, such as Sidney Brown, began producing their own instruments, based on the popular one-row German accordions but with modifications to suit the nuances of the Cajun playing style. Since the end of World War II, there has been a surge in the number of Cajun accordion makers in Louisiana, as well as several in Texas. Louisiana-constructed accordions are usually built in small backyard shops like Marc Savoy's Acadian brand and Larry Miller's Bon Cajun brand. The March 1974 Tribute to Cajun Music Concert in Lafayette was the first time Cajun music played on a formal stage with a sound system. A storm flooded the streets and the coliseum still filled to capacity. That concert became Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, now in its 51st year. Cajun French lyrics are still sung today, though most performers under 40 learned the language from grandparents or immersion programs, not at home. The accordion, fiddle, and triangle are the core Cajun ensemble.