Strachwitz liner notes relate the history of Cajun music

​Cajun music is without doubt one of the happiest extrovert forms of dance music heard in this vast and diverse country of ours. The roots of this music reach a long way back to the France of the 16th century and to the Acadia in Canada of the 17th century.

French immigrants arrived from Brittany, Normandy, and Picardy to settle in Acadia in 1604.  During Queen Anne’s War, the English won control of Acadia in 1713 and the Acadians (or “Cajuns” which is a colloquial shortening) refused to fight for the British against the French, and were forced to leave Canada. The poor Acadians got a cold reception when they arrived in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Savannah. Many died on the way, but with the hope that they would meet fellow Frenchmen, the survivors pushed on to Louisiana where the first group arrived in 1756. The French and Spanish indeed welcomed the Cajuns and helped them settle in the southwestern part of the state. There they have remained ever since to farm and fish along the bayous. As a result of the Second World War, the draft, the boom in industry, and well paying jobs in cities like Houston and the ship yards on the West Coast, many Cajuns discovered that life on the farms wasn’t what it used to be. Today there are large settlements of them not only in Houston, Bay Town, and Galveston, but also in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. 

The Cajuns have maintained their traditions including their Catholic religion and the French language, but since they were mostly country people with little book learning, and language has been orally transmitted and has undergone considerable change. Today’s patois spoken in southwest Louisiana is perhaps difficult for a modern Parisian to understand, but maybe it’s the Parisian French which has undergone the drastic change!

In the late 1920s when the first recordings of Cajun music were made (note list of recordings at end of text), considerable influence from other forms of American music like jazz, pop, and hillbilly music was already in evidence. Yet the purer, older songs and traditions were handed down in many homes, and recent recordings made by Dr. Harry Oster have documented much in the way of songs from the 18th century and earlier. However, the commercial record companies, even in the 20s, were no doubt more interested in the performers who were popular at dances (or fais do dos) and picnics. These recording groups were the ones who would introduce the new outside elements, thus constantly giving the music a new lease on life. Prior to 1930, the early commercial recordings were remarkably traditional and only accordion, fiddle, and sometimes the newly introduced guitar were heard along with the triangle, their rhythm instrument. Then in the 30s the big change came with the influx of southern rural people into Louisiana. With the expanding oil industry the hillbilly influence became very strong. Some like Joe Falcon and the Breaux Brothers tried to keep the old music going, but the most popular recording groups soon were the string bands which were using a fiddle lead, instead of the accordion, along with a bass, and steel guitar. Even the singing was often in English. Young string bands like the Hackberry Ramblers and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers were replacing the accordion players yet retained a very distinct Cajun quality.

Towards the end of the 30s, the older accordion music had almost disappeared as far as the records were concerned. Joe Falcon told me that he gave up the accordion and switched to playing drums just to keep playing music. Then after World War II, with young Cajuns returning home and longing for some familiar sounds, they were ready for a wild and carefree fiddler named Harry Choates who had a band in the Western Swing style which was very popular throughout the South, but especially in Louisiana and Texas and among country people all over the U.S. He recorded the favorite “Jole Blonde” for the Gold Star label, and this record became a hit along the Gulf Coast. Other groups went back to playing the older songs and dance steps, and soon a real revival was underway. Nathan Abshire and his accordion was heard weekly over KPLC in Lake Charles, and Joe Falcon, the man who made the very first Cajun records in the 20s, came back with his accordion and played dances until his death in 1965. The recordings on this LP come from this period when the Cajuns rediscovered their joyous music once more.

With the addition of string bass, drums, and steel guitars, the music had a wider appeal among the younger generation. Unlike in the 20s and 30s when Cajun music, along with other kinds of “ethnic” music, was recorded by the national labels like Victor, Columbia and Decca, this post war period saw the proliferation of small independent labels that were willing to record almost anything that could be sold. Mr. Khoury is not a Cajun, but he runs a record shop and knew what people wanted to hear. In those days the recordings were mostly made at local radio stations since there were no recording studios between New Orleans and Houston. Some of these recordings are perhaps technically not of the best quality, but I have always felt that it’s not the technical part that counts but the spirit and the feeling of the musicians, and both were undeniably present in generous amounts on these classic performances!
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— Chris Strachwitz, 1969


May I suggest the following recordings of Cajun music:


Folksongs of the Louisiana Acadians recorded in Mamou by Dr. Harry Oster with extensive historic background text about the people and their music. An essential album for anyone interested in Cajun music. Folklyric LP No. 4 (soon to be reissued on the Arhoolie label)
Re-issues of early commercial performances by Joe Falcon, Leo Soileau, the Hackberry Ramblers, Lawrence Walker, Miller’s Merry-makers, and many other are available on a series Old Timeky LPs — see catalog.
Harry Choates “Jole Blonde” and others, “D” Records LP No. 7000.
The Hackberry Ramblers — great fiddle by Luderin Darbone, Arhoolie LP 5003.
Iry LeJeune — one of the great accordion players, Goldband LPs 7740 and 7741.
American French Music with various artists, Goldband LP 7738.
Joseph Falcon recorded “live” at a dance, Arhoolie 5005.
Ambrose Thibodeaux traditional Cajun accordion, La Louisiane 112 and 119.
Cajun Hits, various fine contemporary groups, Swallow 6001 and 6003.
Cajun Fais Do Do with Nathan Abshire and others, Arhoolie 5004
The Balfa Brothers, excellent traditional Cajun music, Swallow 6011.
Clifton Chenier, best of the Negro Cajun Zydeco accordion players who mixes Cajun music with blues and R&B, Arhoolie 1024, 1031 and 1038.
Zydeco, various Negro performers, a historic survey. Arhoolie 1009.


An important book dealing with the Cajun country is Cajun Sketches by Lauren C. Post, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 1962. Dealing with the geography, economics, traditions, and music of the region. Highly recommended.
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