What does seafood gumbo, an accordian and a rip-roaring time all have in common?  Go to Lafayette Louisiana and find out for yourself.  Recently, I’ve revived my interest in Cajun fiddle music…and it’s hot, hot, hot! 

“Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles.” – Source: Wikipedia

Largely carrying a two step or waltz beat, cajun fiddle is a pleasure by which to dance.  Tunes are mostly sung in French with an unmistakable howling quality.  It is deliciously unique and I would guess that most music purveyors would not recognize the music if they heard it.  Instrumentation is chiefly fiddle, accordian, guitar, triangle and fiddlesticks.  Some great bands have emerged form the style such as Balfa Toujours (Balfa Forever) http://www.balfatoujours.com/.  I was fortunate to hear this marvelous group play at Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp in 2002, and study Cajun fiddle with Kevin Wimmer.

Is variety the spice of life or spicy food and music the variety of life? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun

Take a listen to seasoned fiddler/singer, Kevin Wimmer and his mother in this wonderful video: