The formation of BeauSoleil, one of the best known and most highly
respected cajun bands in the world, is due to fiddler Michael Doucet's
desire to keep the unique southern Louisiana culture and music from
extinction. But while BeauSoleil originated to help preserve his cajun
musical heritage, over the years it has also been known for its
innovation. They are continually adding spice from other musical
genres including jazz and Caribbean. In this way, BeauSoleil keeps the
music vital and contemporary. Armed with many traditional Cajun songs,
Doucet formed BeauSoleil with some of the finest Cajun musicians,
Dennis McGee, Dewey and Will Balfa, Varise Connor, Canray Fontenot,
and Bessyl Duhon. Their band name literally means "good sun" and is a
reference to a fertile region in Nova Scotia. In the 17th century,
French speaking Acadians lived in the Canadian province until
conflicts with the French and British forced them to migrate down to
Louisiana where they became called Cajuns. BeauSoleil cut its first
record in 1976 and released it only in France. They made their
American debut the following year with The Spirit of Cajun Music. It
was an eclectic work illustrating the many musical styles from which
Cajun music is derived. In 1988, Doucet received the first annual
Clifton Chenier Award as the finest musician in French-speaking
Louisiana. Since 1985, the band has been nominated for (and won)
numerous Grammys. They have played on movie soundtracks such as The
Big Easy, Passion Fish, and Belizaire the Cajun. They have played at
jazz and folk festivals around the world and have also appeared on
numerous television shows ranging from CNN's Showbiz Today to Austin
City Limits to Late Night with Conan O'Brien. BeauSoleil also performs
regularly on public radio, most notably on Garrison Keillor's Prairie
Home Companion. Keillor has hailed them as the "best Cajun band in the
world." They have performed with Mary Chapin Carpenter, and opened for
the Grateful Dead. After taking a short studio break in 2004, the band
celebrated its 30-year tenure with 2009's Alligator Purse, an all-new
set of tunes that was typically eclectic and absolutely danceable. A
live CD/DVD set of an intimate performance by the band from 2007, Make
the Veiller, was issued in 2009.
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19/05/2015 Last update