The Balfa Brothers Play Traditional Cajun Music, Vols. 1-2

This is an amazing collection of old-time cajun tunes. This unique tradition shines through authentic musicianship and heart-felt vocals. The danceable cadences will make the casual listener smile and give professional musicians a lesson in how this music was played generations ago.

This is the Best of the best. I listen to it daily and never get tired of it. Classic but holds up well against anything modern. Blows all other Cajun CD's away by a mile!

This is the album which features the haunting tracks from the film southern comfort,played in the cajun village toward the end of the movie. its a superb introduction to cajun music in general.

No fan or student of Cajun music or folk/traditional music in general should be without this essential album. Every song here is a classic in the Cajun repertoire, and is presented in true Balfa Brothers form: outstanding! The liner notes include all the song lyrics in Cajun French and English. If you don't own this album, you really have no excuse. Buy it now!

I grew up in Mamou, Louisiana and went to grade school with Dewey's nephew, Tony. So, I think I might have some credentials in reviewing this album. Out of all the Cajun music I have in my collection, this CD gets played more than all the others combined. And that includes Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, headed by a guy closer to my age and from my hometown. Granted, the Balfa's were also from the Mamou area (closer to Basile). Steve Riley learned from Dewey Balfa, for one thing, and as good as he is, will never be able to capture that something special that was the Balfa Brothers.

I think, primarily, the Balfa Brothers captured the sound of an era that was in its twilight. Everything since will always be different (read: more modern) mainly because of the cultural changes and secondly because of the technological advances in music.

In the 60's and 70's, the revival of Folk music also awakened those of us growing up in culturally rich places such as Mamou. Cajun music became "cool" again against the backdrop of great music from The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John and others of that time. People started flooding into places like Fred's Lounge to hear the music in public again instead of just at house parties.

It is the pureness, the simplicity (but certainly not simplistic - just ask the many very good musicians who have struggled to learn these riffs), the raw emotion and most of all the sheer beauty of the music that stands out. The twin fiddling, the truly distinctive vocals (with some nasal tone absolutely necessary for Cajun sound), the haunting waltzes and the "joy-in-your-heart" upbeat tempos all lead to a musical experience hard to explain or exceed.

You almost have to be from Acadiana to really understand what I mean, but I think if you find that you love Cajun music, you do understand. When I hear these songs now, I'm carried back to my youth. Not just for nostalgia, but because it is such strong and meaningful music. It has become part of the soundtrack of my life. Thank goodness for that!

For anyone looking for something even more raw and unpolished, but very good, I can wholeheartedly recommend a compilation called Folksongs of the Louisiana Acadians. Let me emphasize again, it is very unpolished, but if you love Folk and particularly Cajun music, it is very good. I also may be a little biased, since it includes a few songs with my grandfather, Isom J. Fontenot playing a very unique harmonica style, possibly never duplicated.

This might be old and cliche', but it's about the only Cajun French phrase I actually know... Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouller!