Play Traditional Cajun Music, Volume 1 & 2
SW 6011 | 1990
Fait a La Main / Souvenirs
SW 6063 | 2005
| A brief history...
Dewey was born in 1927 to a large musical family from Bayou Grand Louis near Mamou, Louisiana. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all fiddlers, as was his older brother Will. Dewey began playing fiddle as a child, and as a young man started a band with his brothers; Will on fiddle and Harry, and later Rodney, on Guitar. For material they drew on a large treasury of songs learned from their father and also composed songs of their own. Many of their songs, such as Pointe aux Pains, ‘Tit Galop pour Mamou and Parlez nous á Boire, have become standards in the Cajun repertoire. The Balfa Brothers became known for their compelling twin fiddle sound and soulful vocals. They supplemented their sound with accordion, playing with such greats as Nathan Abshire, Hadley Fontenot, Nonc Allie Young and Marc Savoy. Like most Cajun musicians, the Balfas depended on music to supplement their incomes and support their families. Dewey Balfa worked at various times as a farmer, insurance salesman, schoolbus driver, disc jockey and furniture storeowner.
In 1964 Dewey performed with Gladius Thibodeax and Louis "Vinesse" LeJeune at the Newport Folk festival in Rhode Island. They received a standing ovation from an audience of 17,000 people, most of whom had never heard Cajun music before. Dewey returned to Louisiana convinced of the value of his culture and its music; for the rest of his life he worked tirelessly to bring that conviction to his own people and Cajun music to audiences throughout North America, Europe and Japan. He and his brothers recorded several classic albums of traditional Cajun music for the Swallow and Rounder labels.
Dewey performed frequently through the 1960s and ‘70s with brothers, Rodney and Will. After Rodney and Will were killed in a tragic car accident in 1978, Dewey Balfa carried on the Balfa Brother’s tradition with Rodney’s son, Tony, and other musicians. In 1982 Dewey received the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor this country can bestow on a traditional artist.
Dewey Balfa died on June 17, 1992. His daughter, Christine, now carries on the Balfa musical tradition with her band, Balfa Toujours.
Reviews...
The Beat
Nathan Abshire "The Best Of... A Cajun Legend"
and Dewey Balfa "Cajun Legend"
When people in the "business" refers to roots music, often forgotten are some of the wonderful styles fostered and developed in North America. One such tradition is Cajun music. Once of the foremost recent stylists of this music was Nathan Abshire. An accordionist's accordionist, he picked up the squeezebox at age 6 and never put it down. He played the music the way it was meant to be played - with heart and passion. Fortunately, when he died in 1981, Abshire left a legacy of tremendous music, much of which is found on this "best of" cd. From the jubilant cry that kicks off "Pine Grove Blues" to the "last dance" feel of "Partie A Grand Basile", Abshire guides us through an hour of joyful and spirited celebration. Led by his accordion, backed by the rhythms of the Balfa Brothers and punctuated by emotional if occasionally piercing vocals, this collection is a moving tribute to a culture that has struggled for years and, thankfully, persevered. Another carrier of the Cajun cultural torch is Dewey Balfa, the fiddler from the old Balfa Brothers band. On his own since the deaths of his siblings Rodney and Will in 1979, Dewey has continued in his role as a Cajun musical ambassador ever since. Unlike Abshire's music, Balfa's style is fiddle-driven with the accordion more in the background. The fiddle is a versatile instrument, and in the master's hands it shows all of its moods, from jubilant to mournful and everything in between. The 21 cuts are mostly instrumentals. This, however in no way diminishes the impact of the music. With the help of his son Tony on guitar, daughter Christine on triangle, father-son fiddle combination Tracy and Peter Schwarz, young accordionist Robert Jardell and others, the elder Balfa crafts a finely honed collection of Southern songs that are comfortable to dance to or to enjoy relaxing in your favorite chair.
By Stephen Beaumont
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