Saturday, March 18, 2017

The Fading Cajun Culture

This documentary covers over 300 years of history concerning the migration and development of modern day Cajuns. Our story starts in Poitou, France where persecution caused a group of French settlers to travel across the ocean to Nova Scotia, Canada. Here they established a new life for themselves and became known as the Acadians. Many years later as a result of English rule over the region, the Acadians were once again persecuted and forced to leave their homes and travel to many destinations. Several ended up in South Louisiana. Still known as Acadians, they thrived for many years in Louisiana until WWII. As a result of leaving the region to fight in the war, many for the first time met people outside of the Acadian community. The war galvanized the Acadians with Americanism. Now identified as Americans many returned home and slowly left the farms they were raised on to marry individuals outside of the Acadian culture. This led to the current race known as Cajuns. Although Cajuns are located throughout the world now, many still associate South Louisiana with the Cajun culture where the bulk continue to reside. This documentary in no way represents all of the events that helped shape the current Cajun culture. It is rather a synopsis of events that occurred which were part of the evolution of a culture which would become known as Cajun. I am sincerely appreciative to the three teams of multimedia students that contributed to this project. I would also like to thank the academic professionals, historians, trappers, and musicians that graciously contributed to this volume of work. Finally, I would like to thank the Target Corporation which provided the equipment to film and produce the film. My sincere hope is that you gain an appreciation of the Cajun people and that you come to understand the many aspects of the culture that are slowly fading such as; speaking French and living off the land as trappers, fisherman and farmers. --Ray Breaux

(via Olaf Jens)

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

That Swamp-Pop Sound: Rod Bernard & Cajun Rock'n'Roll

https://youtu.be/hDoXtbWnYMU

That Swamp-Pop Sound: Rod Bernard & Cajun Rock'n'Roll Part 1

This is part one of a documentary I made in 1986 about my father, swamp pop musician Rod Bernard. I think it came out well, even though I couldn't get Dad to stop using his "announcer voice" during the interview segments. Dad still plays music today on occasion, and still works in TV (albeit for a different station). My grandfather, who appears in the video, died about a decade ago. This video got me into NYU Film School, which I quit after about a month.
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https://youtu.be/Efi9fOCeASk

That Swamp-Pop Sound: Rod Bernard & Cajun Rock'n'Roll Part 2

This is part two of a documentary that I made in 1986 about my father, swamp pop musician Rod Bernard.
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https://youtu.be/jJ_sE4ZvWuE

Rod Bernard - This Should Go On Forever

https://youtu.be/kzW-AEJhLYI

My Jolie Blonde - Rod Bernard and Clifton Chenier

The King of Zydeco (pronounce Za-ree-co please) Clifton Chenier (1925 - 1987) a Creole French-speaking native of Opelousas, Louisiana, was an eminent performer and recording artist of Zydeco, which arose from Cajun and Creole music, with R&B, jazz, and blues influences. He played the accordion and won a Grammy Award in 1983. In 1984 he was honored as a National Heritage Fellow and in 1989 was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame... From Louisiana too, Rod Bernard, a Rockin' Swamp pop artist was recording "This Should Go On Forever" and was the first "Swamp Pop" million seller. Before the age of 20, Rod was touring the USA and even appeared on the Dick Clark "Bandstand" Show. Rod's band, "The Twisters" was one of the hottest rock 'n roll groups of the late fifties and early sixties. Rod was fortunate to record an album with the great King of Zydeco, "Clifton Chenier" before his untimely death. If there is a King of Swamp Pop music, it would have to be this man.

https://youtu.be/SYq8k8myi-A

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