Jambalaya, Apple Pie, Chante Quelque Chose Oh Yé Yaille: A History of Cajun Culture through Music from the Early 1920s to the Late 1980s Main Menu Acknowledgments Many people were a part of the process of this exhibit! Introduction What is this exhibit about? Defining Terms The Twentieth Century for Louisiana A century of change and growth Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: The Beginnings The introducing of Cajun traditional music to record companies in the later 1920s Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: New Styles The 1930s was a time of changes in music styles as many imitated what was popular Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: The Comeback World War II halted music production until victory led to a revival of folk music in the later half of the 1940s The Revival in the Second Half of the Century An era of “Renaissance” for Cajun music The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Dance Hall Sounds of Zydeco The rise of Zydeco in South Louisiana and its influence to Cajun Music The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Dance Hall Sounds of Swamp Pop The creation of Swamp Pop as a sub-genre of Cajun Music The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Cajun Culture and Music sThe struggle between American mainstream culture and a growing counterculture The Acts of Revival: CODOFIL and Cajun Music The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Contemporary Era Conclusion The Twenty-First Century Era Endnotes List of Songs The songs featured in the exhibit in order of chapters Further Research Rachel Blomquist

Jambalaya, Apple Pie, Chante Quelque Chose Oh Yé Yaille

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This online exhibit, Jambalaya, Apple Pie, Chante Quelque Chose Oh Yé Yaille: A Cultural History of Cajun Music from the Early 1920s to the Late 1980s, reflects my research for my Master's thesis at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I have approached the topic of an adapting Cajun culture by using music to show, or really hear in this case, the different influences that the culture has experienced and made its own in order to prove that the Cajun culture is ever evolving. However, researching and tracing all the different and possible influences on Cajun music from their arrival in Louisiana would have been a daunting task with the lack of sources dealing with Cajun history as a whole. Therefore I only traced the influences from the 1920s when Cajun music became commercialized in the music industry to the 1980s when the last significant adaption or influence has happened. The songs and artists discussed in this exhibit are those that have made their mark not just locally but nationally and internationally in top music charts and record sales of the twentieth century and also showcase the different sounds of Cajun music. It is by no means a complete or "official" list of major or influential Cajun musicians or their music through this time. 

I hope this online exhibit will provide one an unforgettable experience in its interaction with sound and memory about a timeless genre of music or take one down memory lane.   
 

Thank you!
Rachel Blomquist 
 

 

Contents of this path:

  1. Acknowledgments
  2. Introduction
  3. Defining Terms
  4. The Twentieth Century for Louisiana
  5. Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: The Beginnings
  6. Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: New Styles
  7. Discovery of Commercial Cajun Music: The Comeback
  8. The Revival in the Second Half of the Century
  9. The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Dance Hall Sounds of Zydeco
  10. The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The dance Hall Sounds of Swamp Pop
  11. The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Cajun Culture and Music
  12. The Acts of Revival: CODOFIL and Cajun Music
  13. The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Contemporary Era
  14. List of Songs