ALBUM REVIEW: BEAUSOLEIL "GITANE CAJUN"

Album Review: BeauSoleil "Gitane Cajun"

*Disclaimer: All the opinions expressed in this and other reviews are my own. French song titles do not have accent marks because my keyboard does not have them available.*

After their breakthrough releases "Cajunization" and "Looking Back Tomorrow," BeauSoleil took a break from the studio and concentrated on performing live to audiences throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. The band is on tour seemingly every month of the year, rarely taking a break. They've earned a reputation as one of the best and hardest-working live bands in music today, but at the expense of releasing albums as often as the fans want them to. Except for a couple greatest hits collections, the band did not make any new recordings after the release of "Looking Back Tomorrow" in 2001. Finally, in late Summer 2004, the band ended their silence with their brand new album "Gitane Cajun." It was a welcome sight to all their friends and fans, and I personally was very happy to hear of its coming after a year of speculation about what the band was up to and when they would have a new release.

The phrase "Gitane Cajun" means "Gypsy Cajun" in English. I imagine Michael Doucet chose this title to allude to the similarities between Gypsy and Cajun cultures as displaced peoples who make a home wherever they find themselves, and who are a bit isolated and protective of their own culture and language. I don't mean that Cajuns are deliberately a separated and isolated culture, only that their culture has remained unique in the face of outside pressures to assimilate to mainstream American culture. Certainly things are different now, but Cajuns are still Cajun and that's a wonderful thing.

This album doesn't necessarily follow one particular theme. In many ways it is a continuation of "Cajunization," with a mish-mash of traditional tunes, new compositions, themes from other musical languages, and tributes to some of the great men of Cajun and Creole music history. Michael's original songs talk about some of the usual things - love, happiness, and life in general. But there are also a few songs about sadness and death, a fact of which much has been made in the media following the album's release. From my understanding, Michael is just writing songs based on life as he and his fellow Cajuns see it. There is no gimmick on this album. You will find no mention of crawfish pies or living in a swamp. Cajuns are not of some weird foreign culture to be preserved in a museum; they are human beings, and have the same experiences as everyone else. Michael and the band do their best to make this point, and it is well made on "Gitane Cajun."

There are so many different things to hear and enjoy on this album. It proves that BeauSoleil is as good as ever and show no signs of slowing down or stopping their musical adventures beyond the typical Cajun styles.

1) Peux Pas Me Refuser

What a way to start the album! This is a fun, foot-stomping two-step barnburner, classic BeauSoleil all the way. As usual, it features Michael Doucet's down-home and old-country fiddle playing and passionate singing about wanting love and knowing she can't refuse you, as the title says. The other instruments fill in the blanks and give the band its signature dance sound. The addition of dobro by Cindy Cashdollar is a striking and surprising addition. She adds a bit of bluegrass soul to the music, and she plays dobro and other slide guitars throughout much of the album. This addition gives the band's music a freshness that is most welcome.

2) Gitane Cajun I

This is a slow, reflective waltz written by Michael. As reflected in the title, it does give sort of a lonely and wandering feel through the evocative fiddle playing and guitar strumming. It's not quite a "Cajun Gypsy song," but it does sound like something a Gypsy might play.

3) La Femme Qui Jouait Aux Cartes

This is a traditional song, but given a rock and roll feel by the band. In particular, Tommy Alesi's steady drumming keeps the mood of the music bouncing along. Cindy Cashdollar once again adds a bit of swamp attitude with her slide guitar. Michael's fiddle is bright and contributes to the happy feeling of the song. Although this is a traditional Cajun or French song, it is performed with a very modern sound that makes it sound quite different from what Cajun music usually sounds like. It's a wonderful song and takes the music further than it has usually gone.

4) La Fleche d'Amour

This is a very smooth, dark, jazzy song and it reminds me very much of "L'Amour Poisonne" from "Cajunization." It has that same laid-back, half-spoken half-sung feel to it. Michael gives the song its jazzy feel with his wonderful fiddle and shadowy vocals. This isn't one of my favorite songs because it sounds so much like songs they have done before, but I still think it is good. It shows that the band has taken elements from "Cajunization" and kept them in the music. That can only mean better and more varied albums in the years to come.

5) Lena Mae

Cajun accordion legend Lawrence Walker originally performed this rock-infused song, and now David Doucet sings it. Musically, there is a large dose of early-style rock heard, with some accordion to highlight the Cajun side of the song. Cindy plays steel guitar to give the song a bit of island funkiness, and there's even a bit of piano. This is a mix of styles, and the lyrics are entirely in English. What this song does well is show outside influences that affected Cajun music in the 1950s and 60s and changed the music a great deal.

6) Les Fleurs Fleurissent

This is one of the saddest and most gorgeous songs BeauSoleil has ever recorded. It is sparse, with just two fiddles and what I believe is a very quiet-sounding accordion. Michael wrote this music to this waltz and wrote the lyrics about a man saying goodbye to his loved one before he is hung at the gallows. The fiddles are beautiful and the melody starts out light and beautiful with each repetition but then turns dark. It's that combination of beauty and darkness that makes this song so amazing. Also, the use of a very minimal number of instruments makes the song grab your attention even more. It's straightforward, gorgeous, and stunning. It's one of my favorite BeauSoleil songs.

7) Le Soleil Brille

Death is a metaphor for love in this original ballad. Stylistically, this is more rock than Cajun. It has a brooding, dark mood but is not totally depressing or sad. It just has more "attitude" than most other BeauSoleil songs. Michael plays his fiddle with a great improvisational touch, and the rest of the players subtly back him up. His vocals are sharp and dramatic. This is the closest BeauSoleil has ever been to recording a true rock song, but with Cajun instruments.

8) Bye, Bye Boozoo

The great Zydeco player Boozoo Chavis died a few years ago, and this is the band's tribute to his greatness. It's a remake of one of Chavis' songs, and as expected is very accordion-heavy. This is as close as the band has come to making a true Zydeco song. Michael, with all his skill, does an amazing job of echoing the shrill crying voice that Boozoo had. Of course, it's not just a tribute but a fast-paced dance tune that will get feet stomping and bodies moving. It's a great break from the darker songs that come before it on the album. The good times are rolling whenever this song plays.

9) Le Hack A Moreau

This waltz is another simple, traditional song with no rhythm section. David sings the lyrics in a very dramatic style, and Michael and Jimmy back him up well with their fiddle and accordion interplay. This is the classic sound of Cajun music, and it brightens the heart to hear it played. David's voice is the true highlight of this song. He sounds romantic and playful all at once and his singing is quite enjoyable. This is another of my favorite songs on the album.

10) Me and Dennis McGee

Fast, energetic fiddle playing is what you'll find here. This is Michael's tribute to his mentor, the departed Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee. This song is all about the fiddling, with both Michael and Al Tharp shuffling the bow on the strings as fast as they can and making their instruments very melodic and exciting. The bass is heavy and propels the other instruments along, and the guitar and accordion get solos of their own. This is a blast to listen to with a very happy vibe and a good dance beat. It's classic BeauSoleil and one of the most upbeat songs on the album in addition to being one of the best.

11) Malinda

Creole fiddle player Canray Fontenot originally recorded this song, and BeauSoleil gives it a Caribbean twist on this remake. Michael's fiddle has a very latin and New Orleans sound, and his vocals are romantic and a little reminiscent of "It's You I Love." Billy Ware's percussion adds to the island flavor, and there's good acoustic and slide guitar too. This is one of the more adventurous songs on "Gitane Cajun."

12) Windhorse Eyes

I'm fairly sure this is either the first or one of the first songs that Michael wrote completely in English. It's a tender love ballad with a peaceful Buddhist theme, and another step in BeauSoleil's expansion of what defines Cajun music. It's not a standout, but it's very emotional and romantic. It shows how far Michael has come as a songwriter and composer, because he's starting to wander out of the Cajun box once in a while.

13) Tu M'as Fait Rire

This is a song that sounds a lot like it belongs in the string-band era of Cajun music. It has a light, happy, jangly sound and fun vocals sung by Michael. It would definitely not be out of place on "L'Echo" with songs like "Lizette La Douce" and "Cajun Crawl." To me, it shows how the band is starting to take styles from past recordings and keeping them in the music. BeauSoleil doesn't just play straight Cajun music anymore; they incorporate many styles, and that's very evident on this great album.

14) Chere Bebe

This is a classic Cajun song, and it's done in a very classic way (aside from some steel guitar and piano in the background). It's a very accordion-driven song, the type of song that shows up only a few times on this album. There's also solid Cajun fiddle playing and good guitar solos. The vocals are good but typical. All things considered, this is a fun song to listen to and showcases the old-style, 1950s Cajun sound.

15) Gitane Cajun II

This is a reprise of Gitane Cajun I only done with a faster, two-step beat. It's a little more dramatic and wild this time, and would be good for dancing if it wasn't less than two minutes long.


This is another great album in the BeauSoleil catalog, and very appreciated after three years of no new material. Instead of being a "theme" album like some of their last few, it's just a good collection of mostly new material with a few classics thrown in for good measure. It definitely highlights the diversity of Cajun music and the influences that the band members have beyond the traditional sounds. There are some amazing performances here, like "Les Fleurs Fleurissent" and "Me and Dennis McGee." For every boundary-pushing number, there's a nod to the traditional, and that makes for a balanced album that everyone can enjoy.