Artist Profiles: Balfa Toujours

Balfa Toujours

The Balfa name brings up memories of the renowned Balfa Brothers, who took their Louisiana roots music from the prairies of Mamou to the far reaches of the world. Balfa Toujours (Balfa always) is making sure the name will keep its place for future generations.

Led by Christine Balfa, daughter of acclaimed Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa, the group has taken generations of inspiration and created a vibrant sound all their own. Since coming together after Dewey’s passing in 1992, they’ve grown from a band known for its youth and passion into pillars of the traditional music community not only in Louisiana but throughout the folk music world. They’ve recorded several albums, appeared in numerous films and television shows, toured North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, enjoyed front cover features in roots music magazines, and taught classes in Cajun culture internationally, in both French and English.

Balfa Toujours cross many boundaries and perform in a wide array of styles, from rocking dancehalls to crowded festivals to informative concerts, without ever losing the joy of life that characterizes their culture.

Christine Balfa may be recognizable to some from her appearance in the film The Big Easy. She grew up playing triangle with her father Dewey and learned music and language from the thriving culture around Basile, Louisiana. Her singing is full of the raw emotion that enables the best Cajun singers to communicate powerful feelings directly to the heart. She collaborates on many of the group’s original songs and is the founder and director of Louisiana Folk Roots, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Louisiana traditions.

Discography

Pop tu me parles toujours (Swallow 611, 1993)
A vieille Terre Haute (Swallow 3121, 1995)
Deux Voyages (Rounder CD 671, 1996)
Allons danser, with Bois Sec Ardoin (Rounder CD 681)
La Pointe (Rounder CD 686, 1998)
Live at Whiskey River Landing (Rounder CD 696, 2000)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 × 5 =