Reliving the Golden Age of Cajun Music

This essential film about Cajun and Creole culture in southern Louisiana that was made in 1972 is now available on DVD. The Dedans le Sud de la Louisiane documentary focuses on the background of the French speakers in Louisiana, as well as their music and daily lives. The artists that appear on the film are part of what some have called the Golden Age of Cajun music. Some of the biggest names of the time are featured in live performances, jams and also in their daytime jobs. The impressive list includes Nathan Abshire, Alphonse Bois Sec" Ardoin, Clifton Chenier, the Balfa Brothers (Rodney & Dewey), Zachary Richard, and Canray Fontenot, many of whom have passed away.

French director Jean-Pierre Bruneau shows the melting pot that was formed when French-speaking white Acadians, expelled from Canada by the British,  mixed their culture with other Europeans and the Black Creole community. The archaic French spoken in the rural areas of the Louisiana bayous was not the purest, but it managed to survive despite the increasing influence of English in the area.

This film is now a classic and a fascinating portrait of the music of southern Louisiana.