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Artist
Michael Doucet & Beausoleil
12+ albums
Allcajunzydecofolklouisiana
about
The formation of BeauSoleil, one of the best known and most highly respected cajun bands in the world, is due to fiddler Michael Doucet's desire to keep the unique southern Louisiana culture and music from extinction. But while BeauSoleil originated to help preserve his cajun musical heritage, over the years it has been also known for its innovation. They are continually adding spice from other musical genres including jazz and Caribbean. In this way, BeauSoleil's keeps the music vital and contemporary. Doucet was born and raised in Cajun country surrounded by the old French songs that comprise the basis of the music. But from the time of his birth to adulthood in the 1960s, Cajun culture began to disappear. Young Doucet, thinking Cajun music antiquated and passe, began his musical career playing rock with New Orleans influence. He began getting into folk rock towards the end of the '60s and even tried singing a few of his numbers in French. It was a song from the British folk group Fairport Convention and their song, "Cajun Woman," that resparked his interest in his native music. He went to France and England in 1973 just before he was to enter grad school in the U.S. He ended up staying many years studying with Scottish fiddle great Barry Dransfield, who eventually introduced him to his idol Richard Thompson. Later, Doucet credited Thompson for influencing his own compositions. The young fiddler's stay in France also had a profound influence. There he saw that the roots of
