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album
When
the bayou smells like Guinness
These Alligators are unique.
Their Cajun music has a Guinness or old Scotch whiskey flavor, and
despite its strong Welsh Celtic colors it sounds more authentic than
many bayou bands from Louisiana. At the same time it wouldn't be out
of place at all in any Dublin or Aberdeen pub. This Celtic touch is
mostly brought by the roots sound of Robin McKidd's fiddle. Coupled
with Watkins' accordion, it brings this old Celtic rural dance
atmosphere. Folk music in the primary sense of the word, far from
rock, be it swamp, but not from rhythm.
The
opening track, "Cuvee Cajun", even has a Hungarian gypsy
twist. That's probably where Watkins comes in. This guy is quite a
phenom as a fine musician and connoisseur of music styles and
history. He would make any jig from Wales sound cajun, and any Cajun
classic waltz sound like an old Irish or Scottish jig ! What else
could you expect from a guy who's born in a South Wales
unpronounceable place as Abertridwr !
The
album has some outstanding moments : "Cher Mama", "Balham
Two Step", the Cajun classics "Jole Blon" (1) and
"Big Mamou"… Again the fiddle-accordion marriage makes
marvels, Gary Rickard even comes out with fancy rockabilly guitar
licks ("Grand Texas", "Big Mamou"), and the
vocals sound roots from Roots & Co.
It
has a funny cover, it's called "Cajun Dance Party" and
there's dancing numbers of course, but what strikes most is a feeling
of nostalgic melancholy reminding us that life in the bayou is not as
romantic as our imaginary vision idealizes it : it's hard on every
level for Cajun people who have always been looked upon scornfully by
"true Americans" and who still struggle to preserve their
unique cultural identity and language.
Our
Alligators from Balham (in the south of London) transcribe this in
the best possible manner on this really lovable album. ■
(1)
"Jole
Blon"
or "Jolie
Blonde"
is a traditional Cajun waltz recorded
for
the first time in
April
1929
as
"Ma Blonde Est Partie" by
the Breaux Brothers . Credited
to Amédée
Breaux, it seems the lyrics were rather
written
by his sister Cléoma. The
song has
become a
classic of Cajun musical culture, often considered as the "Cajun
national anthem". One
of the "Robicheaux"
novels
by great Cajun writer James Lee Burke, published
in 2002, was
titled "Jolie
Blon's Bounce".
Click on the old 78rpm below to hear the
1929 recording by Amédée
Breaux (vocals &
accordion), Ophey
Breaux (fiddle) and Cléoma
Breaux (guitar)...
● 2008, Geraint Watkins, "Easy To Say Bon Temps Rouler" : https://youtu.be/JD6g9IhI7CI
Unfortunately no video of The Balham Alligators in concert exists on YT...
 |
| Geraint Watkins |
 |
| Gary Rickard |
These Alligators are unique.
Their Cajun music has a Guinness or old Scotch whiskey flavor, and
despite its strong Welsh Celtic colors it sounds more authentic than
many bayou bands from Louisiana. At the same time it wouldn't be out
of place at all in any Dublin or Aberdeen pub. This Celtic touch is
mostly brought by the roots sound of Robin McKidd's fiddle. Coupled
with Watkins' accordion, it brings this old Celtic rural dance
atmosphere. Folk music in the primary sense of the word, far from
rock, be it swamp, but not from rhythm.
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