BeauSoleil (French, ''beautiful sun'') is a

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

band from

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, United States.

Band history

Founded in 1975, BeauSoleil (often billed as "BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet") released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known bands performing traditional and original music rooted in the folk tunes of the

Cajuns The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

and Creoles of

. In early years they appeared at

CODOFIL The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL; french: le Conseil pour le développement du français en Louisiane) is Louisiana's Office of Francophone Affairs (french: Agence des affaires francophones). It is a state agency wh ...

's annual "Tribute to Cajun Music" in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234th- ...

. They were part of the

Smithsonian Folklife Festival The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held on the National Mall for two weeks around the Fo ...

in 1983. BeauSoleil tours extensively in the U.S. and internationally. While its repertoire includes hundreds of traditional

, Creole and

zydeco Zydeco ( or , french: Zarico) is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. Al ...

songs, BeauSoleil has also pushed past constraints of purely traditional instrumentation, rhythm, and lyrics of Louisiana folk music, incorporating elements of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, calypso, and other genres in original compositions and reworkings of traditional tunes. Lyrics on BeauSoleil recordings are sung in English or

Cajun French Louisiana French ( frc, français de la Louisiane; lou, françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louis ...

(and sometimes both in one song). According to the band's website, BeauSoleil's musicians "take the rich Cajun traditions of Louisiana and artfully blend elements of zydeco, New Orleans jazz,

Tex-Mex Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine, American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the Tejanos, ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others i ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

and more into a satisfying musical recipe." The band's name is a tribute to Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil, an

Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

resistance leader who led many Acadians to Louisiana following their

expulsion Expulsion or expelled may refer to: General * Deportation * Ejection (sports) * Eviction * Exile * Expeller pressing * Expulsion (education) * Expulsion from the United States Congress * Extradition * Forced migration * Ostracism * Persona non ...

by the British. MichaelDoucet

BeauSoleil has appeared on soundtracks to films '' The Big Easy'', ''

Passion Fish ''Passion Fish'' is a 1992 American drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The film stars Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Vondie Curtis-Hall, David Strathairn, Leo Burmester, and Angela Bassett. It tells the story of a soap opera star, ...

'' and ''

Belizaire the Cajun ''Belizaire the Cajun'' is a 1986 film directed by Glen Pitre and starring Armand Assante. It was screened in the ''Un Certain Regard'' section at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. It chronicles the story of Belizaire Breaux, a village healer ('' ...

''. The group plays at jazz and folk festivals and has appeared on numerous television shows, including

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

's ''Showbiz Today'', ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

'', ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

'', and ''

Emeril Live ''Emeril Live'' is a television program that aired on Food Network from October 6, 1997, to December 11, 2007, and then on Fine Living (now The Cooking Channel) from July 7, 2008, to December 14, 2010. Hosted by Emeril Lagasse, ''Emeril Live'' f ...

''. BeauSoleil appeared regularly on

Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

's ''

Prairie Home Companion Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

'' radio show. Keillor has hailed the group as the "best Cajun band in the world". BeauSoleil has also performed in concert with

Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and opened for the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

. Carpenter featured them on her 1991 single "

Down at the Twist and Shout "Down at the Twist and Shout" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter. It celebrates the Bethesda, Maryland, dance and music venue Twist & Shout. It was released in June 1991 as the third single from t ...

", in which they are also mentioned by name.

Recognition

BeauSoleil is one of a few groups performing traditional Louisiana music to win a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. ''L'Amour Ou La Folie (Love Or Folly)'', recorded in 1996 and released on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

, earned the 1997 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. In a review on

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...

, Richard Gehr wrote, "By now the sextet transcends the dancehall, possessing the ability to transform nearly any traditional

, Creole, or French tune into high art while preserving a clear sonic bloodline back to its roots." In 2005, BeauSoleil's ''Gitane Cajun'', released on Vanguard Records, earned the group its tenth Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk Album. A reflection of its versatility is that BeauSoleil has also earned a Grammy nomination in the

Contemporary Folk Contemporary folk music refers to a wide variety of genres that emerged in the mid 20th century and afterwards which were associated with traditional folk music. Starting in the mid-20th century a new form of popular folk music evolved from tradit ...

category, for the 1999 album ''Cajunization'', with songs that effortlessly span Cajun, calypso, French ballad, blues and other musical styles. In 2005, BeauSoleil won the Big Easy Entertainment Award for Best Cajun Band, the tenth time the band was honored in the 18-year history of the awards presented by the New Orleans music and entertainment publication ''Gambit Weekly.'' In 2005, BeauSoleil founder Michael Doucet was one of 12 artists awarded a

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2008, BeauSoleil won another Grammy in the then newly created

Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists at the 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd Annual Grammy Awards (2008–2011) for quality zydeco or cajun music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremon ...

category for the album '' Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival''. BeauSoleil was inducted into the

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (LMHOF) is a non-profit hall of fame based in Baton Rouge, the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana, that seeks to honor and preserve the state's music culture and heritage and to promote education about the state ...

in 2011. The BeauSoleil Quartet was interviewed by Stephen Winick of the

American Folklife Center The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. was created by Congress in 1976 "to preserve and present American Folklife". The center includes the Archive of Folk Culture, established at the library in 1928 as a repos ...

to preserve their oral history on June 28, 2017.

Discography

Albums

* 1976 ''La Nuit'' (Released only in France) * 1977 ''The Spirit of Cajun Music'' (

Swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

) * 1984 ''Michael Doucet with BeauSoleil'' ( Arhoolie) * 1984 ''Parlez-Nous a Boire'' (Arhoolie) * 1986 ''Allons a Lafayette'' (Arhoolie) with Canray Fontenot * 1986 ''Belizaire the Cajun'' (soundtrack) (Arhoolie) * 1987 ''Bayou Boogie'' (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

) * 1988 ''Hot Chili Mama'' (Arhoolie) * 1989 ''Bayou Cadillac'' (Rounder) * 1989 ''Zydeco Gris Gris'' (Swallow) * 1989 ''Live from the Left Coast'' (Rounder) * 1991 ''Cajun Conja'' (

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

) * 1991 ''Déjá Vu'' (Swallow) * 1993 ''La Danse de la Vie'' (Forward) * 1994 ''Cajun & Creole Music'' (

Music of the World Music of the World is a World music record label that was active from 1982 to 2000. The company produced over 100 CDs and cassettes of traditional and contemporary artists from around the world. Nomad and Latitudes were imprint labels. ''Music o ...

) * 1994 ''L' Echo'' (Rhino/Forward) * 1995 ''Vintage Beausoleil'' (Music of the World) * 1997 ''L' Amour Ou la Folie'' (Rhino) * 1997 ''Arc de Triomphe Two-Step'' (Hemisphere) - recording of 1976 * 2001 ''Looking Back Tomorrow: Beausoleil Live!'' (Rhino) * 2004 ''Gitane Cajun'' (Vanguard) * 2006 ''Live in Louisiana'' (Way Down in Louisiana) * 2008 ''Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet'' (MunckMix) * 2009 ''Alligator Purse'' (

Yep Roc Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...

) * 2013 ''From Bamako to Carencro'' (

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

)

Compilation albums

* 1997 ''The Best of BeauSoleil'' (Arhoolie) * 1999 ''Cajunization'' (Rhino) * 2001 ''Best of Crawfish Years 1985 - 1991'' (Rounder) * 2003 ''Their Swallow Years'' (

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

) * 2003 ''Encore, Encore!! The Best of BeauSoleil 1991 - 2001'' (Rhino)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beausoleil American folk musical groups Musical groups from Louisiana Cajun musicians Grammy Award winners Vanguard Records artists Rounder Records artists Yep Roc Records artists Rhino Records artists Arhoolie Records artists Compass Records artists