Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys are an American

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 southern

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 ...

. The band formed in 1988 and has since recorded 10 albums, nine of which are on

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

. The band includes Steve Riley (

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

, b. 1969), David Greely (

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

), Sam Broussard (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

), Brazos Huval (fiddle/

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

/ bass) and Kevin Dugas (

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

) and formerly Jimmy Domengeaux (guitar) before his death in 1999. Kevin Wimmer (

) joined the band in 2011. Riley is a native of

Mamou, Louisiana Mamou is a town in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,242 at the 2010 census, down from 3,566 in 2000. Geography Mamou is located in south-central Evangeline Parish at (30.634033, −92.418913). Louisiana Highway ...

and a cousin of the noted Cajun musician and accordion builder

Marc Savoy Marc Savoy ( ) (born October 1, 1940) is an American musician, and builder and player of the Cajun accordion. Early life He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near Eunice, Louisiana. His grandfather was a fiddler, who occasionally played w ...

History

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys started in 1988 by Steve Riley and David Greely. They have been very prolific with more than 10 CD's almost exclusively in

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 ...

. Their style has grown from exclusively traditional music of Riley's mentors

Dewey Balfa Dewey Balfa (March 20, 1927 – June 17, 1992) was an American Cajun fiddler and singer who contributed significantly to the popularity of Cajun music. Balfa was born near Mamou, Louisiana. He is perhaps best known for his 1964 performance at th ...

Belton Richard Belton Richard (October 5, 1939 – June 21, 2017) was an American Cajun accordionist and vocalist known for his baritone vocal range. Biography Richard was born in Rayne, Louisiana, in 1939. He began to play the accordion when he was seven, an ...

, and Walter Mouton to a more personal style that still has a distinctively Cajun sound. They released a 'Best of' compilation album in 2008, which featured some of their greatest hits. David Greely retired from the band due to hearing problems. His last performance was the 2011 Mardi Gras dance in Eunice, Louisiana. In June of 2022 David Greely was back playing with the band.

Awards

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have been nominated for two Grammy Awards in The Best Traditional Folk Album category, one Grammy nomination was for ''Trace of Time'' for Best Traditional Folk Album, and the second was for ''Bon Rêve'' in 2004.

Discography

*''Grand Isle'' (2011) *''Dominos'' (2005) *''Bon Rêve'' (2003) *''Happytown'' (2001) *''

Bayou Ruler ''Bayou Ruler'' is an album by the American band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, released in 1998. A couple of its English-language songs were regional hits, although they proved controversial to some Cajun traditionalists. The band supported ...

'' (1998) *''Friday at Last'' (1997) *''La Toussaint'' (1995) *''Live!'' (1994) *''Trace of Time'' (1993) *''Tit Galop Pour Mamou'' (1992) *''Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys'' (1990)

Compilations

* ''En Francais: Cajun 'n' Creole Rock 'n' Roll'' Various, produced by Louis Michot of Lost Bayou Ramblers (2011) Bayou Teche Brewers/

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is an online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. The CD Baby music store was shut down in March 2020 with a statement that "C ...

* Steve Riley in the group Racines: ''Allons Boire un Coup: A Collection of Cajun and Creole Drinking Songs'' Various artists (2006)

Valcour Records Valcour Records is an independent record label based in Eunice, Louisiana. Valcour was founded in 2006 by Joel Savoy (son of Marc and Ann Savoy), with friends Phillip LaFargue II and Lucius Fontenot. Valcour Records' first release in 2006 was ' ...

Steve Riley on others' recordings

* ''Transatlantic Sessions: Songs of Death, Divorce, Drinking and Dancing'' Cajun Roosters (2011) Whoopee Records-Pine Groove Sound/

*'' Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music'' Various artists (2002)

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

References

External links

Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys web siteDavid Greely web siteSam Broussard web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Steve and the Mamou Playboys American folk musical groups Musical groups from Louisiana Cajun accordionists