Seems no one noticed that's Dewey Balfa, his brother, and the beautiful Christine Balfa, Dewey's daughter, playing with Quaid. Christine carries on the legacy of her dad with Balfa Toujour and Bonsoir Catin, 2 cajun bands
I noticed…. Dewey Balfa might have been the best known of all Cajun musicians. I think that brother’s name was Ralph, if I am not wrong. He had another brother who sang with him, who was killed in a car accident not many years before this, I believe. I thought that Christine was Ralph‘s daughter, rather than Dewey’s. And I thought the young man playing with them, not Dennis Quaid, the stocky and very young man, was also related somehow, Like Dewey’s nephew.
@@bmcclain1 Two brothers of Dewey Balfa died in a car accident. Will Balfa and Rodney Balfa, They were together the Balfa Brothers with Dewey and Will playing fiddle and Rodney played the guitar. The accordionist in the movie is Robert Jardell, but in the Balfa Brothers played lots of accordion players like Hadley Fontenot, Nathan Abshire, Ray Abshire, Allie Young and ..... Maybe the stocky young man is Tony Balfa.
Absolutely. I grew up around French Settlement/Maurepas and I knew people who were -genuine- Cajuns, mostly the elderly folks. Cajun/French was actually their first language. New Orleans is far from Cajun...
I agree totally, I am born and live in Louisiana and this movie is a comedy of sorts. Dennis Quaid is not Cajun, but you can find the Cajun culture within 90 miles of NOLA. Creole is NOLA, Cajun is some of the country and much of La. is just typical South. Enjoy and come on down.
true. the styles influenced by it in new orleans tend to be lazy formula shit trying to tidy it up (like all those god awful jambalya zydeco tunes and toot toot! yeugh!)
My exact thoughts when I saw this title 😂 I'm a Cajun from SW Louisiana & I love New Orleans but Cajun Country is a good ways from there. Acadiana it where Cajun is.
0:54 - It took me until that moment, on about the 9th viewing of this movie, to fully realize just how beautiful Ellen Barkin was . . . (Sue me: I was a kid.)
T B , I lived in Breaux Bridge in the early 80’s , my Dad is from St. Martinville , I would fish the Bayou at the bottom of the street ( Hardy Street ) , had some good times .
Absolutely! My great great great grandparents went the rout through Canada and down to Louisiana in the early 1700s! There are a lot of Cajuns throughout Louisiana and most no nothing about their Cajuns roots or how to even speak the language! Cajun traditions are slowly becoming a thing of the past and it's pretty sad! My family is a perfect example. My family moved into the city and their accents disappeared and my parents didn't even learn how to speak the language from their parents! Now most of us are still hunters and fishermen but we don't live in the bayou's of Louisiana! And the food is to die for!!! Nobody cooks like Cajuns!!!
Cajuns (Acadiana) came to La. at least 250 years ago. Ousted from Canada.......Creole was not even on the radar screen. You are so wrong on every score...................I am a Cajun, from original ancestors.
***** THE BIG EASY and I really thought it was the only movie ever made where Quaid actually affected a Cajun accent.... Zydeco came along way after the 'old' Cajun music, it's actually relatively new, as time goes....Based on the same old music, they added other elements, more 'instruments', ha ha, but it's retained some of the flavor.........The 'the old squeeze box, and of course a fiddle' was the original.....Two Step is the old dance.............Fais Do Dos were dances when people gathered at homes, or barns, etc. to have fun and dance, they brought their children, babies, and put them down to sleep, then the adults would have music and dance. Fais Do Do became an expression for 'babies/children to go to happy sleep... here is a good link. here is a link that has basic good info. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_music
+mamatibbors cassady You might be a little off also,,I've traced my roots back to before they lived in Nova Scotia,At the time of the Exile in 1755 My Great grandmother was listed as the daughter of a "Half Breed" Many Acadian men inter married Mi'kmaq natives,,I'am not saying all Acadians were mixed,,But mine were.
Cajun country is west, and southwest of New Orleans. If you’re looking for Cajun dancing, that’s more in Lafayette than New Orleans. The real, authentic Cajun music, though will be found in the small towns in the Atchafalaya basin. New Orleans is Creole. Southwest Louisiana is Cajun. Cajun is country Creole is urban.
Agree. I do believe that Katrina washed away the soul of New Orleans. And the new mayor Cantrell is finishing it off. She actuall banned go cups in the Quarter because of Covid. You would think they would want go cups and no one inside but people have no common sense anymore. Hope you are doing well.
Some of the music is authentic. You don't get any more authentic than Dewey Balfa. However, the phony Cajun accents in the movie are horrible. And, as another poster noted, there isn't much Cajun music around New Orleans. It's not, nor has it ever been a place for Cajun culture.
Detroit was great at one time as well. Had it's own music called, MoTown. Home of the great three automakers but as anyone with a radio or television knows, the city has become less than what it once once.
Lighten up people! Love this movie! One of my all time favorite "Cheesiest Movies" ever! (You have to love "bad" movies from the 1980's, like "They Live", in order to appreciate it.) But, MAKE NOTE! There is an actual plot!! The entire movie just draws you in: good plot, bad accents, 80's clothes and hairstyles, Zydeco dancing, etc! If you have never seen it, and love New Orleans, sit down on your couch, crack open a beer or two, and relax for an hour or so. (It actually has a surprise ending.) Just relax and enjoy yourself!
Great movie. She is Beautiful. She trusted him. He took the bribe. Now he is a bad cop. Lost it all. Lost her respect. She stand tall- i love this film clip
Yes, i am aware of that, and appreciate your viewing. This is a clip from The Big Easy, referring to it,. the movie is great and lets enjoy it, especially the beautiful Ellen Barkin.I am in New Orleans freqently.
Yes this movie is silly if you are from NOLA. We have more of a New England, New Jersey accent than Cajun. Actually there are many different accents in and around the city, but the Cajun accent is from the west towards Lafayette. We refer to the city as the Cresent City, never heard Big Easy until this movie. The scene is in Bucktown, which was at the mouth of the 17th St Canal that busted during Katrina. Starting at 51 seconds you see the West End clubs and restaurantswith Augies Delago
My comment must be on approval. My keyboard don’t speak Louisiana acajien langue. So I made some mistakes ma cher. I also meant I am acajien, but zacahary is a real hommes acadjien like his gran gran pere. Le bon Djeiu knows what I meant. Merci beaucoup ma Cher.
i recognise that first tune from my teen in the 80s when swallow records were all re-issued in UK by Ace records! (compilations known as "louisiana cajun special vo1, and vol 2)
New Orleans is not a Cajun City and not a part of Cajun Country... They are two different histories... and two different populations... and two different cultures. It's still a thumbs up anyway.
+Joseph Brevelle, depending on to whom you speak it is "Why, oh why don't you call me anymore" or "How come you don't call me anymore". Add to this Cajuns ad-lib as they go and God knows what it can be called.
I have no idea why Zachary Richard wasn’t asked to be in this movie, pas bon, pas bon, pas bon. One of the most prolific Cajun writers and singers we have and he still lives in Louisiana.
Very inaccurate to say the least... As a native, we usually don't slow dance for no occasion nor do we listen to Zydeco music. Down here it's more like neighborhood crawfish boil under someone's carport listening to classic rock... Lot's of sitting and talking... Nah... This is what happened West of Raceland and probably many, many years ago...
Before my children arrived I was way off-grid. I had to mail-order my copy of "Wind" (1992), although I'd seen "Waterworld" in the theatre. Oh! Fille! Si j'avais su que tu étais là, je n'aurais jamais conduit vers le nord jusqu'à Bentonville. S'il te plaît. Femme.
Not very many real cajuns in nola ...this has some great cajun musicians on it( ive sang with dewey balfa)but normally cajuns reside more in eunice..mamou..ville platte area not nola
@RighteousWilly, my family is Old French (white Creole) and Cajun on my mother's father's side. I think it's true, what your friend told you, but it's a lot more complicated today then it was back then.
Take this show west to within 20 miles of the Texas Border...right up I-10, to Crowley and Welsh, La. That's my family and where CAJUN was born. God Bless my Great ×20 uncle, Joseph Broussard. He fought for everyone. Not like today....He'd be sad at the sight of RACISM.
All this debate about Cajun and creole... Let me set one thing straight: I'm a Hoosier, and if you want to know the history, watch the movie with Gene Hackman - "NO SCHOOL THIS SMALL HAS EVER BEEN IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!"
