The Innovative Cajun Rockers
In an age when a rock band from New York City sounds the
same as one from L.A., groups like the Conjunto rock sounds of Los Lobos
or the cowpunk rock of Jason and the Scorchers have emerged to put the post-punk
pulse back into rock and roll. And now from the Cajun swamplands of Louisiana
comes Mamou, the latest rock and roll torch bearers for the 90's who have
discovered the fertile possibilities of retooling roots music to rev up
outworn '80s rock tempos. Formed in May 1985 and named after their hometown
in Evangeline Parish, Mamou is the hottest thing since filé gumbo. The innovative
Cajun Rockers take classic Cajun melodies and rough them up to the max --
mixing a screaming Fender Stratocaster with a fiddle, accordion, bass and
drums. The outcome is an incredibly wicked, unheard of rock and roll sound
that's mostly sung in French. Founding member and lead vocalist Steve LaFleur
plays a hard driving guitar and bass and has a plaintive singing style reminiscent
of David Hidalgo of Los Lobos. LaFleur grew up listening to Cajun music
and liked it, but he considered himself a rebel rocker, "too cool" to play
what his grandparents did. LaFleur's first band, Fantasia formed about 10
years ago, was a heavy metal group, which was pretty heavy duty for Mamou.
It was a gig in New york City that turned LaFleur's head around and back
to his roots. When the Movie Stars played a couple of Cajun tunes "new wave"
style a la LaFleur the way Mamou does now, the audience was captivated.
They'd never heard anything like this "heavy-duty, freaky music". Encouraged
by the reaction and realizing he was ignoring a big part of his life, his
heritage, LaFleur returned to Louisiana to develop his Cajun rock concept
further. To preserve the authenticity of the band's music, he researched
classic Cajun songs, brushed up on his Cajun French, and scouted out rock
and roll musicians who like him have a passion for Cajun Music. Et voila!
Mamou was born. |
