The Revelers play an active part in the Cajun Mardi Gras, an event often associated with New Orleans that takes on a completely different feel in Acadiana. There are no beads, no parades, just a down home country feel in a ritual that stretches back to 15-century France. In the days of Mardi Gras before the coming repentance and fasting of lent, the beast and the devil within are unleashed for one last round of trickery, good times and revelry in which we are renowned experts.
We put together a little playlist for you.
First, here’s a standard version of the “La Danse de Mardi Gras”or the Mardi Gras Song as done by the Balfa Brothers:
This song is sung on the run by the participants on Mardi Gras. Most versions have similar themes although the words can vary also different communites have different versions that they sing.
Les Mardi Gras s’en vient de tout partout,
Tout alentour le tour du moyeu,
Ça passe une fois par an, demandé la charité,
Quand-même ça c’est une patate, une patate ou des gratons
Les Mardi Gras sont dessus un grand voyage,
Tout alentour le tour du moyeu,
Ça passe une fois par an, demandé la charité,
Quand-même ça c’est un poule maigre, ou trois ou quatre coton maïs.
Capitaine, capitaine, voyage ton flag,
Allons chez un autre voisin,
Demandé la charité pour les autres qui viennent nous rejoindre,
Les autres qui viennent nous rejoindre,
Ouais, au gombo ce soir!
Translation:
The Mardi Gras come from all around, all around the center of town.
They come by once per year, asking for charity.
Sometimes it’s a sweet potato, a sweet potato or pork rinds.
The Mardi Gras are on a great journey, all around the center of town.
They come by once per year, asking for charity.
Sometimes it’s a skinny chicken, or three or four corn cobs.
Captain, captain, wave your flag, let’s go to another neighbor’s.
Asking for charity for everyone who’ll come join us later,
Everyone who’ll come join us later at the gumbo tonight!
• “La Vieille Chanson De Mardi Gras (The Mardi Gras Song)” – Wade Fruge
An instrumental version of the Mardi Gras Song with Wade Fruge on the fiddle. He was from Eunice, Louisiana.
• “Mardi Gras Jig” – Dewey Balfa, DL Menard, Marc Savoy
An instrumental track called the Mardi Gras Jig. An uptempo two step for people to dance and get a lil wild.
• “Mardi Gras Song”– Horace Trahan
Horace Trahan, from Ossun, Louisiana, with a slightly different version of the Mardi Gras Song
• “Zydeco Mardi Gras” – Boozoo Chavis – Zydeco Trail Ride With Boozoo Chavis
Boozoo Chavis, from around the Lake Charles, Louisiana area, has Creole version of the Mardi Gras song. The themes are similar but the melody and groove is quite different.
• “Chant de Mardi Gras”– Ardoin Family
A recording of the Ardoin Family and their call and response version of another Creole Mardi Gras song.
• “Mardi Gras Song”– John Delafose & The Eunice Playboys
John Delafose, a Creole from Eunice, Louisiana, with another different version of the Mardi Gras Song.
• “Hee Haw Breakdown” – Nolan Cormier & The Louisiana Aces
A popular song played around Mardi Gras time complete with animal sounds and then somebody yelling, “Lâchez Les,” which means “Let em go.”
The Revelers are Daniel Coolik (fiddle, guitar, vocals), Glenn Fields (drums, vocals), Blake Miller (Accordion, fiddle, guitar, vocals), Chas Justus (guitar vocals), Eric Frey (bass, vocals), founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and Pine Leaf Boys.
