BeauSoleil brings the 'beautiful sun' to Sisters

The Sisters Folk Festival is offering a New Year's treat for the community. The internationally acclaimed BeauSoleil will present the second performance of the festival's Winter Concert Series. The renowned Cajun band will perform on Saturday, January 6, at 7 p.m. in the Sisters High School auditorium.

Brad Tisdel, founder of the Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project, said, "We feel very honored to present them."

BeauSoleil, which means "beautiful sun" in French, is featured on the soundtracks of the films "The Big Easy" and "Passion Fish." The group has appeared on numerous television shows, including CNN's Showbiz Today, Austin City Limits, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and even on Emeril Live.

BeauSoleil is a regular contributor on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion radio show. Keillor contends that the group is the "best Cajun band in the world."

BeauSoleil was founded in 1975 and through the years has developed into one of the most well-known and highly regarded bands performing traditional and original Cajun music of Louisiana. While its repertoire includes hundreds of traditional Cajun and zydeco songs, BeauSoleil has also stretched the envelope of purely traditional instrumentation, rhythm and lyrics of Louisiana folk music.

Michael Doucet, founder of BeauSoleil, has said, "Cajun music is wrapped up in emotion. Maybe some of the emotions, the more modern emotions, aren't adequately covered by the old songs. So that's what we try to do through our new compositions. In many ways we're the same individuals our ancestors were 300 years ago, but the times around us have changed. If the music captures where we are now, it just adds to the preservation of Cajun music."

The band is named as a tribute to Joseph Broussard who was the leader of the armed Acadian resistance to British deportation efforts which began in 1755. He was called BeauSoleil by fellow members of the resistance because he was the light of the resistance.

BeauSoleil was eventually captured and imprisoned, but after his release he managed to lead 193 exiles back to Louisiana. BeauSoleil remains a folk hero to the Cajun population of Louisiana.

When Doucet was 12 years of age, he began playing in a folk-rock band with his cousin and had dreams of becoming a professional musician. He spent his childhood near Lafayette, at a time when the Cajun music renaissance was just beginning; yet, Doucet did not fully appreciate the rich musical heritage of his native region.

It was when he visited France and discovered that French bands were performing traditional Cajun music that he had his epiphany.

Doucet originally planned to attend graduate school in New Mexico to study English romantic poetry, but he decided to trade William Blake for Dewey Balfa. In the process he sought out every surviving Cajun musician of note, including Balfa and Dennis McGee. He studied the techniques and songs of all these artists and encouraged some to resume public performances.

BeauSoleil is based in Lafayette, Louisiana. The members of the group are brothers Michael Doucet (fiddle, vocals) and David Doucet (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Breaux (accordion), Billy Ware (percussion), Tommy Alesi (percussion) and Al Tharp (bass, fiddle). BeauSoleil sings in both English and Cajun French, known as patois.

BeauSoleil is one of a few groups performing traditional Louisiana music to win a Grammy Award. "L'Amour ou La Folie" (Love or Folly), recorded in 1996 and released on Rhino Records, earned the group the 1997 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

BeauSoleil released "Gitane (Gypsy) Cajun" and earned the group its tenth Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2005. The stylistically versatile group has also earned a Grammy nomination in the Contemporary Folk category with songs that effortlessly span Cajun, Calypso, French ballad, blues and other musical styles.

The band won the Big Easy Entertainment Award for Best Cajun Band in 2005, marking the tenth time BeauSoleil was honored in the 18-year history of the award. The same year, the group's founder Michael Doucet was one of 12 artists awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by The National Endowment for the Arts.

Tisdel acknowledged that BeauSoleil's music is the kind of music that makes it impossible to stand still. He noted that from the beginning it was decided that there would be a need to provide some accommodation for this group's music.

"We hope to carve out a little bit of space for people to move and dance - perhaps on the side or even down front, if it isn't too disruptive," he said.

Tickets are available at Paulina Springs Books, Angeline's Bakery & Café, Boomtown in Bend and at the door. For more information call 549-4979.