|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Cajun down under
Cahoots bring the Cajun
jitterbug to Subiaco. No-one
cries when you chop a banjo. That's
Cahoots, a six-piece band whose members
delight in their own brand of humour just
as much as they delight in the upbeat
sounds of Cajun music. Pete
Proctor, of Floreat, is responsible for
the banjo that may or may not bring tears
to the eyes, while Cockney-born Dave
Cornwell proudly says that he only started
learning the fiddle when he was
46. "I
wouldn't call myself a musician," he
quipped. "Neither
would we!" comes the inevitable
chorus. Started up
by Dave, Cahoots is the only band
dedicated to Cajun music in WA. Their
brand of country-styled Cajun is becoming
increasingly popular as people get into
the fiddle, accordion and stomp box sounds
and learn to dance the Cajun-style waltz,
two step and jitterbug. Cajun
music is a celebration of life on the
bayous, the swamp lands of Louisiana. The
music comes from the descendants of
French-speaking Catholics from Canada.
Much of it is sung in French, but its
influences include the deep, bass rhythms
of American Indian drums, the Celtic
fiddles and German accordion. The band
brings together six musicians from all
over Perth, from Wanneroo to Eden Hill,
and from all walks of life, the Treasury
department to dulcimer-maker, but who all
have one thing in common, a passion for
Cajun music. Dave and
Pete are joined by Peter (Spider)
Marcinowski, one of the few button
accordionists in WA, Alan Abraham plays
the triangle - not a delicate orchestral
type but a huge iron one - a stompbox,
snare-drum and mouth-harp. Madge Smith,
"adding a touch of class to this motely
crew", plays fiddle and Pete Devlin plays
the mandolin and guitar. Cahoots
have started a regular Sunday afternoon
dance session at the Subiaco Scout Hall in
Rokeby Road. On the second Sunday of the
month - the next one being Mother's Day,
May 9, -- the band will teach everyone to
dance the Cajun jitterbug. Copyright © 1999 - 2006 Post Newspapers Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. |
In Post Impressions this week:
Theatre:
Exhibitions:
Books:
Restaurants:
Music:
|
||||||||||||
