NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Formed in 1975, the Cajun Band powerhouse Beausoleil has brought the music of their native land to the world.
They grew up hearing and learning the traditional songs but losing a family member inspired Violinist Michael Doucet to hold on to this tradition.
“About 1969, we had a relative who passed away. I said not only did he pass away but his knowledge and his music and what he knew about it. At that point, I said maybe somebody should start recording this and researching this, so I began to do that and got adamant about it when I was at LSU. But it wasn’t something you looked to do for a living,” said Michael Doucet.
Thankfully for us, the Doucet brothers and the members of Beausoleil do it for a living and after 14 Grammy nominations, two awards, and hundreds of performances around the world, the band is Cajun music royalty.
While their music is steeped in tradition, there are influences of modern sounds and styles.
“You play what you hear. You listen to the radio, you watch YouTube, you watch other bands, you listen to lots of other music. It’s impossible for anything outside not to make an impression on what you do now,” said David Doucet.
WGNO’s LBJ caught up with the group a few weeks prior while on tour in the northeast. They’ve toured every state and even played internationally, bringing the music they grew up listening to, to the masses.
“We love the music, we love to play, and we love to see what it does to people,” Michael Doucet.
Beausoleil plays the Fais Do-Do stage on Saturday, May 4 at 2:50 p.m.
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