Review of Beausoleil : Hot Chili Mama
As the world's most respected and well-known Cajun band, Beausoleil and their leader, fiddler/singer Michael Doucet, are a force unto themselves. Capable of playing both musicological demonstrations at the Smithsonian and hot, never-ending dances in bayou country, Beausoleil mix stellar musicianship and a dedication to Cajun traditions and history with the ability to heat up the tempos and keep the music contemporary. Here on their last disc (for now) of new recordings for the ethnic/preservationist Arhoolie label, Doucet and the band give a set of traditional Cajun covers like "Acadian Two-Step" and a few choice originals like the title tune, the respectful yet vital Beausoleil treatment. Slower tunes, ballads and waltzes dominate this set. More traditional than the band's later albums for Rounder and Rhino, this disc is still top drawer Beausoleil. --Robert Baird

Users's Reviews - Beausoleil : Musique Extraordinaire: Best Swinging Cajun Band Around
This CD was my introduction to the music of Beausoleil - I was hooked from the start. Infectious rhythms, explosive energy ... right from the "get go", Cajun vocals, the fiddle and a small accordion - these guys know how to whip up a sound that keeps you hopping and stepping across the dance floor. The song "Hot Chili Mama" is the best on this CD: the lyrics are fun and the music is incomparable, without equal. The whole CD is exceptional, indisputably "one-of-a-kind". There are a few songs in English, too. The Cajun accent colors them with a charm and magical quality all their own. If you want to spice up a party with excitement and fun, this CD will do it - "garranteed". Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Your latest reviews - Beausoleil : Steeped in Tradition, Boldly Forging Forward
Maybe it's the Cajun boy in me, but I used to be very unnerved by the popularity of Beausoleil across the world. I just couldn't comprehend why folks in cities like NYC or Boston or San Francisco would enjoy this music, most of which was in a language they couldn't understand. It almost seemed as if Beausoleil was using their "ethnicity" to trick people outside of Louisiana into liking them because they were a "novelty" act. Boy, was I ever wrong. As I've become more mature, I've realized that Beausoleil's popularity isn't due to their "novel" status, but their brilliant music. Few contemporary Cajun bands can play songs like these guys and turn it into a beautiful thing that crosses language and cultural boundaries.

The songs on "L'Amour Ou La Folie" are fun, imaginative and heavily steeped not only in Cajun tradition, but the French tradition as well(listen to "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" and don't tell me that you think of France when you hear it). "Newz Reel" had me longing to watch KATC news(you won't get this if you haven't been around Lafayette). The rest of the album, from the tribute to "Pop" McGee to the title track, is fantastic. The fiddle work is brilliant and the band's sound is tight. The songs are well done and nothing comes across as gimmicky or fake. When you hear "Charivari," you catch a glimpse of life that few have ever experienced outside of the Pelican State. Everything is found on this album. It's a true masterpiece. Not only does the music pay homage to the past, but you can hear new sounds that haven't been played by a Cajun band before. The closest example I can come up with would be rockabilly. In its infant stages, most of its pioneers could barely play instruments, but when folks like Buddy Holly, who studied music and experimented with it, came along, the sound took on a whole new state. Beausoleil does that with Cajun music. It's traditonal, but at the same time there is a "newness" about it.

Thanks, Beausoleil, for spreading the music of our unique culture across the world. As long as bands such as yourself exist, I don't think we'll have to worry about the Cajun culture fading away for a long time.