Beginning in 1988 and buoyed by the enthusiasm of academic folklorists, they made their debut on folk festival stages the world over and earned a solid reputation as virtuosic, committed yet creative exponents of the treasures that their mentors had handed to them. Always thirsty for challenges and...
Learn More »
Beginning in 1988 and buoyed by the enthusiasm of academic folklorists, they made their debut on folk festival stages the world over and earned a solid reputation as virtuosic, committed yet creative exponents of the treasures that their mentors had handed to them. Always thirsty for challenges and never afraid of a struggle, the Playboys have not left their first audience behind, but have won them over and brought them along on their adventures. The result is a new Cajun music that is completely connected with who they are, where they live, and all the history, language and DNA that put them there.
Through four subsequent albums and numerous tours, the core of the band, Steve Riley and David Greely, has remained constant, but the other players have changed. The key to the changes in The Mamou Playboys' sound is found in the evolution of the group itself - line-up changes in the band as well as the personal development of its members.
The Lousiana "Cajun" music derives its influences from Afro-Caribbean, German, Native American, and even Scots-Irish neighbors. Even more recently, Cajun musicians have incorporated zydeco, music from their French-speaking black creole neighbors. This mixture is the embodiment of much of the music of The Mamou Playboys.
« Hide Description