Annotation:Danseuse (La)

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 DANSEUSE [2], LA (The Dancer). Cajun, "Fox-Trot". USA, Louisianna. Harry Smith (Folkways FA2952, 1952) writes: "The distictivness of the Arcadian violin-guitar combination is immediately noticeable, for not only is the melody itself of a type rather foreign to the Anglo-American pattern, but the steady and regular unison rhythm (as opposed to the slightly contrapuntal relationships (on Appalachian tunes) is very typical of Louisiana. Taylor Grigg's Louisiana Melody Makers (Victor 1928-1930) were a contemporary string group with a highly perfected rhythm of this sort, and very pure examples can be found among recordings made in New Orleans within the last ten years. The distinctive regional playing of the Texas and Oklahoma string bands (Light Crush Dough Boys, Bob Wills, Bill Boyd, Jimmy Revard, etc.) during the depression and until World War II, developed as an off-shoot from Louisiana about 1920, possibly when oil workers from there went to Texas."  Source for notated version:  Printed sources:  Recorded sources: Folkways FA 2952, "Anthology of American Folk Music: vol. 2, Social Music" (1952). Vocalion 5303 (78 RPM), Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard (1929).

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