"Durald Two Step" - Amar Devillier

Amar "Ti-Frère" DeVillier.  Amar first learned to play the accordion in his late teens from his brother-in-law Angelas Manuel and also with a young teenage prodigy, Alphonse"Bois Sec"Ardion, a family acquaintance from the nearby community of  Duralde, who helped hone his skills. Occasionally on weekends, Amar would hitch up the horse and buggy and ride the family to their neighbor, Cheese Reed's house and "passe la veille" (play music and visit).1,2  

Devillier recorded some of the earliest known Cajun music with harmonica, similar to the recordings of Joe Werner. The Louisiana Jambileers gathered at the KEUN Radio studios in Eunice and laid down two songs, one which was the Duralde Two Step (#1).  It  featured the vocalist Wallace Lafleur and was named after the rural community known as Duralde in South Louisiana.  Recorded in 1952 on George Khoury's Lyric label, it would be the only record in his catalog identified with a single digit.  

Amar Devillier

Moi aller, chere tite fille, 

Oh, là-bas à Duralde,

Eh, ye yaille, moi je connait,

Chere tit fille, t'es mien, je t'aime.

Chere tit monde, mon aller,

Oui, là-bas au si loin, 

Mon aller, chere tit fille, 

Mon aller là-bas à Duralde.

Chere tit fille, moi'je connait,

Moi'je connait, c'est pas la peine, 

Moi te faire tout de ça,

Tout ça m'a fait mal.

Ah, chere tit monde, 

Moi aller là-bas à Duralde,

Moi aller mon tout seul,

Moi aller là-bas à Duralde.

Angelas Manuel and Amar Devillier
Courtesy of Neal Granger

Amar began playing in dance halls in the 1930's and 1940's and therefore was able to greatly supplement his income during the Great Depression.   He played many bals de maison in the early years and considered by local music buffs as one of the original French musicians from the area. Musicians had to play loud to be heard thus were hard on their instruments.  Because of his rough playing and due to no amplification at the time, he would wear-out a set of bellows often on his accordion.  

Later on, Lafleur was supposed to be the key musician at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, but his wife wouldn't have it.  At the last minute, before the band left, he dropped out.  Instead, the mostly unknown Dewey Balfa took his place, creating one of the most important events in Cajun music history: the Cajun music "renaissance".   After Balfa's return, he helped create what is known as Festival Acadiens. 

I'm going, dear little girl,

Oh, over there to Duralde,

Hey, ye yaille, I know,

Dear little girl, you're mine, I love you.

Dear little everything, I'm going,

Yes, over there as of now,

I'm going, dear little girl,

I'm going over there to Duralde. 

Dear little girl, I know,

I know, it's not worth it,

You've done to me, all of that,

All that, I'm miserable.

I'm going over there to Duralde,

I'm going all alone,

I'm going over there to Duralde.

Amar and Cajun fiddler, Dennis McGee, were known to have co-written some songs together, most notably "La Valse de Lanse Meg", also known as "La Valse de Devillier".1,2   By 1960, Wallace would end up playing with Shirley Bergeron and his group while Terry Clement would take the melody and use it in his song "Diggy Liggy Lo". 

1. https://pngran.blogspot.com/2019/06/la-valse-de-devillier-amars-waltz.html
2. Discussions with Neal G
3. Lyrics by Jerry M

Find:
Cajun Music - The Early 50s (Arhoolie, 1969)
Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings Vol. 2 (Arhoolie, 2013)
Bayou Two-Step - Cajun Hits From Louisiana 1929-1962 (Jasmine, 2015)