"Trois Jours Apres Ma Mort" - Soileau Couzens

Just as fiddler Leo Soileau was hitting his stride with accordionist Moise Robin in 1929, the partnership faded away.   Leo returned to his roots, establishing a contract with RCA Victor and convincing his talented cousin Alius Soileau to join him for a recording session in New Orleans.   Together, they were billed as the Soileau Couzens.   It was his first attempt at performing commercially as a fiddle duet.

Eh, toi, 'tite fille, 

Viens me rejoindre là bas à la maison.

Hé, dans trois jours après ma mort, 

Tu vas venir à la maison te lamenter de moi.

Hé, 'gardez donc, 'tit monde, 

Fais pas ça, ta maman va pleurer.

Hé, viens 'vec moi là bas, 

T'en vas dire à ta maman c’est pas rien.

Hé, toi, 'tite fille, 

Moi, je connais, tu ferais mieux pas de faire ça, yaie.

Leo Soileau

"Trois Jours Apres Ma Mort" (#22578), recorded by Leo and his cousin Alius on vocals, seemed to be a waltz-style version of the melody known as "Bayou Pom Pom".  Roy Fuselier remembered Alius' playing style,

When my brother got married, he stopped playing completely.  I got myself another player, one named Alius Soileau, a good violin player known in the territory, Leo Soileau's cousin.  He's an old violin player raised at Durald, near me.  Hey, he's a man who gives a good sound on the violin. Prettier than Leo.2   

Fiddler Canray Fontenot remembered both of them,

Alius Soileau, he could play the fiddle good, yeah. He was Leo's first cousin.  But, he just liked to play when he wanted to play. He'd come to the house, in the back of Basile.1   

Hey you, little girl, 

Come join me over there at the house.

Hey, in three days, after my death,

You will come to my house and you'll lament about me.

Hey, so look here, my little everything,

Don't do that, your mom will cry.

Hey, come back with me over there,

You are going to tell your mom it's nothing.

Hey, you little girl,

I know, you better not do that, oh my.

1. http://arhoolie.org/canray-fontenot-interview/
2. Ye Yaille Chere by Raymond Francois
3. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
BVE-56502-1 Quand J'Ete Seul Hier | Victor 22578-A
BVE-56504-1 Trois Jours Apris Ma Mort | Victor 22578-B

Find:

Le Gran Mamou: A Cajun Music Anthology (CMF, 1990)

Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)

"O! Bebe" - Oscar "Slim" Doucet & Alius Soileau

A fantastic Cajun tune, recorded in New Orleans in late 1929.  It was during the same session, Alius Soileau teamed up with his cousin, Leo, who had just finished recording with Moise Robin the previous month. Together they were spearheading some of the earliest Cajun music with Victor records.  However, Alius chose to also play alongside his friend Oscar "Slim" Doucet, an accordion player, who had waxed some Cajun crooner tunes with Patrick Pellerin.  With Slim on accordion and Alius on fiddle, they duo belted out four sides, two of which were issued on RCA Victor and two which were issued on Victor's subsidiary budget label called Bluebird.  The Victor songs contained "O! Bebe" (#22366), a song which Slim sang on his own.

Oscar Doucet

Ah, Joline, si loin de d'la maison,

Mais, écoute moi bien chérie viens voir,

Mais, 'coute toi-même, t'as maltraité ton nég', par rapport à les conseils, 

Mais, tu vas me payer ça, Joline, mais, jolie fille.

Ah, mignonne, quoi faire t'as fait tout ça, 

Mais, si jolie bouclé, mais ça z'à moi savoir,

On va s'en aller, chère, mais voir les jolie filles, 

Mais, écoutes pas les conseils tout le monde est z'aprés dire.

Hey, oui donc, allons aux Opelousas,

Mais, c’est pour voir ma belle,

Mais, oui, mais ma ‘tite fille.

Mais, écoute-moi bien, chérie

Viens voir, mais pour toi-même.

T’as maltraité ton nègre,

Par rapport à les conseils.

Ruston Daily Leader
November 22, 1929

Some of the language is interesting to casual readers. The word "joline" could be referring to someone's name, however, it's common for Cajun speakers in certain areas to add an 'n' to the word "jolie".   It was more of a regional phrasing. "Jolie bouclé" was more of a term of endearment, similar to the Cajun phrase "jolie blonde" or "chere bebe".   The phrase "quoi faire" literally means "what make", sometimes translated to "what to do".    It is commonly found in Louisiana French songs.  However, it's usage is more along the words "why have" or "what reason", possibly based in a unique mixture of the Louisiana French "pourquoi" and the African Kwa language word "kofe" which means "why".  It is best explained as a case of convergence between the vernacular and dialectal varieties of French spoken by the white settlers of colonial Louisiana and the languages spoken by the African slaves.2

Ah, Joline, so far from home,

Well, listed to me well, my beloved, come see me,

Well, listen to yourself, you've abused your old man, respect the advice given,

Well, you are going to pay for that, Joline, well, pretty girl.

Ah, cutie, why have you done all of this,

Well, so, pretty curls, well, that is what I know,

We're going to go, dear, well, to see the pretty girls,

Well, don't listen to the advice everyone has told you.

Hey, oh yeh, let's go to Opelousas,

Well, it's to see my beauty,

Well yeh, well, my little girl,

Well, listen to me well, dear,

Come see, well, for yourself,

You have mistreated your old man,

Respect the advice given.

It doesn't seem that they were able to achieve the success they had garnered with other recording sessions.   The session is the last one for both artists and only Alius' cousin Leo would go on to record for years to come.

1. The Encyclopedia of Country Music
2. The Structure of Louisiana Creole', Albert Valdman and Thomas Klinger
3. Lyrics by Stephanie D and Jerry M

Find:
Le Gran Mamou: A Cajun Music Anthology - The Historic Victor–Bluebird Sessions 1928–1941 Vol. 1 (Country Music Foundation, 1990)
Cajun Capers: Cajun Music 1928-1954 (Proper, 2005)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
The Best Of Cajun & Zydeco (Not Now, 2010)
Cajun Hot Stuff 1928-1940 (Acrobat, 2011)