"Promise Me" - Leo Soileau

The earliest Cajun fiddler on the commercial recording scene was Ville Platte native Leo Soileau.  His career spanned for two decades in which he constantly reshaped his ensemble to satisfy the ever changing south Louisiana audience.   Although Soileau played primarily Cajun music, both over the radio and at dances, Leo recalled,

Often, we'd broadcast during the day and play a dance that night.  My band could really mix 'em up. We could play French, English or Mexican songs. I don't remember any requests that we couldn't do.3 

But by the end of the 30s, Leo's band grew weary of their professional relationship and they split.   With Shreve's Four Aces on their own, Leo regrouped with a renewed focus on his roots, reverting back to French vocals, and even covering some old Cajun standards.  With Leo on fiddle, his Rhythm Boys consisted of Johnny Baker on guitar, possibly Buel Hoffpauir on guitar, and possibly Tony Gonzales on drums.  "Promise Me" (#17058), or "Promets-Moi", speaks about his jolie brun leaving to go away—to the melody of the old Joe Falcon tune called "Poche Town".

Mais, promets-moi d'une bonne tite fille, mais, jolie brune,

Mais, moi je m’ennuie-donc pour toi,

Jolie brune, pour ton nègre.

Eh, mais, s'en aller,

Nous autres tous seuls à la Louisiane,

C'est pour voir nos parents, chérie.

Mais, c'est pour dire, mais, quoi on a fait, jolie,

Oh, toi, mon nègre, s'en aller z-aussi loin, jolie.

Eh, jolie tite fille, tu connais t'es pour moi ,

Pourquoi-donc tu fais ça, jolie?

Leo Soileau and his Rhythm Boys, 
ca.1941
(Top) Eddy Pursley,
Dalton W. Thibodeaux, 
Herbert Duhon,
(Bottom) Leo Soileau,
Crawford Vincent, Gene Navarre
By Lous Fairchild and Crawford Vincent

The Rhythm Boys recorded two final sessions in 1937 before retiring to a performing career in Cajun Country's honky-tonks, dance halls, and bars. Most of the songs waxed by the Boys were French translations of hillbilly tunes, jazz , and popular arrangements.2   The main two music venues that carried Leo through the war years were the Silver Star and the Showboat.  Crawford Vincent, who had teamed up with Leo and his Rhythm Boys during the war recalled,

We were coming through here, and we were playing music at these clubs around Port Arthur mostly.  Then this fellow here [a bartender at the Show Boat] said, "Boy, this is a booming town. You should move over here." So, we moved here and had this sit-down job [at the Show Boat].1  

Well, promise me to be a good little girl, well, pretty brunette,

Well, I'm concerned for you,

Pretty brunette, for your man.

Hey, well, going away,

We're all alone in Louisiana,

It's to see our parents, dearie,

Well, it's to say, well, that we did, pretty one,

Oh, you, my best friend, going away so far, pretty one.

Hey, pretty little girl, you know you're for me,

So why have you done that, pretty one?

1. They Called It the War Effort: Oral Histories from World War II Orange, Texas By Louis Fairchild
2. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
3. Times Picayune.  Leo Soileau interview. 1975.
4. Lyrics by Stephane F and Smith S

Release Info:
61896-A La Blues De Port Arthur | 17058 A
61899-A Promise Me | Decca 17058 B

Find:
Leo Soileau: Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 7 (Old Timey, 1982)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)