The Cajun Queen

When it comes to Cajun music, it doesn’t get much more authentic than Sarah Savoy and her band, The Francadians. Daughter of acclaimed Cajun musicians Marc and Ann Savoy, she grew up in the music’s heartland in the swamplands of Louisiana, steeped in a unique tradition that has remained more or less unadulterated, due to the isolated geography of the area.

Her dad, who makes accordions when not gigging and recording, appeared in the Walter Hill movie, Southern Comfort, while her mother, who has written about the history of Cajun music, was in Divine Secrets Of The Ya Ya Sisterhood, also making an acclaimed duet album with Linda Ronstadt (Adieu False Heart). Sarah Savoy and her Paris-based outfit carry on the family tradition touring and recording across Europe and in her homeland.
“I guess we’re kind of Cajun aristocracy down there in Louisiana,” Sarah explains, before a recent performance at Whelan’s Dublin during an Irish tour. “Time magazine called my father the ‘Godfather of Cajun’, and there are about six different bands within our family alone – all playing Cajun music. I’m about as Louisiana and Cajun as you can be. I’m definitely not faking it.” (laughs)
Her current album Allons Rock ‘n’ Roll blends Cajun with country and Texas-swing while the band’s retro ‘50s dress sense adds a sense of timelessness to the whole affair.
“Cajun music is really important to me but I always wanted to mix it with other music styles,” she explains. “Along with Cajun, I grew up listening to Patsy Cline and Wanda Jackson, so I translate country songs and rockabilly songs playing them with accordions and fiddles. There are bands that do rock ‘n’ roll with a Cajun feel but I wanted to do Cajun with a rock ‘n’ roll feel. I wanted to keep it really rootsy too so we’re a four piece with all-acoustic instruments.”
Despite her family background she says that a full-time career in music wasn’t at all certain.
“It just happened that way,” she says. “I went to college and I tried to do other stuff. I got my degree in English and I wanted to play in punk bands but that didn’t work out. Then I wanted to learn Russian and I went there on a six-month internship but I ended up staying for five years after I got a job as the Marketing Director of the American Hospital over there. And then I met Dave [Rolland, fellow bandmate] and we moved to Paris.
Despite the strong French roots of Cajun culture Savoy says moving to Paris was a bit of a culture shock.
“I grew up on a farm so Paris is just a little different. I’m used to taking a horse to the nearest neighbour in Louisiana. And I still have a funny accent when I speak French. The Parisians laugh at me, some of them think it’s cute. I don’t care.”
According to Savoy, the Cajun part of Louisiana consists of about a third of the state with Baton Rouge as the capital .“We’re actually only about five towns in total where everything is totally laidback as it’s too hot to do anything. We’re all about smoking and drinking beer and moonshine. People work just enough to get by and to be able to afford to go out dancing and drinking at the weekends. It’s all about music, good food and drinking.”

Sarah Savoy And The Francadians album Allons Rock ‘n’ Roll is out now.