Article reprinted with permission from the Peterborough This Week.

New Orleans North: Music and dancing in 'feel good' revival mode

For fans of Peter Andrée and his Bobcajun bandmates, dancing to Zydeco, Cajun music nothing of short of an energizing kick in the pants
Apr 6, 2005


Paul Rellinger

As an environmental sciences instructor at Trent University, Peter Andrée's work-day resides in a world of known entities.

A world where facts and figures are held in high regard.

A world where the predictable is sought and revered.

But then the sun goes down and all hell breaks loose, on the stage and on the dance floor before it.

"The music we play is a cross between blues, Celtic, country and rock and it happens to have an accordion and a lot of it is (sung in) French," notes Mr. AndrÈe.

The music he refers to is Zydeco and Cajun music; the "we" is the band Bobcajun of which the accordionist is a member along with Curtis Driedger (fiddle), Jim Gleason (stand-up bass) and Tina Therrien (guitar/vocals).

Locally, Bobcajun calls The Montreal House home, their monthly performances combined with pre-show dance instruction by Myra Hirschberg and Tom Calwell nothing short of an event for those with the energy to keep up and the pent-up energy to burn.

As the band's web site reads, "The lights go down...the fiddle scrapes like a cricket, the accordion wheezes like a frog, the bass begs whumping out a two-step and the singing starts, something wild and crazy and free and en Francais."

For those looking for some Street to mix with their Bourbon, welcome to New Orleans North.


Born and raised in Montreal, Peter Andrée picked up the accordion at age seven and but for a brief period in his teens, has never put it down.

"My parents had to stay on me," he recalls of those early years honing his talent with the instrument.

"When you're a kid, you don't tell other kids you play the accordion."

In 1989, he came to Peterborough and Trent University as an undergraduate student, eventually securing a Ph.D. in environmental studies.

Travel followed, first to Surinam where Mr. Andrée took sitar lessons and then India where he delved into that country's classical music.

Upon his return to Peterborough, Mr. Andrée played mostly Celtic music with different bands, among them Reverend Ken Ramsden. But, he recalls, "I was really drawn to Cajun and Zydeco."

To that end, he searched out recordings of the music at local stores. He liked what he heard, specifically "the drive and danceability of it."

And then he found his Holy Grail.

Bernie Martin, a musician who regularly lent his talents to 4th Line Theatre and also had an affinity for the historic music of that region, had picked up a handmade accordion in Louisiana.

After he passed away in the mid '90s, Mr. Andrée approached his widow a few years later to ask if he could borrow the instrument.

They've been inseparable since.

By 1998, it was time to get serious about this Cajun and Zydeco thing, the result being Y2Cajun in collaboration with Honest Frankie along with Curtis Driedger, Jim Gleason, Jude Waldman and Tina Therrien.

The band did its thing but then Honest Frankie moved to St. Catharines and, as Mr. Andrée jokes, Y2Cajun became "the one thing that blew up with the arrival of the new millennium."

But that setback opened the door to new possibilities and the eventual birth of Bobcajun.



"It's just feel good music...that's where the dancing is the big thing."

Mr. Andrée's love of all things Cajun and Zydeco goes well beyond the music.

"I'm a bit of a history buff...I think it's very interesting where the music comes from," he says.

As with most genres of music, there are countless books and web site that detail the origins and progression of Cajun and Zydeco.

The former is the music of French-speaking Acadians who, upon their expulsion from Nova Scotia in 1755, brought their music with them to Louisiana.

Cajun had its origins in France but it had been altered via the Acadians' experiences in the New World through their encounters with British settlers and Native Americans.

Zydeco, meanwhile, evolved from the music of Creoles, French-speaking people in Louisiana.

Prior to the Second World War, Creole music was actually very similar to Cajun music. Post-war, Creole music began to absorb different influences, including blues and rock 'n' roll.

For Mr. Andrée, the difference between the two styles of music is a little simpler but crucial to the sound he creates -- Cajun music sees him play the button accordion while Zydeco requires the sound of the piano accordion.

Zydeco, he adds, requires a washboard while Cajun relies heavily on the distinctive sound of the triangle.

Any common ground between the two, notes Mr. AndrÈe, lies in the "high energy" of the sound that results.

"I love playing for people who like to dance," he notes of his own attraction.

"Every show there are new faces, people from 18 to 80 (years old). But it's not just about the music. The dancing is a big part of it. I get a real kick out of watching the people dance."

That's where dance callers and teachers Myra Hirschberg and Tom Calwell of Dancingthread step in.

Prior to each Montreal House show, the pair instructs in the two-step and waltz dance styles that go hand-in-hand, and foot-over-foot, with the music. In short, they try to recreate the feel of a Louisiana community dance.

After that warm-up, Bobcajun holds court.

"What I love is we all enjoy each other's company," Mr. Andrée says of the band.

"We all bring different things to the music and the show. Curtis is very quirky with a great sense of humour.

"Tina has a stellar lead voice and Jim's just always ready to go. Tom and Myra are fantastic teachers. I'm the keeper of the faith, I guess."

Bobcajun hasn't just been restricted to the Montreal House stage. The band has performed at the Peterborough Folk Festival as well as at a Cajun music festival in Wakefield, Quebec.

Mr. Andrée notes "it'd be interesting to play the Red Dog on a Friday night" just to see what the reception would be like at the venerable house of blues music.

"The band's goal is to eventually have a CD but we're not in a rush to do that," he says.

"We're happy doing what we do. It's a great music scene here. A lot of people take it for granted."





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