Dewey Balfa, Marc SAvoy, D.L. Menard

Biography

Dewey Balfa, D.L. Menard, and Marc Savoy are three renowned Cajun musicians from southwest Louisiana, celebrated for their roles in preserving and popularizing traditional Cajun music. Dewey Balfa, a fiddler and vocalist, led the Balfa Brothers band, which gained prominence after performing at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival at the invitation of Ralph Rinzler, leading to tours across the United States, Canada, and France in 1975. D.L. Menard, born April 14, 1932, in Erath, Louisiana, began as a guitarist in cotton fields, formed the Louisiana Aces, and composed enduring songs like 'La Porte d’en Arrière,' blending Cajun with country elements; he received the 1994 National Heritage Fellowship and other honors. Marc Savoy, born October 1, 1940, near Eunice, Louisiana, on his grandfather's rice farm, started playing accordion at age 12, influenced by his fiddler grandfather and Dennis McGee, later earning a chemical engineering degree before founding Savoy Music Center in 1966 to build and play Cajun accordions.[1][2][3][4]

Their careers intertwined through folk festival circuits in the mid-1960s and a pivotal 1976 tour together in Delaware, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., culminating in their debut trio album 'Under a Green Oak Tree' (also known as 'En Bas du Chene Vert') on Arhoolie Records, featuring classics like 'Chameaux One-Step' and 'J'ai Fait Un Gros Erreur.' Savoy performed extensively with Balfa, Menard, and others like Rodney Balfa and Michael Doucet in the Savoy-Doucet Band, while also hosting jam sessions at his Music Center and playing in the family band with wife Ann Savoy and sons Joel and Wilson. Menard balanced music with chair-making, and Balfa continued promoting Cajun heritage despite personal tragedies, including the deaths of his wife and brothers.[1][4][6][7]

Collectively, they embodied Cajun music's revival, with Savoy's accordion craftsmanship, Menard's songwriting, and Balfa's fiddling ensuring the genre's legacy through recordings, festivals, and cultural advocacy, influencing global appreciation of Acadian traditions.[1][2][4]

Fun Facts

• The trio's first joint tour in February 1976 took them to Delaware, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., marking their debut as an ensemble before recording 'Under a Green Oak Tree.'[1]
• D.L. Menard supplemented his music career by crafting handmade ash-wood rocking chairs with his wife Lou Ella weaving the seats, selling them across southwest Louisiana.[2][3]
• Marc Savoy met his wife Ann at Wolf Trap Park in 1976 during a tour with the Balfa Brothers and D.L. Menard, leading to marriage in 1977 and the Savoy Family Band.[4][7]
• Despite a chemical engineering degree, Marc Savoy chose full-time accordion building and playing in 1966, hosting weekly jam sessions at his Savoy Music Center.[4][5]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dennis McGee - Legendary fiddler who played with Marc Savoy's grandfather and influenced Savoy's early playing (Traditional performances on grandfather's farm) [1940s-1950s]
• Savoy's grandfather - Fiddler on rice farm who exposed Marc Savoy to traditional music (Local playing sessions) [Childhood, pre-1952]

Key Collaborators

• Dewey Balfa - Trio performances and recordings; Balfa on fiddle/vocals, Savoy on accordion/fiddle, Menard on guitar/vocals ('Under a Green Oak Tree' (1976), folk festival tours) [1960s-1976]
• D.L. Menard - Trio ensemble with Balfa Brothers and Louisiana Aces members; shared tours and recordings ('Under a Green Oak Tree' (1976), 1976 U.S. tour) [1960s-1976]
• Rodney Balfa - Frequent performances with Savoy (Balfa Brothers tours and sessions) [1960s-1970s]
• Michael Doucet - Band partnership in Savoy-Doucet Band (Various albums and performances) [Ongoing from 1970s]
• Ann Savoy - Wife and family band member; singer/guitarist (Savoy Family Band) [1977-present]
• Sady Courville - Traveling companion and performer (Tours with Balfa Brothers) [1970s]
• Eddie LeJeune and Ken Smith - Trio recording with Menard ('Le Trio Cadien' (1993, Grammy-nominated)) [1993]

Artists Influenced

• Savoy Family Band (Joel and Wilson Savoy) - Sons influenced by father's Cajun accordion style and teachings (Family band performances) [1980s-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia