ZydecoOnline Remembers Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin
Creole Legend, Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin Transitions
(November 16, 1915-May 16, 2007)
May 20, 2007
Submitted by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, internationally known Creole accordionist, singer, and one of the Zydeco Nation’s last living link to the old Creole musical tradition called “la la music” or “la musique Creole,” died of natural causes on May 16, 2007 at Eunice Manor Nursing Home in Eunice, Louisiana at the age of 91. Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin was born on November 16, 1915 at L’Anse de Prien (Black Cyprian's Cove) near Bayou Duralde, Louisiana. Born and raised as a sharecropper, farming remained a central part of his life, and, at times, took precedent over his musical career.
Cousin of the legendary black Creole accordionist, Amede Ardoin, Mr. Bois Sec began playing “la la music,” beginning on the triangle, in his early teenage years with Amede Ardoin. Mr. Bois Sec eventually learned how to play the button accordion, which became his principal instrument for the next fifty plus years. He acquired the nickname “Bois Sec” meaning “Dry Wood” because it was said, as a child, he was always the first person working in the fields to seek shelter during a rainstorm.
Over the next 7 decades, Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, along with his cousin and skilled Creole fiddler, Mr. Canray L’Anse de Prien, played locally at house parties, dances and churches, while remaining true to his agricultural roots and raising 14 children (many of whom became musicians, along with his, now departed, wife Marscline Ardoin.
Around the 1940’s Mr. Bois Sec and Mr. Canray Fontenot began playing with the musical outfit called the Duralde Ramblers regionally and regularly on a live radio show broadcast from Eunice, Louisiana. Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, Mr. Canray Fontenot, and the Duralde Ramblers began playing at folk festivals and concerts nationally and internationally.
One of their most memorable performances was at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, where they recorded their first album, while traveling in Virginia, “Les Blues du Bayou” (later reissued as “La Musique Creole”) which became a classic Creole recording. In 1970, Mr. Bois Sec’s sons, Mr. Morris Ardoin, Mr. Lawrence Ardoin, and Mr. Gustave Ardoin joined the group which became known as the Ardoin Family Orchestra.
During the course of his lifetime, Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin mentored, recorded and performed with, many well known, accomplished and relatively unknown musicians. “He was a humble man and a teacher, and Mr. Bois Sec had the benefit of living a long life, if you take advantage of that, you have the ability to touch people’s lives in a powerful way, Mr. Bois Sec did that throughout his life,” stated Paul Scott, Zydeco promoter and Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society organizer.
Scott recalled a experience that spoke to the influence Mr. Bois Sec had on musicians and the culture, “In the late eighties, a group of Japanese fiddle players came to University of Louisiana in Lafayette to study Creole and Cajun Music. They were taken to see Bois Sec Ardoin at his home. When he came outside, the students walked up to him, bowed down and kissed the ground…they were grateful to be in his presence.”
Younger Zydeco and Creole musicians like Dexter Ardoin, Sean Ardoin, and Chris Ardoin (three of Mr. Bois Sec’s grandsons) and Cedric Watson, as well as older musicians like Mr. Goldman Thibodeaux and D'Jalma Garnier were directly influence by Mr. Bois Sec Ardoin. “If you were serious, he would teach you,” stated Sean Ardoin (grandson of Bois Sec Ardoin, and lead singer for the Zydeco outfit Sean Ardoin & Zydekool) “My grandfather was a direct connection to the old way, he played the old music and passed it down, in the same manner it was passed down to him.”
Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin was a crucial link to the musique Creole traditions of a bygone era -- his music kept alive the Creole "la la" music which developed in the African-American communities of his native southwestern Louisiana, and which was a clear antecedent of the contemporary Zydeco sound.
Moriba Karamoko, director of the Lafayette Asset Building Coalition and Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society organizer had this critique of Mr. Bois Sec’s passing, “He was on of the last teachers (Zydeco or Cajun) of a great musical tradition. His passing is truly signals the end of an era and changing of the times.” “This was one of the last one’s, we will not pass this way again,” stated Paul Scott.
Those of us fortunate enough to meet him, speak with him, or hear Mr. "Bois Sec" Ardoin play are deeply appreciative of his many and great contributions to Creole Music and Culture as well as Zydeco Music. He was the last living link of creole musicians who were the first generation to record ‘La La Music” and guardian of a great tradition.
Mr. Bois Sec was a very proud and simple man who never moved out of his original home. He farmed during the week, played music on the weekend. There was no pretense about Mr. Bois Sec, there was no cowboy or western attire. You could see Mr. Bois Sec perform in his standard custom attire, a neatly pressed white short sleeve shirt with a tie, slacks and a nice hat all the time. He played because he loved the music.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Ardoin family during this difficult time.
Related Links for Mr. Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin
Daily World Newspaper, Opelousas, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin
Daily World Newspaper, Opelousas, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin-Obituary
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin-Funeral
Folkstreams.net-Bois Sec Ardoin & Canray Fontenot
The Guardian Unlimited-Bois Sec Ardoin-Obituary
The New York Times-Music-Bois Sec Ardoin
The Gambit Weekly-Creole Connection-Bois Sec Ardoin
The Kennel-Bois Sec Ardoin
IMDb Site-Bois Sec Ardoin
Acadiana Arts Council, Lafayette, Louisiana-Folk Heritage Award-Bois Sec Ardoin
Creole Legend, Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin Transitions
(November 16, 1915-May 16, 2007)
May 20, 2007
Submitted by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
 |
| Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, the Zydeco Nation's last living link to the old Creole "La La Music or "la musique Creole" transitioned on May 16, 2007 of natural causes in Eunice, Louisiana. Photo Credit:David Simpson, LSUE |
Cousin of the legendary black Creole accordionist, Amede Ardoin, Mr. Bois Sec began playing “la la music,” beginning on the triangle, in his early teenage years with Amede Ardoin. Mr. Bois Sec eventually learned how to play the button accordion, which became his principal instrument for the next fifty plus years. He acquired the nickname “Bois Sec” meaning “Dry Wood” because it was said, as a child, he was always the first person working in the fields to seek shelter during a rainstorm.
Over the next 7 decades, Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, along with his cousin and skilled Creole fiddler, Mr. Canray L’Anse de Prien, played locally at house parties, dances and churches, while remaining true to his agricultural roots and raising 14 children (many of whom became musicians, along with his, now departed, wife Marscline Ardoin.
Around the 1940’s Mr. Bois Sec and Mr. Canray Fontenot began playing with the musical outfit called the Duralde Ramblers regionally and regularly on a live radio show broadcast from Eunice, Louisiana. Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, Mr. Canray Fontenot, and the Duralde Ramblers began playing at folk festivals and concerts nationally and internationally.
One of their most memorable performances was at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, where they recorded their first album, while traveling in Virginia, “Les Blues du Bayou” (later reissued as “La Musique Creole”) which became a classic Creole recording. In 1970, Mr. Bois Sec’s sons, Mr. Morris Ardoin, Mr. Lawrence Ardoin, and Mr. Gustave Ardoin joined the group which became known as the Ardoin Family Orchestra.
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| Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin Creole Legend and Pioneer |
"This was one of the last one’s, we will not pass this way again."
During the course of his lifetime, Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin mentored, recorded and performed with, many well known, accomplished and relatively unknown musicians. “He was a humble man and a teacher, and Mr. Bois Sec had the benefit of living a long life, if you take advantage of that, you have the ability to touch people’s lives in a powerful way, Mr. Bois Sec did that throughout his life,” stated Paul Scott, Zydeco promoter and Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society organizer.
Scott recalled a experience that spoke to the influence Mr. Bois Sec had on musicians and the culture, “In the late eighties, a group of Japanese fiddle players came to University of Louisiana in Lafayette to study Creole and Cajun Music. They were taken to see Bois Sec Ardoin at his home. When he came outside, the students walked up to him, bowed down and kissed the ground…they were grateful to be in his presence.”
Younger Zydeco and Creole musicians like Dexter Ardoin, Sean Ardoin, and Chris Ardoin (three of Mr. Bois Sec’s grandsons) and Cedric Watson, as well as older musicians like Mr. Goldman Thibodeaux and D'Jalma Garnier were directly influence by Mr. Bois Sec Ardoin. “If you were serious, he would teach you,” stated Sean Ardoin (grandson of Bois Sec Ardoin, and lead singer for the Zydeco outfit Sean Ardoin & Zydekool) “My grandfather was a direct connection to the old way, he played the old music and passed it down, in the same manner it was passed down to him.”
“He was on of the last teachers (Zydeco or Cajun) of a great musical tradition. His passing is truly signals the end of an era and changing of the times.”
Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin was a crucial link to the musique Creole traditions of a bygone era -- his music kept alive the Creole "la la" music which developed in the African-American communities of his native southwestern Louisiana, and which was a clear antecedent of the contemporary Zydeco sound.
Moriba Karamoko, director of the Lafayette Asset Building Coalition and Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society organizer had this critique of Mr. Bois Sec’s passing, “He was on of the last teachers (Zydeco or Cajun) of a great musical tradition. His passing is truly signals the end of an era and changing of the times.” “This was one of the last one’s, we will not pass this way again,” stated Paul Scott.
Those of us fortunate enough to meet him, speak with him, or hear Mr. "Bois Sec" Ardoin play are deeply appreciative of his many and great contributions to Creole Music and Culture as well as Zydeco Music. He was the last living link of creole musicians who were the first generation to record ‘La La Music” and guardian of a great tradition.
Mr. Bois Sec was a very proud and simple man who never moved out of his original home. He farmed during the week, played music on the weekend. There was no pretense about Mr. Bois Sec, there was no cowboy or western attire. You could see Mr. Bois Sec perform in his standard custom attire, a neatly pressed white short sleeve shirt with a tie, slacks and a nice hat all the time. He played because he loved the music.
Thank you Mr. Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin for fighting the good fight, for walking the narrow road, and showing us the importance of
keeping our roots strong!
Related Links for Mr. Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin
Daily World Newspaper, Opelousas, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin
Daily World Newspaper, Opelousas, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin-Obituary
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, Louisiana-Bois Sec Ardoin-Funeral
Folkstreams.net-Bois Sec Ardoin & Canray Fontenot
The Guardian Unlimited-Bois Sec Ardoin-Obituary
The New York Times-Music-Bois Sec Ardoin
The Gambit Weekly-Creole Connection-Bois Sec Ardoin
The Kennel-Bois Sec Ardoin
IMDb Site-Bois Sec Ardoin
Acadiana Arts Council, Lafayette, Louisiana-Folk Heritage Award-Bois Sec Ardoin
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