Herman Fuselier

hfuselier@theadvertiser.com

Almost a century after they became Cajun music pioneers, Joe and Cleoma Falcon are making history again. The husband-and-wife duo are among the musicians featured in “American Epic,” a heralded, three-part documentary being screened this weekend at the Southern Screen Film Festival in Lafayette.

The documentary will be broadcasted by PBS and the BBC in 2017.

With Robert Redford, T Bone Burnett and Jack White serving as executive producers, “American Epic” travels back to 1926, when music scouts with new technology recorded everyday people making music. These records of Cajun, gospel, blues, country and other folk genres allowed Americans to hear their own music for the first time. The diverse sounds laid the foundation for popular music.

The Falcons, who had “Allons a Lafayette,” Cajun music’s first commercial recording in 1928, are profiled, along with the Breaux Freres, or Breaux Brothers. The Breauxs were the earliest to record “Jolie Blonde,” a Cajun anthem that’s even been covered by Bruce Springsteen and Gary U. S. Bonds.

The Falcons and descendants of the Breauxs appear in the second part of “American Epic” titled “Out of the Many The One.” Producer Jack McLean said early Cajun music has had far-reaching effects.

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“One thing we wanted was the wild sound of Cajun music,” said McLean. “We looked up Joe Falcon and the Breauxs and we had some brilliant A&R quotes from a guy called Frank Walker. He was an A&R man for Columbia Records. When he went down there and heard Cleoma Breaux, the Breaux Freres and Joe Falcon, they were just so fascinated by this wild and rural sound.

“We knew we had to have a section on Cajun music, as well as blues and folk music and gospel music. That really formed, in our opinion, the basis of popular music. This was really the first time everyone was being recorded. Everyone’s musical tastes, interests and proclivities were being catered to. It was a less elitist and exclusive thing. It was one of the areas I really enjoyed.”

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McLean said close to 200 musicians were considered during the 10 years of research, filming and development for the film. Local historian and musician Wade Falcon proved to be a valuable resource.

“We didn’t have quite the archive we needed to tell the Cajun story,” said McLean. “Wade Falcon was able to help us uncover the story, particularly with the Breaux Freres. We interviewed the modern-day Breaux Freres with Pat, Jerry and Gary. We heard all the wonderful stories about the wildness of these young men.

“Joe married Cleoma and Wade was able to help us find these fantastic photographs that brought all these people to life. Everyone we met in Louisiana and Lafayette was so helpful with us telling the Cajun story.”

The Lost Bayou Ramblers are featured in the third episode, “The Sessions.” The Ramblers, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Elton John and other renowned names rerecorded many of the film’s historic songs on the first-ever electrical recording machine of the 1920s.

The machine was rebuilt for the film and is now the only one left in the world.

“The Lost Bayou Ramblers have been fantastic supporters,” said McLean. “Louis came out to Los Angeles and filmed and extra interview with us. He speaks so eloquently and helps the layman really understand the kind of culture and atmosphere of Louisiana and Cajun music.

“Louis speaks so well to the kind of melting pot of all these cultures and the different backgrounds and style of music that came from Europe, Africa and melded together to form a new style of music. It’s definitely a new sound that was created in America and given back to the world.”

Want to go?

What: 'American Epic' at Southern Screen Film Festival

When: Part 1, 10 a.m. Saturday; Part 2, 10 a.m., Sunday; Part 3, 3:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St.

Tickets: $5

Information: southernscreen.org