<p> Cajun and Creole traditional music evolves, as does any living tradition. Taking this music into consideration from the perspective of « oral poetry, » a concept defined by Ruth Finnegan and Paul Zumthor, this thesis studies the aspect of singing in Cajun and Creole traditional music through transformations affected by recording technology (Zumthor’s notion of « mediatized orality ») with respect to the actual sociolinguistic context in Louisiana. First, we study the transformations occuring in songs from the traditional repertoire, through various audio renderings of the same songs. Second, we look at the way new songs, created in the traditional frame, address the lyrical content through old and contemporary themes, including the use of French language and bilingualism. This discussion is informed by interviews conducted with targeted musicians concerning their linguistic perceptions and respective artistic approaches. Thus, we eventually discover how, in addition to being a dance genre, Cajun and Creole music plays an essential role in the continued existence of French language in Louisiana.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1585848 |
| Date | 07 April 2015 |
| Creators | Boudreau, Marie-Laure |
| Publisher | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | French |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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