French-Canadian Call & Response Songs
Les Chansons à Répondre-French for call and response songs-are a great way to learn and practice speaking French, while simultaneously celebrating a popular folk tradition. Parts of the song are first sung by the leader, then echoed by the rest of the singers. The imitation and repetition provide ample opportunities to learn the words of the song and join in the fun. Some of the songs that I will present are songs that I learned growing up in Québec and New Brunswick, while others are part of the repertoire of such popular groups as *La Bottine Souriante*, *Les Charbonniers de l’Enfer* , and *Le Vent du Nord*. Everything from “Alouette” to “Ziguezon” will be covered and printed versions will be provided.
About Louis Léger
Septuagenarian Louis Léger was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, speaking French in an Acadian family. He spent his wild youth in France playing old-time and jugband fiddling with The Stringband, busking in Germany, France, and Switzerland. He moved to Santa Barbara, California in the 1970s and taught fiddle to a host of young fiddlers at the time, including John Travolta. For 20 years, he taught orchestra and band in public schools in California and Oregon. When his son started playing, the two of them focused on French-Canadian fiddling and began a long search for their Acadian roots in the music. These days he mostly plays button accordion, but he’s been known to play fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and spoons (of which he was once a world champion, before there were world championships).