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HISTORY

Les Freres Michot

Traditional Cajun Music

 

Point of contact:

Tommy Michot

PO Box 23

Milton, Louisiana 70558

337-654-9594

tcmichot@gmail.com

www.tcmichot.wix.com/lesfreresmichot

Background:

The Michots grew up in rural Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, in a small community known as Pilette.  Their father, Louis J. Michot, Jr. (1922-2012) was raised in Mamou and Lafayette; both of his parents grew up in Avoyelles Parish with French as their native tongue, later learning English in school.  Patricia Ann Smith Michot (1926-2011), the mother of Les Frères, was born and raised in St. Mary Parish on the banks of the Lower Atchafalaya River near Patterson, where her father ran Idlewild Farms. Her mother Rita was born and raised in Iberia Parish on the banks of Bayou Teche at Belle Place, between New Iberia and Loreauville; she also grew up speaking only French and learned English later in school. The Michots, on Rita's side, are direct descendants of Alexandre "Beausoleil" Broussard who, with his brother Joseph, led the first group of Acadians to relocate to Bayou Teche from Acadie in 1765, after Le Grand Derangement. Louis and Pat Michot had 10 children, 4 girls and 6 boys, who grew up in Pilette and attended school in Lafayette.  For more information on Louis MIchot, see https://conservapedia.com/Louis_J._Michot.

Les Frères Michot started playing together as an all-brothers Cajun band in 1986, although the individual musicians have played with each other and with numerous other groups since about 1968. The group plays traditional Cajun music in the all-acoustic "bal de maison" (house dance) style that was prevalent before the advent of electric amplification, and the Michots' aim has always been to preserve this style of Cajun music. They typically use no drums, nor electric instruments, and their music has a strong vocal component with all lyrics in French. Instrumentation includes fiddle, accordion, and acoustic guitar, and often with the p’tit fer ("le basse triangle," or "le bastringue") and contrebasse. The Michots have played extensively throughout the United States and have toured in Quebec, Acadie, and in several European countries (France, England, Poland), but play primarily in south Louisiana.

 

The group has recorded three albums, in five releases (see CDs).  The first album, "Elevés à Pilette," was released in vinyl and tape on the ARZED label (RZ 1014) in 1987, and re-released on the LFM label in cd and tape in 1996 (LFM 0002). That album was produced by Zachary Richard, who also sings on one track, and includes the late Dewey Balfa as a guest musician on several tracks, along with five of the six Michot brothers (Rick, Tommy, Bobby, David, Mike).  The second album, "La Roue Qui Pend,” was released in Spring 2003 (cd) on the Swallow Records label (SW 6174) and features Tommy's sons Andre and Louis along with four of the original brothers (Tommy, Rick, David, Mike); it was recorded at Freetown Studio and at La Roue Qui Pend.  The third album, "La Caroline," was recorded at La Louisianne studio in Lafayette and was released in September of 2008 on the LFM label (LFM 0003); it features Rick's son Patrick along with brothers Tommy and Rick.  La Caroline was re-released out of France as “Dedans le sud de la Louisiane” under the Fremeaux label (FA 579) in 2013.

 

The Michots as a group and as individuals have recorded on several additional albums (see below) and they have been featured in numerous films, documentaries, and national television and radio programs.  They have also played in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ireland, and Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Quebec).

 

General:

Documentaries featuring Les Freres Michot have aired on CNN, the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, TV5 (France), and Public TV (Spain). The band was honored as a "Living Legend" by the Cajun Museum in Erath, La, and the Michot Family recieved the Acadian Cultural Preservation Award from the Bayou Vermilion District and Vermilionville in 2012. Les Freres Michot and the Lost Bayou Ramblers were featured in a Louisiana Crossroads program in Lafayette and Lake Charles in 2013.  Les Freres Michot was selected to play with the Acadian Symphony Orchestra for its annual "Red White and Boom" Independence Day Concert in 2007.

 

Key performances 

private parties for Princess Anne and Princess Margaret of England

special performance for U.S. President George W. Bush

performance for the Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S.

perfomances for presidential candidates Dan Quayle, Dick Gephardt, Paul Simon, George W. Bush, John Kerry.

performances for La. Governors Katheleen Blanco, Mike Foster, Edwin Edwards; Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; and numerous local officials.

performances at private events with Dr. John, Zachary Richard, Katie Webster, Les McCann.

Republican National Convention, New Orleans, LA

 

Festivals:

Smithsonian Folk Music Concert Series, Washington DC

Festival International des Francophonies, Limousin, France

Les Arts au Soleil, Charente-Maritime, France

Juenesse Musicales International Congress, Krakow, Poland

Festival Les Folkloriques de Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada

Festival International des Arts Traditionnels de Québec

Louisiana Folklife Festival, Natchitoches, Louisiana

Catfish Festival, St. Martinville, Louisiana

Sarah’s Garden Festival, Lafayette, Louisiana

Chile Pepper Fiesta, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NYC

Cajun Fest, Jackson, MS

Wine Festival, Naples, FL

Spilletto Festival, Charleston, SC

Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA

Festivals Acadiens, Lafayette, LA

Festival de Musique Acadienne, Lafayette, LA

Cajun Food Festival, Lafayette, LA

Festival International, Lafayette, LA

Congres Mondial des Acadiens, Lafayette, LA

Congres Mondial des Acadiens, New Brunswick, Canada

Downtown Alive, Lafayette, LA

Bach Lunch, Lafayette, LA

Rhythms on the River, Lafayette, LA

Business After Hours, Lafayette, LA

Cajun Day Festival, Mamou, LA

Rendezvous des Cajuns, Liberty Theatre, Eunice, LA

Boudin Festival, Broussard, LA

Shrimp Festival, Morgan City, LA

Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, LA

Duck Festival, Gueydon, LA

Frog Festival, Rayne, LA

Rice Festival, Crowley, LA

Conge', Grand Coteau, LA

Avoyelles Cajun Music Festival, Cottonport, LA

Fine Arts Festival, Many LA

Red River Festival, Alexandria, LA

Swamp Festival, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA

Zoo-to-do, New Orleans, LA

French Quarter Tomato Festival, New Orleans, LA

Cajun-Zydeco Festival, New Orleans, LA

French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, LA

Wetlands Festival, Thibodeaux, Louisiana

Courir de Mardi Gras, Eunice, LA

La. Swamp Stomp Festival, Raceland, LA

 

Musicians who have played with Les Freres Michot over the years:

 

Rick Michot                                                Tommy Michot

Mike Michot                                                Bobby Michot                                                 

David Michot                                              Tim Michot 

Louis P. Michot                                           Andre Michot

Yvonne Michot                                            Ann Michot

Patrick Michot                                             Louis J. Michot                                                 

Ryan Brasseaux                                           Billy Michot, Jr.

Randy Vidrine                                              Dan Reaux

Adam Cohen                                               Christopher "Oscar" Courville

Cal Arnould                                                 Benny Graeff

Clay Chapman                                             Kevin Courville

Matt Doucet                                                 Ashlee Michot

Joel Walker                                                  Corey McCauley

Henry Adams, Jr.                                         Darryl Leger

Henry Adams III                                           Larry Amy

Gary Newman                                              Dale Savoie

Cavin Carruth                                              David Trainer

Harold Bernard                                            David Egan

Gene Billeaudeaux                                       David Greely

Scott Kibideaux                                           Elmo Mouton

Mitch Reed                                                   Lisa Trahan

Eric Chapman                                              Ray Abshire

Allen Lafleur                                                Jon Bertrand

Brent Abshire                                              Walter Farr

Robert LeBlanc                                            Tommy "Squirrel" Martin

Kim Andrus                                                 Chris Keating

Susan Leger                                                Steve Riley

Zachary Richard                                          Dewey Balfa

Shirley Ray Bergeron                                  Ed Deshotels

Jacques Boudreaux                                    Ken Rust

Bill Grass                                                     Hubert Maitre

Asher Reaux                                               Jonathan Melancon

Alan Lafleur                                                Kevin Wimmer

Bobby Dumatrait                                        Terry Huval

Yvette Landry                                              James Billeaudeau

Justin Leger                                                Larry Amy

 

 

 

Michots have been recorded on albums by:

Les Freres Michot  as listed elsewhere on this site:

     RZ-1014 (1987), LFM-0002 (1996), SW-6174 (2003), LFM-0003 (2008), FA-579 (2013).

Lost Bayou Ramblers (Andre, Louis, David)

     2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 

     Swallow Records SW-6177, SW-6192, SW-6196, SW-6205, Bayou Perdu Records BP-0001,             Nouveau Electric Records, and more.  Grammy winners in 2018 for best album in Regional             Roots Category, "Kalenda."

Michot's Melody Makers (Louis)

     Louis' fiddle-based music group, has released albums on Nouveau Electric Records 2020               and Sinking City Records 2018

Rayo Brothers, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020

      (Daniel Reaux and Jesse Reaux are the sons of our sister, Yvonne Michot Reaux)

Bobby Michot, "Gone Back," 2011 (Bobby with Jesse and Daniel)

L.E.S. Douze 1, "The Stoned," Nouveau Electric Records 2019 (Louis, Andre)

L.E.S. Douze 2, "Le String Noise," Nouveau Electric Records 2020 (Louis)

Soul Creole, "Les Trois Rangs," Nouveau Electric Records 2020 (Louis, Ashlee)

Rickie Lee Jones, "Kicks" 2019 (Louis)

Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys, "La Danse a St. Ann's" 2020 (Louis) Nouveau Electric Records 

Octa Clark (Rick) 1993; FieldSpan Records FS-0193

Ray Abshire (Andre) 2003, 2007; Swallow Records SW-6173, SW-6193

Savoy-Michot Cajun Band, 2004 (Louie, Bobby, Wilson Savoy); no label

Pat Cleofa (Bobby) 2003

Dexter Ardoin (Bobby) 2001; Playa Sound

Ray Landry and Basile Cajun Band (Bobby) 2000; Swallow Records SW-6156

Mamou Prairie Band (Rick, Bobby) 1993; Swallow Records SW-6109

Cajun French Music Association, First Album, (various artists) - Les Freres Michot (1 track): Rick, Tommy, Bobby, Mike, David, Darren Wallace; ca. 1987; Bee Records, Church Point, La.

La. Red Hot Records, "Allons Danser! Cajun: The Language of New Orleans Vol. VI" (various artists) - Les Freres Michot (2 tracks) 2001; LRHR-9106

Girard Dole - Escale a Louisiane (Bobby) 1995 Playa Sound PS-66511

Girard Dole - Vilaine Manière (Bobby) 1990 Playa Sound

Cathedral Boys Choir (Tommy, David, Tim, Zachary Richard) ca. 1965

See also:

Miscellaneous information page


 

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