​LES FRERES MICHOT

Les Freres Michot

Traditional Cajun Music

 

Point of contact:

Tommy Michot

PO Box 23

Milton, Louisiana 70558

337-654-9594

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tcmichot@gmail.com

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www.tcmichot.wix.com/lesfreresmichot

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Background:

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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.

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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