Allons a Lafayette

The first Cajun song to be commercially recorded. Originally recorded by Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux in 1928 as “Lafayette (Allon à Luafette)” for Columbia Records, based on the traditional song “Jeunes Gens Campagnard” that Joe heard as a child. Harry Choates revived it in 1946, officially titling it “Allons A Lafayette” and creating the first fiddle-driven version without accordion. The song sold well regionally and kicked off an entire genre of music still going strong today. In 2010, it ranked #3 in Robert Dimery’s “1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die” and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. The title translates to “Let’s go to Lafayette” and tells a story of love and identity as a couple.