At last year’s Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, there was a moment of serendipity. The Daiquiri Queens dedicated its set to Cajun female vocalist Dale Dugas, whose 1993 Chanteuse Cadjinne disc was inspirational. The sextet even donned t-shirts with her image emblazoned on the front, not knowing whatever became of its idol. Dugas caught wind of this tribute on her way in from Florida (her adopted residence of several years) and attended the Sunday afternoon performance.
On its auspicious, eponymously titled debut disc, The Daiquiri Queens take it a step further by dedicating this CD in “the loving memory of Dale Dugas” (Dugas passed away on May 1, 2020). Things kick off with a bang with “Mes Deux Beau Frѐres,” a tune from Chanteuse Cadjinne written by venerable tunesmith Johnny Alan telling the tale of two miscreant brothers-in-law. Accordionist John Dowden leads the charge while rest of the band sprints with him, powered by Chelsea Moosekian’s hard-kicking, shuffling drumming.
Jamie Lynn Fontenot and Miriam McCracken’s signature vocals are the Queens’ primary focal point. Sometimes they sing in unison, but mostly Fontenot takes the lead and McCracken adds harmony. Though other groups feature female vocalists, Fontenot-McCracken’s vocals are still to die for. Whether it’s rocking with sass (“Fais Do Do”), dancefloor dust kickers (“Je T’aime Toujours”) or something eternally heart-melting (“Plus Tu Tournes”), their vocals are versatile enough to pivot instantly in any direction.
The thoughtful song selection is not the typical fare young groups draw from, but pulls from the obscurer corners of the Cajun cultural repertoire. Besides “Plus Tu Tournes” from Irene Therese Whitfield’s 1939 groundbreaking book Louisiana French Folk Songs, there’s also a percussive children’s song “J’ai passé dessous le pommier” that can be traced back to France. Ann Savoy’s “Une femme avec un couer cassé” is given reverent, stately treatment with fiddler Tysman Charpentier leading the melody.
Studio engineer Chris Stafford does a marvelous job pulling it all together, even jumping in for a splendid flat-picking solo on “Tournes” and lathering on the steel on “Moi Pour Toi” for a honky-tonk edge. No wonder his Feufollet bandmate Philippe Billeaudeaux refers to The Daiquiri Queens’ debut as “one of the best trad records to come along in years.” After experiencing this, you’d be a couillon to argue.
