For over 40 years, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet have blended the rich Cajun traditions of Louisiana with elements of zydeco, New Orleans Jazz, country and blues to become the most esteemed Cajun group in music. Crossings brings the Grammy award-winning Cajun band to the State Theatre.

Born out of the rich Acadian ancestry of its members, and created and driven by bandleader Michael Doucet’s spellbinding fiddle playing and soulful vocals, BeauSoleil is notorious for bringing even the most staid audience to its feet. BeauSoleil’s distinctive sound derives from the distilled spirits of New Orleans jazz, blues rock, folk, swamp pop, Zydeco, country and bluegrass, captivating listeners from the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans to Carnegie Hall, then all the way across the pond to Richard Thompson’s Meltdown Festival in England.

The band performs with a resounding authenticity all the while bringing a refreshed playfulness to the genre – the fiddle, flatpicked guitar and accordion carry driving melodies over the two-step and waltz dance beats characteristic of their Cajun and Zydeco music, but not without the country, jazz and blues leanings that informed the genre in the 1920s.

A 12-time Grammy award nominee, and two time Grammy award winner (1998 & 2010), BeauSoleil were the first Cajun Band ever to win a Grammy. They have released 25 albums. Recognizing Michael Doucet for his involvement with the Cajun world, The National Endowment for the arts awarded him with National Heritage fellowship in 2005 as well s the united states artist fellowship in 2007.

A frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s NPR show “A Prairie Home Companion,” BeauSoleil have also made appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Austin City Limits,” the Super Bowl XXXI pre-game show, and HBO’s New Orleans based hit show “Treme.”

“The best Cajun Band in the world”
-Garrison Keillor, Prairie Home Companion

Crossings link for tickets:
http://www.crossingsatcarnegie.com/concertpages/beausoleil.html