Valcour Records, the newest, hippest record label in Southwest Louisiana, has released Christine Balfa Plays the Triangle, which they describe as "nearly an hour of pure, unadulterated classic Cajun triangle." Yes, it's nothing but triangle, from beginning to end. Waltzes, two-steps, even a couple of Cajun blues... without any instrumentation but the triangle. Did I mention that it's, uh, only triangle? As in... ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling?Okay, it's a bit of a joke. I mean, the CD actually does exist, and really does consist of 13 Cajun classics, but without any of the melodic instrumentation that would make any of the songs identifiable. What's especially funny is that Christine Balfa actually is considered the best triangle player in all of Cajun music (she played triangle with her father, legendary fiddler Dewey Balfa, among dozens of others), and she's got a pretty amazing way of pulling tonality out of the instrument while keeping the rhythm rock-solid. But why on earth would anyone want to hear a Cajun music album that doesn't have any accordions, fiddles, or any other melodic instruments? Because it's funny, and only costs $6, and if you order two other CDs from the Valcour Records web store, you get it for free. And it does have its uses, if you want to be serious about things - if you're learning to play a different Cajun instrument, it makes for a perfect metronome!
Not convinced by the funny? Have a listen to a song sample: The Balfa Waltz (opens as an Mp3).
Comments
You know, I’m seriously really actually loving this record. It’s such a beautiful intersection of trance-inducing minimalism and the intimate, homey tonality of the instrument.