Joseph Falcon (September 28, 1900 â€" November 19, 1965) was a Cajun
accordion player in southwest Louisiana, best known for the first
recording of a Cajun song; "Allons à Lafayette" in 1928 . He and his
wife Cléoma Breaux left for New Orleans to record the first Cajun
record and went on to perform across southern Louisiana and Texas.Joe
was the fifth child of Pierre Illaire Falcon and Marie Arvilia
Boudreaux. Pierre (whose paternal grandparents, José Félix Falcon
and MarÃa Antonia Damasa Falcon, were descendants from Spanish
settlers Cristóbal Falcón and Gaspar Falcón, who hailed from Telde,
Gran Canaria, and migrated to Louisiana in 1778), spoke Canarian
Spanish and French. Settlers in Louisiana from the Canaries are known
as Isleños. Marie was of Acadian descent. He was born near a small
German community north of Rayne, Louisiana known as Roberts Cove,
located by Bayou Plaquemine Brule. He began playing accordion at the
age of seven.His career as a professional musician began some years
later at a fais-do-do hall called the "Blue Goose" (Oneziphore
Guidry's dance hall) in Rayne, Louisiana when the regular band didn't
show up and the dance hall owner insisted that Joe take their place.As
a young man, Joe was friends with accordionist Amédée Breaux of the
legendary Breaux family and sometimes accompanied him on triangle.
Amédée's sister, Cléoma, a gifted guitarist and singer, became
Joe's frequent accompanist and they married not long after the onset
of their recording career.
accordion player in southwest Louisiana, best known for the first
recording of a Cajun song; "Allons à Lafayette" in 1928 . He and his
wife Cléoma Breaux left for New Orleans to record the first Cajun
record and went on to perform across southern Louisiana and Texas.Joe
was the fifth child of Pierre Illaire Falcon and Marie Arvilia
Boudreaux. Pierre (whose paternal grandparents, José Félix Falcon
and MarÃa Antonia Damasa Falcon, were descendants from Spanish
settlers Cristóbal Falcón and Gaspar Falcón, who hailed from Telde,
Gran Canaria, and migrated to Louisiana in 1778), spoke Canarian
Spanish and French. Settlers in Louisiana from the Canaries are known
as Isleños. Marie was of Acadian descent. He was born near a small
German community north of Rayne, Louisiana known as Roberts Cove,
located by Bayou Plaquemine Brule. He began playing accordion at the
age of seven.His career as a professional musician began some years
later at a fais-do-do hall called the "Blue Goose" (Oneziphore
Guidry's dance hall) in Rayne, Louisiana when the regular band didn't
show up and the dance hall owner insisted that Joe take their place.As
a young man, Joe was friends with accordionist Amédée Breaux of the
legendary Breaux family and sometimes accompanied him on triangle.
Amédée's sister, Cléoma, a gifted guitarist and singer, became
Joe's frequent accompanist and they married not long after the onset
of their recording career.
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