It must be something to do with getting old, but I don’t mind the accordion! I guess a lot of people would say that it was typically French — but that’s not how I see it.
Remember, I am Scottish — and I guess I have always taken the instrument first as the core of a traditional ceilidh (no, you don’t dance about to bagpipes)! Then I got into guaguancó and son for a while, and in my mind this extended the accordion to Latin America — Cuba, Mexico, Argentina and the rest over there. Wonderful music!
It really was only after all this that I became conscious of the accordion in any European sense! Even at that it probably began with Austrian or German Bier Keller music, and as far as I know, it was the Italians who brought it to Paris (just like they did with their cooking years before)!
I know my father was introduced to the button accordion by an Italian ex-Prisoner-of-War, and I spent a very long and rather wonderful summer in Paris a great many years ago — which is where I came across Bal-Musette for the first time. Heck, I even busked and blagged with a band for nearly a month, doing weddings and baptisms. But then again, I have always been up for a challenge! LOL! Dangerous Dave indeed!
Anyway, cutting to the chase, I came across some Bal-Musette on youtube and HAD to share this wonderful music!
Now, come ON, isn’t that just sooo good. Just be there — a warm evening, just after sunset and dinner with a good bottle of red… perfect music for families. You can always hit the clubs for your raves later!
davedevine 