The Balfa Brothers

Cajun Music Pioneers

The Balfa Brothers were a Cajun family band, consisting of brothers Dewey, Burke, Harry, Rodney and Will Balfa, all born and raised on the sharecropper's farm of their parents Charles Balfa and Amay Ardoin up from the 1920th on Bayou Grand Louis near Mamou, Louisiana. They were soon joined by Hadley Fontenot on accordion. They started playing at family parties and local gatherings. They quickly achieved enough popularity to play at local dance halls. Their first recording was released in 1951, "La Valse de Bon Baurche/Le Two Step de Ville Platte". Dewey then went on to a solo career, and the band was momentarily disbanded. In 1967 Dewey, Rodney, Will along with Dewey's daughter Nelda and Fontenot reformed the group. In February 1979, Rodney and Will were killed in a car accident, but despite the tragedy, the Balfa Brothers continued. In 1992, Nelda and Christine Balfa formed the following band, Balfa Toujours to honor the memory of Balfa Brothers and keep the Cajun culture alive.