|
SOOZI SCHLANGER
vocals & lead fiddle and washboard
When you hear her sing you might think
she was born on the bayou, but Soozi Schlanger is a Toronto girl.
She fell in love with Cajun music in 1992, began playing the
fiddle and immersed herself in Cajun culture. During trips to
Louisiana, she studied the playing of the Balfa Brothers and Dennis
McGee. Soozi teaches fiddle and also has a busy career as a
painter and sculptor.
|
|
CONNY NOWÉ
guitar and vocals
Conny plays guitar and developed an
obsession with Cajun music the first time she heard it. A veteran
of the Canadian alternative music scene, she has recorded and toured
with the bands Mother Tongue, Lillian Allen, Courage
of Lassie and singer songwriter Laura Repo. Learning
guitar at an early age, she put it aside for years to study drumming
and traditional West African percussion -- until she met Soozi and
joined the ranks in Swamperella's rhythm section.
|
 |
 |
PETER JELLARD
vocals, accordion and fiddle
Born in Devon, England, Peter came to
Toronto by way of Edmonton. While busking in Paris he heard a
recording of the Balfa Brothers, leading to a life long
infatuation with Cajun music. After a six-week trip to Louisiana
he founded the Cajun Ramblers who performed a mix of Cajun and
Zydeco around Toronto. Peter has performed with the Grievous
Angels and is
also spending a lot of time playing traditional music from Quebec.
|
|
RACHEL MELAS
bass
Born in New York City, Rachel Melas
started playing Bass in 1976 at the age of 16. She worked her way
through 2 Mel Bay for Bass books and learned the basslines off of a
pile of blues, jazz and reggae records and since has played music
continually in many different settings. She has been a bump on
the log of Canadian music for about the last 20 years performing every
thing from the post punk groove music of the Animal Slaves to
the World beat of Mother Tongue and the atmospheric Folk of the Courage
of Lassie, amongst others. Playing string bass in a Cajun Dance
Band is the logical culmination of a long and varied career. She
currently performs with Yiddish swing and Klezmer band The Sisters of
Sheynville singer songwriter Max Woolaver and with the Alistair Christl
Rock-a-Billy band.
|
|
|
