"A crowd pleaser? Oh yeah. This band had more people up dancing on the
burning concrete of Nathan Phillips square than any group I’ve seen at
the festival... they show
themselves to be darned good musicians. Peter Jellard is a
creative
artist on button accordions ..." Full
review
PENGUIN EGGS, Recordings,
Spring 2005, Paul-Émile
Comeau
"... This group paddles through the swampy terrain with a keen sense of
direction. .... Soozi Schlanger's .... fiddle playing is gritty enough
to sound authentic. Even if Swamperella wasn't close to being the
only Cajun Band in Canada it would probably still be the best in the
land"
NIAGARA HOT SPOTS.CA, WASHBOARDS AND WALTZES, Swamperella Wins
Over Brock Crowd, Friday, March 18, 2005
"... Highlights of the evening included the sombre Braille Pas, Jolis
Petits Yeux Bleus recalling the heartbreak of a young couple forced to
separate by the girl’s parents, the self-described “corny” number and
CD title track, Black Cat Boogie (“You know things are bad when you’re
writing love songs to your pets,” quipped Schlanger) and the rollicking
tribute to the Swamperella’s main haunt in Toronto, The Hotel Gladstone
Two Step.
... the band
displayed a subtle versatility illustrating that they have an authentic
understanding of Cajun music."
EXTRA, Indie Beat - review of Black
Cat Boogie,
December, 2004
"The band plays with high-spirited proficiency - its rather infectious.
... The sombre yet cozy instrumental Waltz
of Too Many Goodbyes has an authentic feel and
sound. The band softly caresses Schlanger's words on the splendid
Waltz for One.
Other killer tracks: Je t'Aime Encore
and Hotel Gladstone Two Step."
JAMES WEGG REVIEW.COM,
Niagara Symphony
Orchestra
Concert Review: Cajun Crew Warms the
Heart, 2004. James Wegg
"Hmm, hmm, good! Chef Daniel Swift oversaw a
delectable banquet of savoury sounds and musical fun as he steered the
good ship NSO “Down the Mississippi into the Bayou” Saturday
night. On board for the fast-paced excursion was the Cajun
quintet “Swamperella,” whose down-home no nonsense stylings ....
sizzled and swayed throughout Sean O’Sullivan Theatre. ....
...As lead fiddle, vocalist and artist in her other
life, Soozi Schlanger oozes buckets of enthusiasm, zest and an
infectious smile that makes it a pleasure to be in the same room.
From the opening bars of “Bosco Stomp” it was clear that her vision and
passion was equally shared by the rest of the group. Peter
Jellard’s one-row button accordion, whether pumping out the tune or
punching up the chords was a constant pleasure." Full
review
NOW,
Music Feature. Swamperella
bring the swing of the South to Toronto, February 21, 2002
Sarah Liss
"(The) band opened for Steve Riley and
the Mamou Playboys (Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg, 2002) 'the biggest
Cajun band out of Louisiana'. One of the highlights of (the) trip was
getting the thumbs-up from an authentic Louisiana Cajun band. Toronto's
a far cry from the Bayou, so the Mamou Playboy's seal of approval gives
Swamperella some down-home credibility."
GOLDMINE, New Releases:
Björk, Passenger, Prince, Swamperella, B.B. King and more..,
November 2001
Hank Davis
"This CD and the group that produced it
are one of the sweetest musical surprises I've encountered in
years....The last thing one expects to hear is a Cajun band playing the
kind of music heard in a juke joint in Lafayette some 50 years ago.
Swamperella has become a Cajun lightning rod. How good is this album?
Comes very close to acoustic and follows some of the deepest Cajun
traditions."
L'EXPRESS, Musique, August 12,
2001
Dominique Denis
"In this age of sampling, where sounds
from around the globe have become little more than ingredients in a
constantly changing gumbo, its pretty rare to find a musician who would
show such concern for the integrity of her musical sources." Full
article
THE TORONTO STAR, Arts &
Entertainment Guide, March 22, 2001
Geoff Chapman
"The femme quotient makes for
fascinating two-part harmonies on the CD -- Cajun country isn’t exactly
a haven for female singers -- and the group has no problem
incorporating languorous country licks, Celt-style fiddling and a touch
of the blues, with most lyrics sung in Louisiana French."
"This is the music of western Louisiana,
authentic old style with a smattering of original material tossed into
the southern stew. It’s sentimental to be sure, but pumps with life"
THE TORONTO STAR, Club Notes,
February 18, 1999
Ben Rayner
" ...despite the purist aesthetic,
Swamperella is hardly an exercise in dry musicology. This is, above
all, a party band, and a spirit of wry fun cuts through even its most
mournful material"
EYE MUSIC August 13, 1998
Erin Hawkins
"There’s five of ‘em but singer / fiddle
player Soozi Schlanger is the singular embodiment of Swamperella, a
name that brings to mind a brassy dame tramping through the bayou with
gators in tow, ball-gown covered in mud."
TORONTO WEST JOURNAL, February 1998
Doug Baker
"If you like to dance or enjoy country
music check out the Cajun Dance nights at the Gladstone hosted by
Swamperella. This is real country...."
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