Cajun Greats Doug Kershaw

Album DescriptionDoug Kershaw, known as the Ragin’ Cajun, is considered by most to be the king of the fiddle players. Since his early days on a Louisiana bayou, he still takes a fiddle beyond what most persons think possible. Kershaw, with the energy of a nuclear bomb, plays so fabulously fast that clouds of rosin soar from his horse hair bow, giving the impression that it’s smoking! Often, he’ll wear out two or three bows per song – playing, dancing and singing at the same time. Mastering over 20 instruments, galore of Doug’s peers, including the outstanding Jimmy C. Newman, consider him as the best musician, singer, songwriter and performer to ever come out of southwest Louisiana. Kershaw, who is a key player in the advertising and revival of the formerly disappearing Cajun Culture, was born in Tiel Ridge, Cameron Parish, Louisiana, an island just off the Gulf of Mexico on January 24, 1936 to Rita and Jack Kershaw (…they call my mama Rita and my daddy Jack…). Doug is the second of four sons (Ed, Doug, Nelson (Pee Wee) and Russell (Rusty). This is the heart of Cajun country, where French, not English is the native tongue. Kershaw has taken his inheritance international with his infectious, foot-stomping sound, making Cajun music as popular as a great deal of other forms of music.