PU How did you get involved in playing the accordion?
EL Well my grandmother used to play the accordion. My father got killed in 1955 and we were still quite young and so she would kind of pick the accordion up and she would play on it and we would watch her. Naturally they would make us go and get it and go put it up so that they would know where it was at at all times, so we would know where the instrument was at all times. And they would always tell us "Now make sure that you don't play with it once you put it up" so obviously that would mean that it was OK for us to play it because if they told us to play it we probably wouldn't have. But they would tell us not to play with it so that would mean that we would probably take it out behind their back and start playing. And that's actually what happened.

PU So were young people generally encouraged in those days?
EL Yes, young people was encouraged in music because there was a lot of music going on around our area. It was quite easy for somebody like myself to learn music because there was always musicians around playing different types of instruments so you had a choice of

PU Where did the music come from?
EL Well our music came from Louisiana. Our music was originated here in Louisiana. Our ancestors were from Nova Scotia but they were exiled and as our ancestors came down here and the old ones perished off the accordion was adapted, they found the accordion could be adapted to fiddle music. And what happened was the accordion became dominant and new songs were made here in the central part of Lousiana.

PU How do you think the accordion, or the music in general has developed since you started playing?
EL It's developed a long ways, because of the fact you have more qualifications in recording and a lot more new instruments today. Back then you didn't have the facilities that you have today. So the music has been upgraded I would say 100%, but on the other hand I am still doing what I would have been doing back then, still playing with a three piece band, playing the traditional Cajun music that I grew up with. And something else: when I was growing up Cajun French is my native tongue, cause when I started playing music it wasn't a problem for me to sing Cajun music because all I spoke was French. When I started school I didn't speak English. I had to learn English whenever I went to school. So it was very easy for me to adapt to Cajun music because I lived in that area where music had died down at one time but when it was revived there was definitely plenty of music there for me to catch from

PU Where did you start playing, Eddie?
EL Well, when I started playing I did a lot of houses dances, these were called the 'bals de maison'. And there were a lot of those going on at the time so I played house dances and I also did outings, family outings, family get togethers, like family reunions, and for big barbecues, and weddings even and then from there I went into playing dances in the dance halls

PU What were the house dances like?
EL The house dances were made up of neighbours and friends. Each person would set aside one night a week for the house dances and they would clear out the front room, take all the furniture out except for a couple of chairs for the musicians, then they would play music and everybody would furnish their own drinks. The music would be played and then the friends and relatives would dance. They would dance until one, two o'clock in the morning. The good thing about the house dances was that there was always a meal prepared for the end of the dance. When the house party was over everybody sat down and ate.

PU What sort of food was it?
EL It would have varied. Most of the time it was gumbo because it was always easy and quick to prepare.

PU Can you tell me something about the dance hall dances?
EL Well the dance halls - we had lot of dance halls in that time. It was very easy to get a job playing in a dance hall. People would really come out and really enjoy themselves, because of the fact that on a Saturday night that was all they had to do was to go out and have fun. They would choose to go dancing and naturally they would drink a little beer or two, you know, and have fun with it as well.

PU How has the culture changed from there?
EL The culture hasn't really changed any as far as the traditional dancing and everything. There's been some new dances that's been added to flavouring in the dancing, but that was only for people who wanted to dance more up tempo. It's dancing music that was accommodated with Cajun music. Which is fine and it's nice but the older people would not dance that music because they're either too old or they would have to use too much energy to dance so they would stick with the old traditional Cajun dancing.

PU What sort of dances were they?
EL There were like waltzes and two steps,

PU Much the same as it is today?
EL Yes today is still the same. It's still waltzes and two steps and jitterbug is used quite a bit here as well because the jitterbug was adapted in the early 40's and 50's. They found that the jitterbug could be danced to Cajun two steps.

PU You do a lot of travelling overseas, Eddie. Can you tell me how that came about?
EL When I did my first recording - Cajun Soul - with Rounder Records I was grouped up with two fine gentlemen, D L Menard and Ken Smith. And the record company kind of produced this and kind of pushed that we played together and so we started travelling overseas and it really went down quite well overseas. I've managed to meet a lot of people, a lot of good friends in England. And even though that the trio didn't stay together, I managed to bring the Morse Playboys back to England and presented the Morse Playboys. That was due to Tim Rutherford and Madeleine (Docherty) which gave me that opportunity to bring the Morse Playboys up there. Since then the Morse Playboys has prevailed and really captivated the spirit in England because of the deliverance of the traditional Cajun music that I drive and that I deliver to the people. I've become quite respected in England because of the family treasures that we have, I mean we have great family values at home. There's a lot of family values in our home and love so it's very very easy to detect that when you go overseas and playing your music you have so much that you can present. And when it's in its natural stage it's always so much better because it's pure, it's clean and it's true.

PU How do the people in England take your Cajun music?
EL If the people of England would have their way, they would have me live there for ever, because they really really enjoy the music, my music that the Morse Playboys provide over there. I am really proud to bring my music to England because of the fact that it's so much well respected and highly respected and I always get very good comments anywheres in England whenever I go over.

PU Given the history between England and the Cajuns, how do you feel about that?
EL The Cajuns down here are going to always be Cajuns and English people are going always to be English, but the thing is I find that join them together, they can become good friends.

PU That gives a lot of hope for the future?
EL Yes, it does because I see a lot of English people starting to play accordion as well. I sometimes travel overseas by myself and I use Jock Tyldesley and Andrew Tyldesley to back me up. I have great respect for them as well because they put so much of themselves into the music whenever I go up there. And obviously yourself - Phil Underwood - do quite a lot for me with Cajun music. 'Cause once I get over there y'all play a part in keeping it alive, and when I get up there I can present it in its natural stage.

PU Is that the main function of English people playing Cajun music, to keep the Cajun music alive? Is that a valid thing to do?
EL I think it's due to the great respect they have for the Cajun music and the tradition of the music. It is a lively music and it's well likeable. It's a music that's very appealing and I can't think of anybody that wouldn't want to play Cajun music.

PU It comes across very much that you like seeing other people playing Cajun music, non-Cajuns playing and you encourage that - how do you think people in Louisiana feel about their Cajun music being played elsewhere?
EL They take it as a respect. They're kind of flattered because our music from down here is being actually played so far away in another country. They're actually quite tickled about it.

PU Can you tell me something about your father, Iry LeJeune?
EL My father was known as the legendary Iry LeJeune, one of the greatest accordionists in Louisiana and vocalists, as well. I've had a long hard battle because of the fact that he was so popular and so good in music. But I've managed to come along and be myself as a person just like he was. Started playing my music, and still keeping the traditional aspects of the music. I feel very, very strongly about our heritage of the Cajun music and speaking French as well. So my main purpose in the music is the preservation of our traditional heritage and the music. I'll always play my father's music because my father's music was left on to me, passed on to me, and then I'll play my music as well to show that even today you can still do some recordings of traditional Cajun music in its natural stage, which comes down to accordion, fiddle and guitar.

PU And how about your sons? Are they going to carry on the tradition?
EL I have my son Emerson that plays the accordion and I also have my son Eddie Junior which plays guitar. Eddie Junior's not exactly into Cajun music, of course he has respect for it. But I think my son Emerson may eventually get around to carrying on the tradition and playing the accordion, because he is playing now.

PU Thanks very much, Eddie