Jambalaya: The Mix of Music that Made Hank Williams Page 3

Jambalaya is a Cajun term defined as a, "Mixture of meat, vegetables, and rice cooked in a single pot and seasoned well" (The Cajun Dictionary). Cooking, along with music, have become two of the Cajun's strongest identifying marks. Although the Cajuns carved out their niche in society and had crafted a very unique style of music, they were "regarded as inferior", outcasts in their own state of Louisiana (Kingman, 394). Despite their lowly status, Hank had no problem finding a love for their culture and music; he even gave his son a Cajun nickname, Bocephus (Williams Jr., "Prime Time Live"). It is likely that he familiarized himself with the culture when working for KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana where he was a star on the Louisiana Hayride, and like many times before, he gave common people a voice through one of his songs.

He made "Jambalaya" the top record of 1952 and further proved that he was more than just a "country" singer. On "Jambalaya", like many of his other songs, Hank explored a tradition that he respected and loved, and then added a little piece of Hank to stamp them as his own. The fiddle has been the prominent instrument in Cajun music from the earliest of times, being a good instrument to accompany the enduring pastime of dancing (395). Fittingly, the fiddle takes three instrumental sections (including the intro) in "Jumbalaya" and helps add a Cajun flavor to the music. Furthermore, Hank stays true to tradition, as most Cajun tunes are "lighthearted in mood and theme" (Kingman, 395). His lyrics evoke a laid-back social gathering where they'll "Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh" that is very reminiscent of Cajun social life, and he even goes as far as using Cajun words such as pirogue (which means canoe) to add authenticity (The Cajun Dictionary). Hank also picks the guitar in a duple meter that is prominent in Cajun music, which helps add to the lighthearted feel, and makes for good dance music. While borrowing from many Cajun traditions for "Jumbalaya", Hank adds the sound of a Hawaiian steel guitar to give the song a country-ish sound and a flavor of its own.

Hank had given life to a whole culture through his recording of "Jumbalaya", and that was indeed his appeal to the common man. He wrote "the soundtrack to their lives", and painted a sweet picture of American culture (Williams Jr., 12). His ability to capture life in a voice of his own while still being true to his influences is a central part of Hank's legacy; and similarly, as he drew upon his musical roots for inspiration, many people today draw upon him for inspiration.

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