At the end of 2001, the California Cajun Orchestra disbanded, but the Aux Cajunals are carrying on Danny Poullard's Cajun-Creole music tradition! Please click here to learn more about the Aux Cajunals:

For 18 years, from 1984 to 2001,the California Cajun Orchestra's impassioned rhythms inspired thousands of dancers to fill up dance floors from the Liberty Center in Eunice, Louisiana, to San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, from the Augusta Heritage Festival in Elkins West Virginia, to Catholic church halls throughout the Bay Area which serve the local Creole community. Their two award-winning albums (Not Lonesome Any More(which was the first out-of-state album to receive an award from Louisiana's Cajun French Music Association) and Nonc Adam Two-step) (which received an INDIE award for best Cajun-zydeco album of the year) were staples of Cajun music programming in Louisiana, and continue to receive nationwide airplay on many "roots" music radio shows, as well.

Danny Poullard passed away on Friday, April 27, 2001; he had a massive heart attack while in his back yard. He was 63 years old.

After nearly 2 decades of playing music with Danny I remain fascinated by the way he ornamented Cajun tunes. He was a master at taking the simple and embroidering it in a completely natural sounding way -- and now that I think of it, Danny's way of embellishing the tunes is exactly like Danny himself: stylish, but not flashy, elegant, full of power and grace.

Danny was incredibly generous with his music and I know that all of us feel grateful to have experienced that generosity. I can't begin to express how much I will miss hearing him play the accordion. The Aux Cajunals will do our very best to carry on Danny's traditional oldtime Cajun sound! -- Suzy Thompson