Papa Cairo and His Boys- "Big Texas"

                   
One of the best sidemen in Cajun music was Papa Cairo and he recorded on some of the finest pre and post war recordings of the genre. While it is common for melodies to be borrowed or recycled in Cajun music, sadly this story of Papa Cairo is one of a stolen song.

Julius Angelle Lamperez was born July 27, 1920. He was a guitar playing boxer and World War II veteran that recorded for both national labels and independent Louisiana labels as well. He was better known by his knickname: Papa Cairo. Lamperez was born in New Orleans but raised in Crowley. By 1932, at age of 12, he learned to read music and play the fiddle and became good friends with Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux. He started playing the guitar across his knees with a metal finger attachment around this time.

Growing up, he listening to Western Swing and Jimmie Rodgers. By his teenage years he mastered the guitar, and occasionally dabbling in playing the fiddle. Soon he formed his first band known as the Daylight Creepers featuring a young guitarist named Jay Denton "J.D." Miller and their music was broadcast on KVOL. When not playing music, he played football and loved boxing. By 1937 he would join Joe Werner's group; the Louisiana Rounders. While in the band, he would meet Horace Andrus "Uncle Ambrose" Thibodeaux, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc, Oran Guidry and Harry Choates. 

Happy Fats noticed he always wore a diamond-shaped gem on his tie and finger. Using the Cajun French word for "diamond" ("karo", pronounced "cairo"), his nickname became "Papa Cairo". He played the guitar across his knees with a metal finger attachment and with the Rounders they recorded a song of Papa's called "Alons Kooche Kooche",  a tune based on the Jolly Boys of Lafayette's "Abbeville". The melody to the song would go on to inspire one of the biggest country music hits after World War II.

After the war in 1948, Papa settled down and found steady work in Eunice playing in Chuck Guillory's band. One night a record producer for Modern Records came down to Eunice to catch the band's show. He convinced Guillory and his band to head to New Orleans to record two songs. For the session Papa resurrected his "Kooche Kooche" song and retitled it "Big Texas". The record sold well and became a local sensation for Chuck's band. In 1949, he would form his own band called "Papa Cairo And His Boys", including fiddler Rufus Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux had worked extensively as a studio musician for J. D. "Jay" Miller's Crowley Studio, working with The Clement Brothers among others.

In 1951, Papa tried to reach a wider audience with his song. He went to J.D. Miller and convinced him to re-recorded the song twice, once in English and once in French for Feature Records out of Crowley. He marketed the song well on KSIG and at different festivals.

In 1952, Hank Williams used the melody for his song "Jambalaya" and it went to the top on Billboard Country songs. Cairo immediately claimed Williams had stole the song, because the label identifies him as the composer. Papa was furious that Williams stole his tune and he vowed to never record again. He remained in music the rest of his life and continued to perform live shows.

Papa Cairo's "Big Texas" was released on Feature Records as a 78 rpm and also on 45 rpm. Miller soon started issuing 45 rpm issues of his releases, but this 45 of Papa Cairo could be on one the first Cajun releases on 45 rpm.

                       

Resources
Early Cajun Music Blog
John Broven:South to Louisiana

Release Info:

V/st-g with possibly Ambrose Thibodeaux or Tiny Whalen (fdl), Albert Roy (g),
Johnny Redlich (p), unknown b, Bhuel Hoffpauir (d)
J.D. Miller Studio, Crowley LA: 1951
-A Big Texas (English) Feature F1049
-B Big Texas (French) Feature F1049