Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte

Subject: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: GUEST,Win Grace
Date: 28 Aug 04 - 05:36 PM

Bonjour! I am trying to determine the age of the Cajun waltz, "J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte." Could it be "descended" from a tune or song of French or Quebecois origin? Would it have been sung by other French speakers in the states? How long has it had been known in Louisiana? Your help much appreciated! Merci.
Win Grace

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Por
From: greg stephens
Date: 28 Aug 04 - 06:54 PM

Raymond Francois(author of Ye Yaille Chere, the big book on cajun song), says this is an old song, his father remembered it from when the Titanic sunk, which puts it back to 1912.
   I have never heard of any French or Canadian antecedents, and given the serious interest in this sort of thing, I would guess none have been found. Surprisingly little cajun stuff seems to be traceable back to France. I think people in Louisiana have always been particularly original, musically!

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Por
From: Peace
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 01:18 AM

The Spanish even contributed a few melodies, including, according to Ancelet, the melody for "J'ai passé devant ta porte," which comes from a concerto for classical guitar.

"Mon Cour T'Appelle" ("J'ai Passé Devant Ta Porte")

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Por
From: Peace
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 01:21 AM

Sorry, 'bout that. It is what I found with the help of my old friend Mr Google.

Maybe one might have some success with Mon Cour (Coeur) T'appelle.

I'll keep lookin'.

I passed in front of your door

and

My heart calls you

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Por
From: greg stephens
Date: 29 Aug 04 - 04:51 AM

Well, that is interesting Brucie. I've been playing that song in a band for years(till I'm sick of it, sometimes) and I never knew about the Spanish guitar origin. You live and learn. God bless Mudcat.

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: GUEST,TallCelt
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 09:09 PM

I am looking for the sheet music (preferably with guitar chords) to the tune "J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte". It is not listed in the Digital Tradition. It is such a famous tune the I know someone must have it. ([e-mail])

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Peace
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:04 PM

There it is.

That is from

http://www.terriau.org/music.htm

where you can hear La BANDE Feufollet! sing it. (Needs Windows Media Player.) Great song.

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Peace
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:17 PM

And with this site you can karioakey/carryoakie/kareeoaky/sing along to the instrumental.

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:44 PM

"Mon coeur t'appelle" is an old favorite Cajun waltz; Cleoma Breaux recorded it years ago (about 1932) and it has been re-issued along with some pieces by Amadee Breaux and others on a Sony cd, "Cajun Dance Party."

Listen to "J'ai Passe Devant ta Porte" here: http://www.terriau.org/music.htm
La Bonne Chanson
These kids are pretty good! Scroll down and find the link under La Bande Feufollet.

LYRICS to J'ai passe devant ta porte (1)- and a great midi:
Scroll farther down to Archive or link here: Jai Passe

Something is wrong with the attribution to a Spanish classical guitar concerto. I have recordings of most of the major pieces for Spanish guitar, and I recall nothing like that waltz. It does have a slight resemblance to a Spanish waltz, but I think it is coincidence. Where did you get that information? Was it from Ancelet?

Digression- An interesting book by Barry Jean Ancelet is "Musiciens cadiens et creoles-The Makers of Cajun Music," Univ. Texas Press. It covers the musicians active in the 1980s.

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:45 PM

Gee, Peace, you beat me to it. I was too busy listenin'

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Peace
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 10:59 PM

LOL

Hey, man, I love the completeness of your answers. I learn from every single one of them.

The Ancelet/concerto thing comes from

snootypatooty.com/breifhistory.html
http://snootypatooty.com/breifhistory.html

(I had to go locate that again because I don't recall making the post two years ago and I see I didn't attribute or link to it (and I should have)).

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:10 PM

Dunno, could be. I might play some of them and listen. They haven't been on the machine for awhile.

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Peace
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:16 PM

Note however that the site I cited doesn't cite its source. The source is outta sight (as it were).

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 11:54 AM

Check out this youtube video from the late 80s ~~ vocal and guitar by D L Menard and the twin fiddles of Dewey Balfa and Aly Bain. Doesn't get any better than that.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iaQkIr5qZGc

Subject: RE: History/Age of 'J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte'
From: Peace
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 05:52 PM

Great take on the song, Dale. Good find.

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: GUEST,WF
Date: 06 Nov 14 - 12:41 AM

I know this is an old thread, but i wanted to clarify the Ancelet issue mentioned. In the book "Traditional Music in Coastal Louisiana: The 1934 Lomax Recordings By Joshua Clegg Caffery", he states "anecdotal evidence suggests a link with an eigtheenth-century composition for guitar, written by either Frederico Moretti or Fernando Sor, the best-known classical guitarist of his day." (Ancelet 1991, p156) (Caffery, p52)

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Nov 14 - 05:13 AM

the Youtube link above is broken now. Probably a copyright issue. Would have been good though.

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 07 Nov 14 - 05:16 AM

I have no idea whether this is related, but there is a Sephardic song, Por La Tu Puerta. The first stanza, in translation, goes "I passed your door and found it locked, so I kissed the lock; it was as sweet as if I had kissed your cheek."

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 04:12 PM

would this tune be considered public domain?

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: Mr Red
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 07:47 AM

Por La Tu Puerta (Espanhol Medieval) Goggle/Chrime translate has a hard time with vide & yavedura yo besi
Probably coincidence or a songwriter's re-working of a folk tale.

Tunes (Spanish or Turkish) nothing like it.

Federico Moretti ( 1795 - 1838 ) Played a 7 string guitar!

Fernando Sor, 1778 - 1839 (links to MP3s)

If it is in the public domain, I would expect a few performers to claim some sort of copyright, 'praps changing a note or two. Go searching.

Subject: RE: Origin: J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte
From: Monique
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 11:54 AM

"Por la tu puerta" is Judeo-Spanish. There's another version here. "vide" is "vi" in modern Sp. (I saw), "yavedura" = "llavedura" = modern Sp."cerradura" (lock/keyhole) "yo besi" = "yo besé" (I kissed).

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