Capitaine Todd Fruge is shown leading the Tee-Mamou Women Mardi Gras as they sing their song together during the 2006 run. My recording was made before 2006, but I don't know the exact year.
Click here for a recording of the Tee-Mamou Mardi Gras song.
Mardi Gras Song
of the Tee-Mamou Women
I'm not sure exactly when I recorded the Tee-Mamou women singing their song, but it was a long time ago. When they approach a home, they whoop and holler as they walk toward the homeowner. Then they stand in front of the homeowner while Capitaine Todd Fruge leads them in singing their song together. As the song nears the end, the Mardi Gras creep somewhat ominously toward the homeowner and then, at the end, they erupt in raucous shouts. The small group of musicians who accompany the run begins to play, and the Mardi Gras dance with family members or find ways to cause playful trouble like stealing a bicycle or climbing a pole. Then, at most stops, the homeowner calls out to the Mardi Gras to let them know it's time for the chicken chase.
I don't have a transcript for this recording. The recorded version omits a couple of verses that are included in printed transcripts. For much more information about the run and a complete transcript of the song, see Caroline Ware's Cajun Women and Mardi Gras: Reading the Rule Backwards (University of Illinois Press, 2007). or Barry Ancelet’s book From Behind the Mask: Essays on South Louisiana Mardi Gras Runs, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2023.
Click here for a 2013 YouTube video that includes most of the song.