Healing a note at a time

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It's been nearly a year since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and southern Louisiana. If any good has come out of that tragedy, it's been the outpouring of support for the music and musicians of that hard-hit region. Not only did many musicians suffer personal losses, many of the venues where they played were damaged or destroyed. Those who survived struggled at first to fill the house.

In fact, music has been an important part of the rebuilding.

"All you can do is continue on and rebuild," says Steve Riley, leader and accordionist for the Cajun band Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, at the Birchmere tomorrow.

"Definitely in south Louisiana we use music as a healing tool. We would always turn to music and good times to help us get over the rough points."

Mr. Riley, who lives in Lafayette, La., about two hours' drive west of New Orleans, didn't feel the direct punch of Katrina but has felt the effects. "The face of south Louisiana and the Gulf Coast is going to be changed forever because of that [hurricane]," Mr. Riley says.

"A lot of people moved out of New Orleans and will probably never return. And some of the people ended up in Lafayette. A lot of great New Orleans music can be heard now in Lafayette."

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys can be heard all over the country. Thanks to the increased interest in authentic Louisiana music and the release in November of the band's 10th album, "Dominos," the Mamou Playboys are enjoying one of their busiest seasons.

Mr. Riley and fiddler David Greely started the Mamou Playboys 18 years ago after both had apprenticed with Cajun legend Dewey Balfa. Over the years, the Mamou Playboys have gained international recognition, critical acclaim and three Grammy nominations.

Along with drummer Kevin Dugas (15 years with the band), guitarist Sam Broussard (five years) and new bassist Brazos Huval, Mr. Riley and Mr. Greely have created a Cajun music style that is vibrant, fresh and timeless. The band mixes its selections between new originals and classic or obscure Cajun songs that they discover and redo. It is often difficult to tell which is the old and which is the new.

"We've gotten to a point where the new stuff we do fits really well with the older stuff," Mr. Riley says. "I think because we always look to the past for inspiration. It's very much connected to Cajun music's past, but we're just doing what we do."