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Today: April 11, 2025
Today: April 11, 2025

Welder keeps Cajun instrument alive

Welder keeps Cajun instrument alive
August 07, 2024

    BREAUX BRIDGE, Louisiana (KATC) -- Brandy Guidry Aubรฉ passion for crafting the Cajun Triangle wasnโ€™t intentional.

โ€œOtherwise known as the tโ€™fer or little iron in French,โ€ said Aubรฉ.

โ€œIt began in probably 2015 a friend of mine, a Cajun musician approached me knowing that I did metal work, and asked if I could make Cajun triangles and I was like โ€œNo but I could figure it out.โ€

And that she did with trial and error until she found the perfect โ€œring.โ€

โ€œSo the traditional way, way back then is they would make them out of hay-racked tines which was an accessible material to them. Now that resources kind of dried up here I use cold rolled steel.โ€

Aubรฉ said she has been welding for nearly 25 years and has dabbled in blacksmithing.

Her process for creating a tโ€™fer takes about 30 minutes.

โ€œOnce Iโ€™m done forging I will soak it in acid to remove any mill scale that might form on the steel from forging,โ€ Aubรฉ said.

โ€œIf itโ€™s still a little dirty I will sandblast it and, Iโ€™ll blacken it using a chemical blackener and then I will wax it.โ€

The percussion instrument once carried Cajun songs.

โ€œBefore the introduction of electrical amplification they would use that,โ€ Aubรฉ said.

โ€œIt rung above the accordion and the rest of the instruments and the stomping of the feet, the dancing and the crowd.โ€

In 2020 Aubรฉ began selling her Cajun Triangles when she realized there wasnโ€™t a large market for them.

โ€œReally nobodyโ€™s doing it right now,โ€ Aubรฉ said.

โ€œThereโ€™s not a whole lot of places you could go find a Cajun triangle to purchase. So Iโ€™ve been shipping them all over the world lately.โ€

And theyโ€™ve reached many corners of the world.

โ€œFrance, Africa, Sweden, England all over,โ€ Aubรฉ said. โ€œCanada.โ€

When she isnโ€™t working at St. Martin Parish Tourism, sheโ€™s welding other items in the workshop on her property such as furniture and architectural elements. Or performing in her classic rock band The Magnalites.

Through creating these triangles, her two worlds of music and welding intertwine.

โ€œItโ€™s serendipity," Aubรฉ said. "You know? I get the best of both worlds.โ€

If you are interested in purchasing a Cajun triangle you can head to her website.

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