In case you had any worries that Cajun music in Louisiana is nearing the end of its genetic line, look no farther than Feufollet.  The players in this band look barely old enough to vote. They have a young following as ardent as any rock group. You could be at an all ages Jimmy Buffett concert with the way they sing the choruses of Feufollet songs except I don’t believe that Jimmy Buffett fans hop up and down en masse to the beat of his songs. And shout out song requests in French.

Saturday night at the Festival International de Louisiane Heritage Stage, Feufollet took Cajun music into a direction that legendary singer Dewey Balfa might never have predicted. But what Dewey would recognize are the themes about love and life that matter to these kids today and the utter fervor with which they sing. And the lyrics – all in French.

Whoa, what’s this? They’re belting out a version of The Four Tops’ “I’ll Be There”  - in French! The front line makes lots of eye contact and feeds off each other’s energy. They’re fearless. If they love a song, they’ll play it.  These are the kinds of kids who ate their peas but aren’t afraid to try new things.

In the early part of the 20th century, Cajun kids would get a beating if they spoke their native French language in public schools. At the Festival International de Louisiane today, every one of the scores of musical acts is introduced in English and French. The ancestors of the Acadians who settled here from the Canadian provinces flat out refuse to let the language of their forebears be forgotten. It’s a matter of pride and cultural cohesion that spills over into food, dance, and music.

 Feufollet’s learning curve hasn’t been limited to traditional music. The front line of guitar, accordion/guitar, fiddle and the electric piano are thrashing the music with power chords they might have heard from their parents’ Led Zeppelin collection.

Some of the songs have a vague gig or two-step feel, nary a waltz in sight, and many of the songs seem better suited to listening (or maybe hopping up and down) than dancing.

Anna Laura Edmiston (guitar), Chris Stafford (guitar) Chris Segura (fiddle), Mike Stafford (drums), Philippe Billeaudeaux (bass),Andrew Toups (electric piano)

The next thing you know, they’re doing a cover of “Lucille,” for god’s sake, driven by the fiddle, accordion, driving bass and funky B3 sounding keyboard, and sung to a fare thee well in French in a two step rhythm. The younger crowd, and a good number of their elders, sings the choruses.

You’d think the older Cajuns would regard this song the way 1950s America viewed Elvis, with incomprehension and derision. Not here. They’re proud that the youngsters are keeping a tight grip on their French heritage.  Two gray-haired men in front of me keep nodding their heads and slapping their knees to the beat of each song. Trust me, this isn’t the same music they heard on stage when they grew up.

Both Cajun and zydeco music are passed down from generation to generation. If you were to start counting the fathers, sons, brothers, cousins, and in-laws who play in each other’s bands you’d need a scorecard. Feufollet bloodlines run something like this.

Chris and Mike Stafford’s grandfather, Howard Ratlif, was the original drummer for Bobby Page & the Riff Raffs, who played New Orleans-styled rock and R&B in the late '50s and early '60s. Steve Riley of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys produced their early albums when they were barely teenagers. Anna Laura Edmiston grew up with French being her first language at home. Chris Segura's great grandfather, Robert Fontenot, was a fiddle player and his great uncles were the Segura Brothers, who were recorded by legendary folk historian Alan Lomax.

The last song in the set blows me away. The best I can do is describe it as a souped-up garage band version of the very traditional Cajun anthem, “Parlez Nous A Boire” … with a crashing thunder final burst, in which the young fiddler fans his instrument close to the amplifier, a la Jimi Hendrix, producing a glorious dissonant blast. The future of one branch of Cajun music is budding right in front of my eyes.