La Jolla is a long way from New Orleans. Taking the former’s culture over that of the latter would be difficult and probably pointless — they already have rich people and college students (La Jolla’s two main cultural fixtures) in N’awlins. However, the trend of bringing Cajun and Creole elements into the rest of America is gaining popularity.

But the Louisiana exports aren’t limited to “”Too Hot for TV”” Mardi Gras videos and over-priced, over-spiced carpetbagger Cajun cuisine restaurants. The real heart and soul of New Orleans is its music, and that music’s best-known proponents, Beau Soleil, will bring their bon temps to Mandeville Auditorium on Feb. 15.

Cajun and Zydeco music is somewhere in the neighborhood of jazz, bluegrass, swing and Celtic folk songs. It resulted from the unique blending of populations that occurs in Louisiana: Acadiens (Cajuns), who came to the South from Ireland via French Canada, cosmopolitan Yankees and descendants of black slaves.

The sound is pure bayou bliss. Nimble-fingered fiddlers and accordion masters embroider unique ballads and dance tunes over catchy beats. The lyrics are often in Acadien French and therefore difficult to understand, but their quirky themes of love are appealing and, if nothing else, it sure sounds nice.

Beau Soleil have been making great music for 25 years and are nationally known for their appealing Cajun recordings, most prominently showcased on their 1997 album “”L’Amour ou la Folie”” (“”Love or Folly””). The group is high-energy and sincere at the same time, and promises to keep its audience’s toes tapping in their seats — if they can resist the urge to dance in the aisles.

Beau Soleil perform with fiddle master Michael Doucet on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Mandeville Auditorium. Tickets are $20 general admission, $18 for UCSD faculty, staff and for seniors, and $15 for students.