Cajun and zydeco music is not just for old people

Those Les Blank docs will do that. I am not enough of a foodie to know which is Cajun food and which is Creole food...

Just me being pedantic re Cajun being country (French Acadian-Louisiana), and zydeco being Creole (afro-Louisiana but also a bit French Acadian)...

I take Xgau's point about Blank, but I love his stuff because I'm more of a rank sentimentalist/folkie

This looks great but a roadtrip is not in the cards for me this weekend

WXPN's Zydeco Crossroads Weekend
in Philadelphia October 23 & 24

Details here:
http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/event/934713

Featuring:
Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band
Rosie Ledet
Ruben Moreno
Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band
Wayne Singleton & Same Ol' 2 Step

and the premiere of Robert Mugge's film
Zydeco Crossroads: A Tale of Two Cities

I think director Mugge has been influenced by Blank. I have seen and danced to Keith and Rosie, but not the others, although I have heard good things from them all.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2015/12/07/revelers-feeling-really-cool-grammy-nomination/76934820/

Cajun band from Louisiana with former members of the Red Stick Ramblers

Watched a bunch of zydeco dancing YouTube videos yesterday. Looks fun

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pjfeOj9HE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OFVBghVUSwk

It is although some folks try a little too hard to be all fancy with too many spins and such. It takes a lot of practice too.

And some folks who get really good at couples zydeco dancing, sneer at those who are not so good. Or maybe that's just me being paranoid...

Sad news. I always wanted to go there and now its closing

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/01/17/after-69-years-slims-ki-ki-closing/78942360/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=

January 17, 2016

After 69 years, Slim's Y-Ki-Ki closing

Herman Fuselier

Slim’s Y-Ki-Ki, a zydeco dancehall in Opelousas since 1947, has closed its doors. Owner Tony Gradney confirmed Sunday that the club is no longer in business and held its last event Dec. 29. The world-renowned dancehall will likely be appraised soon and put up for sale. As word of the club’s closure spread last week, Gradney has had at least six people inquire about buying it.

But Gradney, 58, said he’s had enough. Since they were teenagers, Tony and his sister, Cynthia, 67, have worked in the club, opened by their late father, Arnold “Slim” Gradney. Grammy winners, like Clifton Chenier, Rockin’ Sidney and Terrance Simien, cut their musical teeth at Slim’s. Clifton Chenier, the late King of Zydeco, are among the Grammy winners who have performed at Slim's Y-Ki-Kin in Opelousas.

Media outlets across the globe have visited the club. “Passion Fish,” a 1992, Oscar-nominated movie starring Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard, features a frenetic dance scene with John Delafose and the Eunice Playboys on stage at Slim’s. But Gradney said, in recent years, the atmosphere has changed. Ever-increasing expenses, along with young, often unruly crowds, caused him to close the doors. “It’s a lot of changes with the crowd that’s coming out now,” said Gradney, who works as a pipeline welder. “My sister is at the age where she couldn’t handle it anymore. We decided, after 43 years, it was time for a break.

“It’s a younger crowd and a lot of disrespect. They’ll take off their shirt and want to dance with no shirt. It’s not like it used to be with the older people. People would just come out and have a good time. You’re under four hours of nothing but stress now.” Gradney said band fees have only elevated the stress level. Top zydeco bands have charged him $3,500 or more for one performance. Gradney said there’s little money left to make a profit. “They don’t look at the overhead you have, the utilities and things like that. They tell me, ‘We’ll take the door (cover charge.) They’ll start off charging at $10, then $15 and $20. By midnight, they’ll have a packed house.

“They’ll put the money in their pockets and go home. Then you have all the stress of what the night crowd destroyed and what you have to fix. It got to where we weren’t hardly making any more money.” Gradney longs for the days when parents, often dressed in their Sunday best, brought the entire family to Slim’s. Besides the legendary musicians, he recalls numerous couples who married after meeting at the club. Gradney said he’ll miss the good times and cherish the old memories. But recent memories haven’t been pleasant.

“Things changed when the older crowd stopped coming out. Before you used to be able to kick back, enjoy it and let the night go on. “Now, you have to be on your Ps and Qs at all times. The things they do now are very disrespectful. "We said, 'Let’s close and have good remembrances.' My sister and I did 43 years of this for the public and we never had bad, bad stuff at the place. We need to go out with it like that. Back in the day, it was a nice place to come out and enjoy yourself.”

So the late Houston, Texas music scholar Mack McCormick helped Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie find Lightnin Hopkins who introduced them to the live zydeco music of CJ Chenier, way back when. Of course.

https://books.google.com/books?id=30-bCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201&dq=houston+zydeco+mack+mccormick&source=bl&ots=_bexZC2lep&sig=VA2YWhU2nNmjw3Xs9zkOhDY5jHI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9za6G8bjKAhVN7mMKHSZmAqMQ6AEIPDAF#v=onepage&q=houston%20zydeco%20mack%20mccormick&f=false

I am really liking this Revelers album "Get Ready." It was Grammy nominated but lost. The Revelers are a rockin Cajun band who also do swamp pop, made up of members from the Pine Leaf Boys and the red Stick Ramblers. They have horns and an accordion. They are coming to the DC area March 11th and 12th

Well, some of the album is not all that. The songs with the country-swing influence from the Red Stick Ramblers. Their swamp pop is good but not quite at the Lil Band of Gold level

i enjoyed lil nathan & the zydeco big timers' 2015 record face 2 face, good mix of covers and originals. definitely in the modern digital zydeco style that i know some find offputting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSna6r2cJZc

argh sorry for embed

it occurs to me i've never hyped my former coworker jim's excellent WWOZ show on this thread--sundays at 1pm central check it out. dude is extremely knowledgeable about cajun and southwestern LA music.

Thanks for both. The modern digital zydeco types never come up North.

Revelers md gig last night emphasized Cajun waltzes, ballads and swamp pop ballads. Nice but I coulda used more of their rockin tunes

Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters are making their first trip up north. Thursday show in College Park, D. Cedryl's got a great contemporary r'n'b voice that he mixes with more traditional zydeco playing . A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Cedryl (pronounced “see-DRELL”) Ballou began playing music at the tender age of five, making his professional debut as a drummer with his grandfather, legendary guitar pioneer Classie Ballou, at the age of 11. His future as a frontman was inevitable—both Cedryl’s father, Cedric Ballou, and step-grandfather, “Rockin’ Sidney” Simien, were successful touring musicians, and Cedryl grew up steeped in Creole music and culture.

“Being raised in a family of musicians gave me the chance to learn the ropes,” says Ballou, “but also the freedom to try new things. This music is all about people—people change, and the music changes with us. ”

A young but seasoned zydeco musician and singer, Ballou shifts easily from drums to accordion and vocals, fronting the Zydeco Trendsetters and touring extensively with regional Zydeco artists, including Andre Thierry, Corey Ledet, Rosie Ledet, Step Rideau and Soul Creole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2y7MyVQVHA&ebc=ANyPxKrUFkIoLsWWx7HwFngR9RVsjYlhMMOrH6PXFDjS7j1rxoGzVErkcqAmxyTUf_bZYr1cdAwT4xfyIkbMFijvqTR1izeQKw

That's near me. Where exactly in cp?

Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters at College Park American Legion at 8 pm, 9218 Baltimore Ave (Route 1), College Park, MD

DC, Maryland, Philly, and New York zydeco and Cajun gigs are often listed here:

http://www.wherewegotozydeco.com/

In the DC area there is a group of oh 50 to 75 people who are real into zydeco and Cajun couples dancing. But no need to feel intimidated by them if one is not able to or doesn't want to dance like that. Standing and head-noddin is ok.

Some dances have lessons beforehand

Oh I'm gonna dance!

Report back here. Not sure if I am gonna make it there.

At the Revelers gig, one of the promoters was telling me that Geno Delafose, who used to tour a fair but, just stays home now as he can make decent money and still sleep in his own bed. Also, the same with Houston-based and Louisiana based zydeco bands that add autotune and synth funkiness.

I need to research online and see if I can find recorded material by Houston combos and Louisiana folks who don't tour

http://theind.com/article-22882-David-Egan-has-died.html

David Egan, one of the bright lights in South Louisiana’s musical firmament, has died. The singer-songwriter, whose tunes were covered (and on Grammy-nominated and -winning records) by Irma Thomas, Joe Cocker, Solomon Burke, Etta James and many others, succumbed to cancer after a two-year battle. He died at home surrounded by family.

Egan was a member of several trailblazing Louisiana bands including A-Train, Filé and Lil’ Band O’ Gold.

http://www.offbeat.com/news/lost-bayou-ramblers-louis-michot-host-residency-eclectic-new-york-city-venue/

May 31 to June 5

The series will begin on Tuesday, May 31 with an early set from his family band–Les Freres Michot–which feature his father Tommy Michot on accordion and his brother Andre Michot on guitar. It will be followed by a standard set from the Lost Bayou Ramblers.

Michot will lead a number of other off-kilter performances throughout the week, including sets from the Lost Bayou Ramblers Unplugged, Spider and the Cajuns (playing The Pogues with Spider Stacy of The Pogues), Michot’s Meldoy Melody Makers, The Mello Joy Boys (cajun swing), Le String Noise (violins ‘n’ fiddle) and a rendition of the Beasts of the Southern Wild score with members of the Wordless Music Orchestra. Some of these acts will be performing for the first, and possibly the last, time.

http://yvettelandry.com/web/about-yvette/

Louisiana Cajun musician (and professor) coming to the US East coast for some gigs in September

http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2016/08/91-year-old-henry-gray-has-lost-everything-in-louisiana-flooding/

Not zydeco or Cajun, but from Louisiana.

Legendary blues piano player Henry Gray is a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, hard hit by the flooding. Henry’s home is underwater and earlier today Henry stated “I lost everything.”

http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2016/08/geno_delafose_flood_water_resc.html

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2016/08/18/fundraiser-set-up-buckwheat-zydeco/88943794/

A portion of the article--

Friends of Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural Jr., leader of Buckwheat Zydeco, have established a GoFundMe account to raise money for the Emmy- and Grammy-winning musician. Dural, who has been seriously ill with lung cancer, is dealing with high medical bills and other expenses.
Dural’s illness has caused him to miss numerous gigs in the past year.
According to spokesperson Dustin Cravins, Dural’s struggles increased last weekend when his Carencro home took on some water during the historic flood that struck south Louisiana. Bernite Dural, his wife of 40 years, suffered a fall during the cleanup.

https://www.gofundme.com/2khuzztk

Lost Bayou Ramblers instagram says they are releasing an old show of theirs on bandcamp as a Louisiana flooding fundraiser. They are also doing multiple benefit events down there Friday night Aug. 26th

Yvette Landry often sounds more country than Cajun, though she has played with Cajun bands

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2016/09/24/dural-leader-buckwheat-zydeco-passes-away/90910752/

accordionist, bandleader, keyboard player too...

RIP, dead at 68 from lung cancer

*Sat. Oct. 22-Cajun and Zydeco Music Festival at Glen Echo w/ Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco TrendSetters; Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys; T'Monde; Squeeze Bayou Cajun Band; and Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble 2pm to 12mdt.

I want to see Ballou (who's also playing tonight) but am gonna have to miss both gigs

From Big Daddy Nice's southern soul r'n'b blog/website

Finally, Zydeco continued to influence and infiltrate southern soul, with none other than traditionalist Ecko Records' John Ward picking up tricks from newbies like Baton Rouge producer Beat Flippa (last year's winner) and giving strong proof for producer of the year. Ward incorporated the cajun-style button accordion into percolating fast jams by Jaye Hammer, ("Trail Ride") and O.B. Buchana ("Why Can't I Be Your Lover"). And on the other side, zydeco's Chris Ardoin (following in Keith Frank's footsteps) moved ever closer to a zydeco-southern soul hybrid with the rhapsodic "Boo Thang."

Southern soul singer Ms. Jody on Ecko has a zydeco mentioning and influenced song too

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/travel/louisiana-zydeco-music-capital-accordions-etouffee-dancing.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmusic&action=click&contentCollection=music®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=sectionfront

Travel article piece with a kinda generic zydeco overview plus a focus on The Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, and Buck & Johnny’s in Breaux Bridge. Some good info

Southern soul act Mr. Sam does "Zydeco Sum Mo"

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2017/06/22/cajun-music-legend-belton-richard-dies/418555001/

In her book, “Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People,” author Ann Savoy wrote “Belton Richard is the most widely imitated singer and musician in southwest Louisiana today. Not only has his vocal style set the new standard for Cajun singers, but his songs are played at every dance. Belton Richard’s poetry looks at life with a tough romanticism that appeals to the earthy Cajuns.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-d-l-menard-20170728-story.html

The 85-year old Cajun Hank Williams, D.L. Menard has passed. He was enjoyable when I saw him live.

Houston-born zydeco musician Cory Ledet and band are ok according to twitter (re the flood), but stuck in a Houston subdivision

John Nova Lomax article from January 2017

http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/houston-heightss-cajun-invasion/

Houston experiences the same sweltering and sticky climate that afflicts New Orleans and Lafayette. Our Bayou City braces for the same natural disasters—hurricanes and floods—as the Bayou State (Houstonians barely know the tornados that afflict northern and western Texas or the ice storms that paralyze Dallas). Like South Louisiana, the Houston area has seen large-scale sugar and rice production. The I-10 corridor is lined with oil refineries from east Houston all the way to Lake Charles. You can still hear Cajun and Creole music regularly on the radio on noncommercial stations like KPFT and Majic 102, a commercial R&B station.

I could go on, but here is the kicker to my bold declaration. I invite you to drive past the Spanish moss-draped live oaks and swampy prairie landscapes west of Houston on Interstate 10. I promise, it won’t feel as though you’ve entered “real Texas” until you hit the Peach Ridge Road exit out by Brookshire, where the ground finally starts to get a little roll to it. That, and not the Sabine River, is where you are finally truly leaving Louisiana.

According to the “best guesstimate” of Jim Gossen, chairman of Houston-based Sysco Louisiana Seafood, Houstonians now annually consume more crawfish than the entire state of Louisiana.

Marcus Ardoin & the Zydeco Legendz

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kwVvmfuR9T0

Lost Bayou Ramblers , Cajun band, won the best regional traditional music Grammy for their Kalenda album beating out Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers and Northern Cree (a Canadian native/aboriginal North American group) .

Meanwhile Houston has a big zydeco fest April 7th 2018

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-houston-zydeco-fest-tickets-40606022707

LIL NATE & THE ZYDECO BIG TYMERS

BRIAN JACK & THE ZYDECO GAMBLERS

KEYUN & THE ZYDECO MASTERS

RUBEN MORENO & ZYDECO RE-EVOLUTION

LIL JABB & THE ZYDECO SOLDIERS

OFFICIAL DJ: DJ JACK FROST

http://www.99playboys.com/

A new project by Jean Bertrand (of the Pine Leaf Boys)

Anthony Bourdain episode last night recorded at Mardi Gras time in southwestern Louisiana was worth watching. Marc & Anne Savoy & family, Lost Bayou Ramblers, zydeco writer Herman Fuselier, Sid Williams, drunk guys in costumes, talented women costume makers, good food, and Bourdain talking with them all.

i stumbled on the louisiana cajun-zydeco festival in armstrong park in new orleans this past week and caught the first 2 sets (and the final set) on the second day. there were indeed a lot of old people there but 1) they did not appear to be tourists 2) they were dancing with more enthusiasm and genuine mirth than i have seen in years 3) they were for the most part good dancers. there was one (not OLD old but not young) couple in particular whose chemistry was mesmerizing -- they were beautiful to watch.

also i saw a guy there wearing a RLYR tshirt (Chicago band featuring former members of Pelican & idk what other bands, def not a well known band)

<3 <3 <3 zydeco music & people

was kind of bummed to miss the cajun portion of the lineup but i enjoyed it regardless

In the Washington DC area zydeco caught on with a sizable group of white roots music fans who became fanatics of the style and pretty good at dancing to the genre couples style. Alas, no subsequent generation similarly caught on. In zydeco's southwest Louisiana home, Afro-creole parents teach their kids how to dance to it, and I think it is also taught now in schools (or at least I have seen video of white Cajun kids learning Cajun dance in class like settings).

Wow, that was a great lineup!

2018 LOUISIANA CAJUN-ZYDECO FESTIVAL MUSIC SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 23:
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bruce Daigrepont
12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Sean Ardoin
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Les Freres Michot
4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots
5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Lost Bayou Ramblers

Sunday, June 24:
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Li'l Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers
12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Chris Ardoin & NuStep
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band
4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers

Oops, I meant to say that zydeco caught on in DC in the 1980s