Zydeco
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n.
Zydeco
Zydeco is the bluesy dance music of the French Speaking Creoles of Southwest Louisiana. Zydeco music and dancing is hot and fun! No longer just isolated in the southwest regions of Louisiana and Texas, this hot and infectious music and dance has reached around the world. The Pacific Northwest is no exception as this hot climate dance has found a 'cooler' home.
The above description is from Roland's and Janine's dance class at the Viscount. Read more about Roland and Janine.
We love it! We dance to it! Everyone asks us. But exactly what is it (other descriptions of the great music)?
Zydeco Music Awards
The ZMAs recognizes the achievements of artists in 15 categories. See the winners! Life Time Achievement Award went to “Nathan Williams Sr.”, whose timeless music has inspired an endless number of old and new zydeco artists alike.
For continuous 2012 Zydeco Music Awards updates, please visit Zydeco Music Awards.
Creole Heritage Month
Learn more about the Creole Culture. Read the "Story of the Louisiana Creole Flag".
Zydeco Ballers
Members of this group, from Opelousas, won "best female dancer" and "best male dancer" at the first Zydeco Music Awards. Their goals seem to be to teach great dance steps,promote zydeco culture and get everyone dancing! Yeah!.
American Routes
South to Louisiana
Allons! American Routes heads west from our New Orleans studio to Southwestern French Louisiana. For a small area on the map, this area of the state has produced a huge amount of music. We'll speak with swamp popper Rod Bernard about his breakout hit "This Could Go On Forever." Guitarist Lil' Buck Sinegal recalls the heyday of Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band. There's a historic interview with the late fiddler that helped break Cajun music to the world, Dewey Balfa. Plus a live set with Creole accordion player Zydeco Joe.
Chubby Carrier's Thoughts
The
Positive Vibrations Foundations had published a video from Chubby Carrier
taking about the History of Zydeco. He gives a great talk about the history
of Zydeco music, Creole culture and his real Louisiana roots.
Here are some more thoughts - What is Zydeco?
Morris Ardoin
At
age 73, accordionist and fiddler Morris Ardoin is the elder statesman of the
Ardoin family, recognized as the first family of Creole and Zydeco music.
His group joined Kevin Kelly on WILL's Live and Local show to talk about
their music and play some tunes.
Films Maroon / Zarico / Liberty Street Blues
Interested in a little Louisiana culture?
Louisiana's Creole culture is the subject of this trio of documentaries directed by Andre Gladu. Maroon examines the roots of this remarkable culture, the result of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and American influences, and how it's surviving. Zarico, the word for Creole folk music, shows how the culture's traditional rhythms shaped modern music, while Liberty Street Blues offers a musical tour of New Orleans, the birthplace of modern jazz.
The films of Andre Gladu were recommended to me by several Cascade Zydeco members. They have been shown in Lafayette and are available on Netflix. The first one, Maroon, starts back before zydeco was zydeco.
Zydeco on OPB
The OPB show, American Routes, featured zydeco in August 2010. You can view the full show online. See the links below.
Bustin' Loose: Go-Go and Zydeco with Chuck Brown and Jeffrey Broussard
Come meet us at the club as we jump into two distinct American musics: go-go and zydeco. From the nation's capital, we'll visit with the "Godfather of Go-Go," funk and jazz guitarist Chuck Brown, who'll explain the finer points of jamming and showing the audience some love. Then we're back in Louisiana getting down to the Creole sounds of zydeco with the Creole cowboy Jeffrey Broussard, whose fiddle and accordion playing brings the music back its source. The son of the late accordion legend Delton Broussard, Jeffery knows the deep roots of d'vrais zarico (real zydeco), but also the appeal of tradition in a modern sound.
Culture
Mardi Gras Cajun Style -
What were those scary, mysterious costumes that Phil & Penny wore wearing
one Halloween? Did you know who they were? Penny writes about the
courir tradition in Louisiana.
A Chicken in her Honor
The
Pecaniere Courir passes by my brothers driveway in rural LA, where his
neighbor tossed a chicken in my honor, and I attended the Cajun Mardi Grad
party at the Savoy Family Homestead. You might enjoy looking at some fun bon
temp pics.
Joann Dolan
Zydeco/Cajun Prairie
Zydeco Cajun Prairie Scenic Byway
T&B, P&P spent time after Mardi Gras 2010, exploring the SW part of the byway. We stayed on the intra-coastal waterway. Despite the often-rainy weather, we enjoyed the tug boats, sunsets & birds. If we'd waited another year all we'd have seen was the devastation caused by the BP oil spill. (pictures)
Lake Martin
This is a beautiful area for birding or paddling close to Lafayette, LA (that is if you don't mind a few aligators!)
The Princess and the Frog
Oscar nominated Disney movie features Louisiana music.
How Zydeco Came to Portland
Are you curious about how zydeco music has become so popular so far from Louisiana? Dick Brainard has written on the beginnings of Cascade Zydeco. We've come a long way baby...
More from Dick - Zydeco Music & Dance
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