Andre Thierry

Last updated

Andre Thierry
Born (1979-07-09) July 9, 1979 (age 43)
Richmond, California, United States
Genres Alternative Creole
Instruments Accordion, singer, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and drums
Years active1990s–present
Website andrethierry.com

Andre Thierry is an American Zydeco musician. He leads the band Zydeco Magic. [1]

Contents

Andre was born in Richmond, California, on July 9, 1979, to Olivia "Tee" Guillory originally from Basile, Louisiana, and Gregory Thierry, originally from Jennings, Louisiana. Andre Thierry's childhood was deeply influenced by his maternal grandparents, the late Houston Pete Pitre (Pa-Pa as they called him) from Basile, Louisiana, and his grandmother, known by many as Mama Lena Pitre, from Soileau, Louisiana.

In America, great migrations produce great music. Just as Delta musicians took Highway 61 to Chicago and electrified their blues, so did the Creoles and Cajuns migrate to California and establish vital dance communities. Now the California scenes rival anything back home in Louisiana, and that's due to players like Andre Thierry, a standard bearer for the new generation. Thierry is among the best of both the West Coast and the Gulf Coast, and he combines youthful vigor with a mature appreciation for his inherited tradition. [2]

Thierry grew up experiencing the French Creole (La-La) dances his grandparents held at their church parish, St. Mark's Catholic Church. The best Zydeco musicians Louisiana had to offer traveled to California to play at the dances and spent considerable time at the Pitres' house while in the area. On one such visit, the "King of Zydeco", Clifton Chenier, grabbed three-year-old Andre by the arms and deemed him a future accordion player.[ citation needed ] From then on, Andre's father encouraged the young Andre to play the accordion.[ citation needed ]

Captivated by Chenier, Thierry began teaching himself to play by listening to Clifton's music. Andre demonstrated an innate musical ability and his skill quickly grew. Andre played his first song, Willis Prudhomme's version of "Give’m Cornbread", in the backyard of his grandparents' home. He soon began playing Chenier's music on stages all over Northern California.

His grandparents continued to host Louisiana musicians and this exposure to his heritage allowed him to develop his love for, and mastery of, traditional French Creole music. By age twelve, with the help of his mother, Thierry formed his own band, "Zydeco Magic". Andre's repertoire grew as he was regularly invited to play with numerous visiting bands, such as the late John Delafose, his son, Geno Delafose, and many local Zydeco and Cajun bands, including the late Danny Poullard (California Cajun Orchestra).

Thierry is a virtuoso on the accordion. [3] Although Andre's instrument of choice is the accordion he also displays talent on bass guitar, rhythm guitar and drums.[ citation needed ] He sings traditional songs in original Creole French and his voice has been characterized as rich and soulful.[ citation needed ]

Selected discography

Related Research Articles

Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. Although it is distinct in origin from the Cajun music of Louisiana, the two forms influenced each other, forming a complex of genres native to the region.

Rockin Sidney American zydeco and R&B musician and songwriter

Sidney Simien, known professionally as Rockin' Sidney, was an American R&B, zydeco, and soul musician who began recording in the late 1950s and continued performing until his death. He is best known for his 1985 single "My Toot-Toot", which reached top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and earned him a Grammy Award.

The music of Louisiana can be divided into three general regions: rural south Louisiana, home to Creole Zydeco and Old French, New Orleans, and north Louisiana. The region in and around Greater New Orleans has a unique musical heritage tied to Dixieland jazz, blues, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. The music of the northern portion of the state starting at Baton Rouge and reaching Shreveport has similarities to that of the rest of the US South.

Cajun music Music of Cajun Louisiana is rooted in ballads of French-speaking Canadians

Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based zydeco music. Both are from southwest Louisiana and share French and African origins. These French Louisiana sounds have influenced American popular music for many decades, especially country music, and have influenced pop culture through mass media, such as television commercials.

Clifton Chenier American zydeco accordion player and singer

Clifton Chenier, a Louisiana French-speaking native of Leonville, Louisiana, near Opelousas, was a performer and recording artist of zydeco, which arose from Cajun and Creole music, with R&B, jazz, and blues influences. He played the accordion and won a Grammy Award in 1983.

Boozoo Chavis American zydeco musician, singer and songwriter

Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis was an American accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the fusion of Cajun and blues music developed in southwest Louisiana.

Beau Jocque American zydeco accordionist, singer, and songwriter

Beau Jocque was a Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter active in the 1990s.

C. J. Chenier American zydeco musician, singer and songwriter

C. J. Chenier is the Creole son of the Grammy Award-winning "King of Zydeco", Louisiana musician, Clifton Chenier. In 1987, Chenier followed in his father's footsteps and led his father's band as an accordion performer and singer of zydeco, a blend of cajun and creole music. With five previous albums to his credit, by 1994, Chenier began to record for Chicago-based Alligator Records.

Canray Fontenot American Creole fiddler

Canray Fontenot was an American Creole fiddle player, who has been described as "the greatest Creole Louisiana French fiddler of our time."

History of Cajun music

Cajun music has its roots based in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada, and in country music.

Queen Ida American zydeco musician

Ida Lewis "Queen Ida" Guillory is a Louisiana Creole accordionist. She was the first female accordion player to lead a zydeco band.</ref> Queen Ida's music is an eclectic mix of R&B, Caribbean, and Cajun, though the presence of her accordion always keeps it traditional.

Cajun accordion Diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun music

A Cajun accordion, also known as a squeezebox, is single-row diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun music.

Joseph Roy Carrier Sr., known professionally as Roy Carrier, was an American Zydeco musician. He was the father of Chubby and Dikki Du Carrier, who followed their father into Zydeco music.

Cedric Watson American musician (born 1983)

Cedric Watson is an American musician. He has been nominated four times for Grammy Awards.

Fernest Arceneaux American zydeco musician

Fernest Arceneaux was a French speaking Creole Zydeco accordionist and singer from Louisiana.

John Delafose American zydeco musician (1939–1994)

John Irvin Delafose was an American French-speaking Creole Zydeco accordionist from Louisiana.

Nathan Williams (Zydeco) American zydeco musician

Nathan Williams Sr. is an American Zydeco accordionist and singer.

Bogalusa Boogie is a studio album by the American zydeco musician Clifton Chenier. It was released in 1975 via Arhoolie Records. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2016, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

Hot Rod is an album by the American musician C.J. Chenier, released in 1990. He is credited with the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Although Chenier grew up listening primarily to R&B, he considered Hot Rod to be a traditional zydeco album.

La Chanson Perdue is an album by the American musician Geno Delafose, released in 1998. He is credited with his band, French Rockin' Boogie. Delafose considered the album to be a combination of Creole zydeco and Cajun music; however, the title of the album in part refers to the popularity of zydeco overtaking traditional Creole music. Delafose supported the album with a North American tour.

References

  1. ↑ "Andre Thierry". Zydeco Nation. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ Tisserand, Michael. The Kingdom of Zydeco, Arcade Publishing, 1998
  3. ↑ Yeoman, Barry (March 2012). "A Moveable Feast". Barry Yeoman, journalist. American Airlines.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.