Zydeco is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles, such as la la and juré. Musicians use the French accordion and a Creole washboard instrument called the frottoir.
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, 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.
BeauSoleil is a Cajun band from Louisiana, United States.
Maison de Soul is a Louisiana-based Zydeco and blues record label. It was founded in 1974 in Ville Platte, Louisiana by Floyd Soileau and remains under his ownership. It is one of four record labels under Soileau's Flat Town Music Company umbrella, and combined the Flat Town labels make up "the largest body of Cajun, zydeco, and swamp music in the world". Living Blues magazine has called Maison de Soul "the country's foremost zydeco label".
Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.
Zydepunks is an American folk punk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 2003, they play a wide variety of multicultural music, including Cajun music and zydeco, Eastern European music, and punk rock. They perform in English, French, Spanish, Yiddish, Portuguese, and German. Their instrumentation includes vocals, violins, accordions, bass guitar, and drums.
Ann Savoy is a musician, author, and record producer.
The Pine Leaf Boys is an American Cajun and Creole band from South Louisiana, United States. Members include Wilson Savoy, Chris Segura, Drew Simon, Jean Bertrand (guitars), and Thomas David (bass).
Fat City is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin. It was released on October 27, 1992, on Columbia Records.
Behind the Levee is the sixth studio album by The Subdudes, released in 2006. As usual for the band their music combines rock, folk, R&B, soul, funk, gospel, blues, Cajun and zydeco. The album was produced by the noted blues musician Keb'Mo and features as special guest stars The Dirty Dozen Brass Band horns on two tracks and Rosie Ledet in duet vocal with Tommy Malone on one track.
The Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists at the 50th, 51st, 52nd and 53rd Annual Grammy Awards (2008–2011) for quality zydeco or cajun music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Christine Balfa is a Cajun musician and founder of the group Balfa Toujours known for performing vocals, guitar, and the triangle. She is the youngest daughter of Dewey Balfa.
Tiny Town was a New Orleans rock-blues band formed in 1997. The band was formed by singer Pat McLaughlin, with guitarists Tommy Malone and Johnny-Ray Allen, both of The Subdudes, and drummer Kenny Blevins. Malone returned to work with the Subdudes.
Kenneth Blevins is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. As a session drummer, he has contributed to the work of many well-known artists.
Captain Gumbo is a Dutch band formed in 1987, which plays mostly zydeco and Cajun music; that is, music in the French traditions of the U.S. state of Louisiana, based around the diatonic accordion. In 1990, their version of "Allons à Lafayette" reached No. 30 in the Dutch singles chart. The band was still active as of 2013.
Leigh Harris was a New Orleans R&B and jazz singer and songwriter.
Primitive Streak is an album by the American band the Subdudes, released in 1996. It was a success on Americana album charts. The band supported the album with a North American tour, which included shows with Anders Osborne.
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.
Annunciation is an album by the American band the Subdudes, released in 1994. The album title refers to Annunciation Street, in New Orleans; the album was originally intended to be released on Annunciation Day. Annunciation was the band's first album for High Street Records. The Subdudes supported the album with a North American tour. Annunciation sold more than 120,000 copies in its first eight months of release.
