Zydeco

[Dayna]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco


I heard of this genre of music just recently. It's old southern music that is a mixture of various other old styles. Has anyone else been interested in this?

[garth cartwright]

Hi Dayna - happy new year! I love zydeco - which is the black French Louisiana variant of Cajun music - and just last night watched again on DVD the wonderful Les Blank documentary about Cajun and zydeco music I Went To The Dance from 1989 - try and see it, you will love this film! You should be able to find it quite easily - best place to look maybe Down Home Music in California. They do mail order. How are u? How's life been? I've had a quiet Xmas and new year in London.

[Dayna]

Thanks for that. Happy New Year to you too! I had a quiet Christmas & New Years. I'm really loving the 30 year old acoustic guitar my uncle gave me & the one my dad got me & am learning on them.

The weather here since end of December, has been very cold & snowy. It's 19f.

[Alan Balfour]

Hi Dayna - happy new year! I love zydeco - which is the black French Louisiana variant of Cajun music - and just last night watched again on DVD the wonderful Les Blank documentary about Cajun and zydeco music I Went To The Dance from 1989 - try and see it, you will love this film! You should be able to find it quite easily - best place to look maybe Down Home Music in California. They do mail order. How are u? How's life been? I've had a quiet Xmas and new year in London.

In about 1977/8 I recall going to a Les Blank season at the NFT at which were shown two of his earlier cajun/zydeco films - Hot Pepper (about an hour long) and Dry Wood (30 mins). I've still got the program somewhere, it might have something of interest I can post here.

[Dayna]

Thanks. I'll try to find those films. I know I've always been familiar with Cajun music somehow & probably have heard it many times, but just didn't know what it was called till now.

It's just hard to beleive I've been missing out on something so good. I love the mixtures of styles & the rhythms.

[john poole]

Here's an extract from Les Blank's 'Hot Pepper' -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2I-xriAqMc

(there's lots of Les Blank clips on YouTube - interspersed with extracts from 'Blankety Blank'....)

[Dayna]

Thanks John

[Neil Foxlee]

Dayna, check out Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco, on YouTube. He played accordion, mainly zydeco but also blues.

Here he is playing great straight blues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kkJeF14COI&feature=related

[Dayna]

Thanks. It's blues that just sounds different.