June is African American Music Appreciation Month. A time to honor, celebrate, and reflect on all the musical accomplishments Black Americans have given throughout the centuries. Louisiana has a strong connection with the musical legacy of this country, from traditional gospel music to the bounce…
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Swamp pop represents, according to its foremost historian, Shane K. Bernard, the cultural collisions of “Cajun and Creole, black and white, French and English, rural and urban, folk and mainstream.” Sharing affinities with rhythm and blues, rock and roll, country and western, and rockabilly, swamp…
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Zydeco is a continuously evolving Louisiana music genre that blends elements of many Black American folk and pop styles, including blues, rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz, rock and roll, soul, funk, hip-hop, and rap. Though scholars surmise that zydeco contains deeper historical roots in West African…
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So, does all the great music you hear in Lafayette inspire you to play along? Do you have your guitar, fiddle, accordion, or other acoustic instruments --- including your voice--- handy? Or do you enjoy listening to a group of people playing classic Cajun, Zydeco, or old-timey music in a laid-back…
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Immerse yourself in the untouched purity of a cypress and tupelo swamp. Sway your hips to the upbeat tempo of accordions and washboards, or let the seductive flavors of Cajun and Creole cooking dance on your palate. Join in on a colorful Mardi Gras celebration and experience the largest non-ticketed…
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The triangle is a simple, percussive, rhythm instrument central to Cajun music. Consisting of two…
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The frottoir — sometimes spelled froittoir — is a percussive, rhythmic instrument omnipresent in…
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You can’t step foot in Cajun country without hearing it. “La Porte d’en Arrière” (The Back Door) is one of the most played and recorded songs in Cajun music. Released in 1962, the French two-step about sneaking back into one’s home after a night on the town became a hit almost instantaneously. But…
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Are you short on time for your first visit to Cajun Country? Are you overwhelmed with all of the things to do and experience? There’s no shortage of ways to experience the Happiest City in America and its nearby communities. We’re sharing our favorites for first-time visitors. Listen and Dance to…
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In a region renowned for its rich cultural soundtrack, the ways musicians acquire their instruments is rarely, if ever, discussed. Yet without those instruments—many of them specialized for the musical world of South Louisiana—the music would not exist. Today, it might be easy enough for a working…
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