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FeedZydeco, Creole and Cajun music come to town
Courtesy of Cedric Watson
Cedric Watson brings his band, Bijoux Creole, to town on Sept. 21
You might think I’m crazy when you hear this: the accordion is one of my favorite instruments. When you hear what Cedric Watson can do with one, you might start to understand, and not be so judgmental. Trust me, you’ll be too busy tapping your toe, shaking your head in awe, or dancing. I know I will.
He’ll be at the Sportsmen’s Tavern www.sportsmenstavern.net—where Dwane Hall and Ken Biringer continue to book remarkable acts from underrepresented genres (you guys rock!)—on Tuesday, September 21. Admission is $15 at the door, show starts at 7.
Cedric Watson www.cedricwatson.com, not yet 30, is a rising star on the Louisiana music scene—which, though Cajun/zydeco were finally granted a Grammy category a few years ago, has still not found its way into a larger mainstream awareness. The music is soul-satisfyingly melodic, rhythmic and authentic.
Watson was raised in Texas, which, as it abuts southwest Louisiana, has pockets of Cajun and Creole traditions nearly as strong as its neighbor. The roots go deep, and Watson digs into them with a reverence and gusto common only to those with driving passion and unstoppable talent.
Singing in French, with a husky intensity, slamming out a fast two-step on a button accordion or stroking his fiddle till it is smoking, this guy can play. And play. His collaborative and inclusive nature has led him to projects with a wide array of Cajun, Creole, and zydeco musicians.
In those musical worlds, it’s rare-to-impossible for a musician to come from nowhere. Several dynastic, extended families directly or indirectly produce and continue to influence the making of practically every musician. These include the Broussards, Ardoins, and Savoys. Watson, in his musical schooling and exploration, has performed or recorded with several of the equally passionate progeny and living elders of these clans, while delving into their canons for inspiration and material.
So, once again, I remind you—as I dig out my dancing shoes, and make sure I have a cloth to wipe my brow as I happily become drenched by the music—Watson will be here on Tuesday, September 21, at the Sportsmen’s Tavern. I strongly recommend that you catch him.
