Coming Soon Culture of Zaydeco Soul Music

Culture of Zaydeco Soul Music

Things will get a little salty at this year's Zydeco Festival in Plaisance, as the city celebrates the music and culture of zydeco.And that's just how the festival's organizers want it.

The Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival, which turns 27 this year, celebrates the music of one of Louisiana's richest cultural traditions. When the festival began 27 years ago, it was a simple creation: a flatbed truck refashioned into a stage sitting in the center of a large open field in Plaisance, a community just north of Opelousas. The flatbed truck provided a platform for a lineup of old-time zydeco musicians, and the festival's original impulse was one of resuscitation.
The festival has also gotten support from the Lafayette Convention and Visitor Commission and the Louisiana Tourist Commission.

"A lot of organizations and businesses have come together to make this festival happen," Charles said. "They're showing that this community has pride in their culture and their history."
"This music comes from a people that didn't have a lot," Charles said. "And look at us now. Zydeco music is mainstream. And the new artists are all so talented.

source: Music news