Stretching from the bayous of Louisiana to the oil towns of East Texas, the kingdom of zydeco is ruled by accordion-playing, washboard-wielding kings and queens named Beau Jocque, Boozoo Chavis, Queen Ida and--the King of Zydeco himself--Clifton Chenier. In this book, the leading expert on zydeco music provides the ultimate guide to this red-hot music and its origins. Photos Print ads.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The zesty dance music created by black, French-speaking inhabitants of southwestern Louisiana originated early in the 20th century as "house music" for Saturday-night parties at which sharecroppers danced away their troubles. Tisserand, a New Orleans-based music journalist, here uses oral histories, contemporary documents and photos (interspersed throughout), and firsthand research, to chart the prime movers of the genre, from its earliest stirrings to the present. There is Amede Ardoin, whose recordings in the late 1920s and '30s set the standard with their accordion-driven rhythms and vocals that delivered traditional French songs with blues-inflected passion. Clifton Chenier, in the 1950s and '60s, reflected the blend of down-home roots and new cosmopolitanism as black Louisianans took jobs in Houston during the oil boom. Chenier incorporated R&B and rock & roll into the swinging zydeco sound, just as the contemporary musicians Tisserand profiles include hip-hop and rap riffs in their songs. The author certainly does justice to the complexity of the zydeco tradition, and he includes everyone from crossover successes like Buckwheat Zydeco to resolute traditionalists like Boozoo Chavis, yet his narrative is too dense for all but the most devoted aficionado. Colorful though his subjects are, the lengthy quotes from interviews could profitably have been halved. And his claims for zydeco's popularity today are out of date: his prime examples of mainstream assimilation, Paul Simon's album Graceland and the movie The Big Easy, were both released in the 1980s. Nonetheless, this comprehensive assessment is a must for fans. Agent, Richard McDonough; editor, Tim Bent.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
For the uninitiated, zydeco is a form of music originating in Louisiana and East Texas that combines African American rhythms and French-English lyrics to create an infectious musical gumbo guaranteed to send the most self-conscious wallflower looking for dancing shoes. The unlikely lead instrument in zydeco bands is the accordion, played with feeling and soul more commonly associated with the blues. While it was recorded back in the 1930s by John and Alan Lomax for the Archive of Folk Song in the Library of Congress, the music did not receive much popular attention until the 1970s, when Clifton Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band began to develop a young white following. By the 1980s, artists such as Chenier, Queen Ida, and Rockin' Sidney had all won Grammies, and zydeco was on the cultural map. Written in a style as lively as the music itself, journalist Tisserand's book is recommended for all music libraries and is essential in Louisiana, East Texas, and everywhere else that zydeco is king.ADan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tisserand is A Great Tour Guide!,
By
This review is from: The Kingdom of Zydeco (Paperback)
THE KINGDOM OF ZYDECO is a superb look at zydeco music - its history, its socio-cultural impact, its traditions, its heroes, its geographical importance... There's no other book quite like it. Reading it takes you on an intense journey through the "kingdom" and brings readers up close and personal with the topic in a way few music genre overview books do. Its lovingly crafted and written, establishing mood and atmosphere instantly. These are real people playing for the love of the music and their observations are funny, sad, deep and emotional. In short, this is a "kingdom" where real life often clashes with art, where the "ethnicity" of the genre clashes with the music biz's "eat-'em-up-&-spit-'em-out" attitude. Exceptional writing and a genuinely interesting topic.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A big boudin of a book; crackling with insight and info!,
By Stuart Klipper "Ice sailor" (Minneapols, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Kingdom of Zydeco (Hardcover)
Stu Klipper (sklipper@bitstream.net) from Minneapolis, Minn., 07/11/98 One vast bursting boudin of a book!!! FAIT ATENCION!: This is one vast bursting boudin of a book! It'll put the salt back into your snap beans! Tear out its pages and stick 'em in your dancing shoes, cher! Tisserand is THE maven of zydeco! NB: La. locals, fans, converts and overall BooZoo-aholics, you have a new Bible! For recent arrivals and the general reader 'zydeco' will now no longer just be a killer Scrabble word! For anyone who reads this book, I bet you a six pack of Dixie that you'll soon be booking your flight to SW Louisiana! You can't go wrong if you play it right, and Tisserand has done it big-time right! Merci beacoup, Mr. T!! Laissez les bons temps roulez! Stu Klipper (read in manuscript)
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The definative book on Zydeco; written with great passion.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Kingdom of Zydeco (Hardcover)
I stole a copy of The Kingdom of Zydeco while interviewing for a job at Arcade. I love this book more than my own mother.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
