Zydeco

Various Artists - International - North America - Cajun/ Zydeco, Putumayo Presents (Series)

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 2000)
• Original Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Putumayo World Music
• ASIN: B00003OP0X
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,399 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #2 in	Music > World Music > Compilations > North America > Cajun & Zydeco
  #5 in	Music > Indie Music > World Music > Cajun & Zydeco
  #14 in	Music > Indie Music > World Music > North America

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
From the get-go, Putumayo Presents Zydeco is the down-and-dirtiest most-rockin' Saturday night at a sweaty bayou dance hall or juke joint a non-native can experience. Born of the Creole community in Louisiana's backwaters and moving outward to Texas and California, Zydeco bumps, grinds, and is a wang dang doodle of a big time. Youngblood Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band rip through "Co Fa" with their trademark double-kick beat, the low-end-amped-up sound making heartbreak sound like a raunchy roll in the hay. Rosie Ledet's "You're No Good for Me" is a wailer for all lovers scorned, featuring thudding bass, wiry guitar lines, and sax in a one-upmanship dance with her accordion. Beau Jocque growls, Jude Taylor trades accordion licks with his band's organist, and Queen Ida reigns supreme on "My Girl Josephine." As the Creole Farmers sing on the opening cut, "We gonna party 'til the cows come home!" --Paige La Grone

From Rhythm Magazine
The feel and energy of a zydeco performance doesn't necessarily come across in the studio, and few of today's performers are particularly impressive songwriters. Fortunately, Putumayo has sought out some of the better recent zydeco recordings, and this compilation is as solid a selection as any. From well-known performers who have passed on, such as Clifton Chenier and Beau Jocque, to current stars such as Keith Frank and Boozoo Chavis, the music is remarkably consistent, with tracks by Rosie Ledet and Buckwheat Zydeco that are as good as zydeco gets.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Xenophiles Unite!, February 12, 2000

By	Kevin L. Nenstiel "omnivore" (Kearney, Nebraska) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Putamayo is a good way to get your hands on xenophile music. This latest is a very good album to start one out on zydeco music, comme ca. Zydeco may be an acquired taste for someone who, unlike me, hasn't listened to blues, African music, or Cajun sounds, elements of all of which are in evidence on this CD. Still, if you're willing to take a stab and listen to something too few people ever hear anymore, you'll be very will rewarded.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, December 11, 2005

By	Megan Romer (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews

Putumayo's recordings are sort of iffy for those who are really into the music that they compile.... some of them are phenomenal, some of them are disappointing. This one is fortunately one of the former. This CD plays like a who's who of Zydeco music, several tempos and song styles (waltz, two-step and blues, the main three rhythm patterns of zydeco music) are presented and all of the songs are truly classics.

If you're just getting into zydeco, this is the album for you! As I said, it's a who's who of zydeco music, so you can listen through and see which tracks you like, which will help you make informed decisions about which full-length single-band albums to buy. If you are a longstanding zydeco fan, you may well have most of these cuts on CDs you already own, so you could just make yourself a mix CD, but save yourself the trouble and pick this one up.

I can't for the life of me figure out how Putumayo managed to make such a spot-on zydeco collection but only a very mediocre Cajun music collection.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one to buy..., September 20, 2004

By	Stephen Cabral (New England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you only buy one zydeco collection, this is the one to buy. Putumayo is a label that specializes in world music. All their releases have beautiful artwork and include a booklet with notes about each song. This release is a great compilation of recent and current and most of it rocks. A sampling of the more popular musicians include...Beau Jocque...Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas...Boozoo Chavis...Queen Ida...Clifton Chenier...Buckwheat Zydeco...and Chris Ardoin does a cover of "Pass the Dutchie"