Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 - December 12, 1987), a Creole French-speaking native of Opelousas, Louisiana, was an eminent performer and recording artist of Zydeco, which arose from Cajun and Creole music, with R&B, jazz, and blues influences. He was known as the 'King of Zydeco'
Chenier began his recording career in 1954, when he signed with Elko Records and released Clifton's Blues, a regional success. Later Chenier was signed with Chess Records in Chicago, followed by the Arhoolie label.
In April 1966, Chenier appeared at the Berkeley Blues Festival on the University of California campus and was subsequently described by Ralph J. Gleason, Jazz critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, as "... one of the most surprising musicians I have heard in some time, with a marvelously moving style of playing the accordion .. blues accordion, that's right, blues accordion."
Chenier was the first act to play at Antone's, a blues club on Sixth Street in Austin, Texas. Later in 1976, he reached a national audience when he appeared on the premiere season of the PBS music program Austin City Limits. Three years later in 1979 he returned to the show with his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Chenier's popularity peaked in the 1980s, and he was recognized with a Grammy Award in 1983. It was the first Grammy for his new label Alligator Records. He also was recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship, and in 1989 was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame. During their prime, Chenier and his band traveled throughout the world.
Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music, evolving as a blend of Cajun music and two other American music styles: blues and rhythm and blues. Haitian rhythms were also added, as Haitian natives moved to Louisiana to help harvest sugarcane.
Zydeco (French, from the phrase: "Les haricots ne sont pas salés", means "the snap beans aren't salty", alluding to the down to earth nature of Cajun bayou people. When spoken in the regional French, it is spoken thus: "leh-zy-dee-co sohn pah salay...". Usually fast tempo and dominated by the button or piano accordion and a form of a washboard known as a frottoir, zydeco music was originally created at house dances, where families and friends gathered for socializing.
Today, zydeco integrates genres such as R&B, soul, brass band, reggae, hip hop, ska, rock, Afro-Caribbean and other styles, in addition to the traditional forms.
Clifton Chenier- Louisiana Blues and Zydeco (1965)
Tracklist:
01. Eh, ‘Tite Fille
02. Banana Man
03. Hot Rod
04. It’s Hard
05. I Can Look Down At Your Woman
06. I Can’t Stand
07. Zydeco Et Pas Sale
08. Lafayette Waltz
09. Lousiana Two Step
10. Clifton’s Waltz
11. Louisiana Blues
Clifton Chenier - Black Snake Blues (1967)
Tracklist:
01. Black Snake Blues
02. Let's Talk It Over
03. Walking to Louisiana
04. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
05. Wrap It Up
06. Monifique
07. Johnny Can't Dance
08. I Lost My Baby (In French)
09. Can't Go Home No More
10. I Got a Little Girl
Clifton Chenier - Frenchin' The Boogie (1976)
Tracklist:
01. Caldonia (what makes your big head so hard?)
02. Laissez les bons temps rouler
03. Tu peux cogner mais tu peux pas rentrer
04. Le blues de la vache a lait
05. Moi, j'ai une p'tite femme
06. Tous les jours mon coeur est bleu
07. J'veux faire l'amour a toi
08. Choo-choo ch'boogie
09. La valse de Paris
10. Shake, rattle and roll
11. Goin' down slow (in Paris)
12. Don't you lie to me
13. Aye, aye mama
Louisiana Blues and Zydeco Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: joint stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.90
MPEG-1 layer 3
Black Snake Blues Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.97
MPEG-1 layer 3
Frenchin’ the Boogie Media Info:
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Channels: stereo
Samplerate: 44100
Encoder: LAME 3.92
MPEG-1 layer 3
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