Buckwheat Zydeco

• Genre: Cajun/Zydeco
• Hometown: Lafayette
• Buckwheat Zydeco Website

About

It's difficult not to be swept away by the infectious, frenetic groove of Buckwheat Zydeco. The Creole-style hybrid Zydeco was born when Clifton Chenier took traditional African-American music from Louisiana, played on accordion and fiddle, and added a full-scale, amplified R&B rhythm section. Buckwheat Zydeco continued that tradition, and have become the most successful artists of the genre since Chenier's death. Some of their material points directly towards R&B, with shuffle beats, punchy horn lines, and classic Electric Blues riffs. Other tunes are straight ahead pounding two-step that aims to cleanse your soul by working your body to the bone. And through it all, lead singer Stanley Dural remains one of the genre's strongest voices, with a muscular baritone growl and undeniable charisma.

- Eric Shea