Before 1982, the words “zydeco” and “festival” were never used in the same sentence. Creole accordion dance music had already spread from rural house dances in southwest Louisiana to clubs and church halls as far away as Houston and Los Angeles.
But in 1982, the Treasures of Opelousas, parishioners of Holy Ghost Church, one of the largest black Catholic congregations in the country, had concerns. The music pioneers had grown old. Money was needed for an educational fund.
The Treasures solved both problems with a “Zydeco Music Festival” in a soybean field in Plaisance, north of Opelousas. As author Michael Tisserand detailed in his book Kingdom of Zydeco, this grassroots movement literally began with mowing the lawn.
“A team of workers attached a brush cutter to the back of a tractor and cleared five acres of soybeans. Grass was raked and hauled away. Wooden pallets were stacked on top of each other and a large piece of plywood was nailed on top. A microphone was plugged into an extension cord that led to a single vegetable shed. The stage was set.”
On the Saturday before Labor Day, three bands played on this makeshift stage in front of 400 people. The following year, the crowd was 4,000.
In the years that followed, attendance often approached 10,000. A young generation that had grown up with James Brown and the Jackson 5 decided that zydeco was no longer just for mom and dad. Future Grammy winners like Terrance Simien and Chubby Carrier were stirring up excitement among the dancers.
Busloads of tourists went home and started their own Zydeco festivals from San Diego to Raamsdonksveer in Holland. There are even Zydeco cruises. The original event also made Labor Day weekend at home into Zydeco weekend.
The groundbreaking event now known as the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival celebrates its 42nd anniversary in Opelousas on August 30 and 31. “Zydeco Boss” Keith Frank, who cut his teeth at the original festival, hosts the Creole Renaissance Festival at the Rayne Civic Center on September 1.
The action begins at 9 p.m. on August 30 with young talents Mike Broussard and Leon Chavis at the Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino in Opelousas. The main festival, which opens at noon on Saturday at the Yambilee Building in Opelousas, begins with the traditional sounds of Chubby Carrier, Leroy Thomas, Geno Delafose and CJ Chenier, with a tribute to his father, Grammy Hall of Famer Clifton Chenier.
The evening features contemporary sounds from Jeremy Fruge, Rusty Metoyer and Chris Ardoin.
The Creole Renaissance Festival lineup includes Rosie Ledet, Horace Trahan, Mike Broussard, Preston Frank, Step Rideau, J. Paul Jr. and Keith Frank. The event pays tribute to the old masters with the return of Boozoo Chavis’ Magic Sounds with Poncho Chavis and a Zydeco Force reunion.
Most of the Treasures of Opelousas have passed away, but a world of music lovers remains grateful for the moment when those two words were united – the Zydeco Festival.
Herman Fuselier is the executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. He is a longtime journalist covering music and culture in Louisiana. He lives in Opelousas. His show, “Zydeco Stomp,” airs Saturdays at noon on KRVS 88.7 FM.
