2021-02-18 16:47:03
Cajun, zydeco, jazz, blues, country, rock and beyond: The soundtrack of Louisiana is as diverse as the places you can hear it live. Jazz Jazz dates back to Congo Square in New Orleans, once a lively meeting place and one of the only places in the South where people of color could gather to play music and dance before the Civil War. Steeped in blues and ragtime, jazz found roots in Storyville before legends like Louis Armstrong introduced this now-iconic sound to the world. Hear it here! Preservation Hall, Davenport Lounge and dozens of clubs along Frenchmen and Bourbon streets in New Orleans. Zydeco Inspired by the West African custom jure—hand-clapping and foot-stomping—zydeco first fused the sounds of accordions and washboards with Afro-Caribbean beats to create a signature sound that gained fame in western Louisiana. Today’s zydeco is further influenced by soul, reggae and rap, showing how this genre continues to evolve. Hear it here! Buck & Johnny’s in Breaux Bridge, and dance halls and Preservation Hall music festivals throughout the state. Cajun Although it’s enjoyed at festivals and celebrations today, Cajun music was born out of a need to comfort the Acadians after they were exiled from Nova Scotia in the 1700s and found refuge in Louisiana. As their ties grew stronger here, so did the traditions of storytelling, singing and dancing that created this true “folk” music genre. Hear it here! Boudreaux and Thibodeaux’s in Baton Rouge, Savoy Music Center in Eunice and Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette. Blues While jazz, zydeco and Cajun get lots of attention, the blues also run deep in Louisiana. First introduced by African- American workers, early blues music was steeped in gospel and became a therapeutic release to lift the spirits of those enduring tough times. Although a classic blues song is built on a 12-bar chord with repeated lyrics, this music is as diverse today as those who perform it. Hear it here! Tipitina’s in New Orleans, Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary, Ruby’s Roadhouse in Mandeville and the Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival in Bogalusa. Other Louisiana Sounds • Borrowing from rock, zydeco and country music, swamp pop was born on the bayou in the mid-1950s and is even more popular today. Learn more at the Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum in Ville Platte, and learn the names and stories of swamp pop stars like Johnny Allan and Lil’ Bob. • Country music rings throughout every part of the state, where you can hear both legends and rising stars perform the classics, honkytonk, bluegrass and more at festivals and clubs. • Not only did natives Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis put Louisiana on the rock music map, but a young Elvis Presley got his start here too, skyrocketing to fame after first appearing on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport. You can see Fats’ white Steinway piano on the second floor of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, artifacts from Jerry Lee Lewis’ career at the Delta Music Museum in Ferriday (his hometown) and a statue honoring Elvis at Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium. Ready to Hear More? Dive into the state’s rich music scene at LouisianaTravel.com/music
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