Photograph: Brandon Ledet (Submitted Photograph)
Accordionist inspired by classic and modern influences
Zydeco and Creole accordionist Brandon Ledet leads the Zydeco Capital Jam from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 14 at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, I-49 exit 23, just north of Opelousas. The jam, open to all musicians and fans, celebrates zydeco music in its cradle – St. Landry Parish.
The parish is home to Grammy Hall of Famer Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco, as well as Grammy winners Rockin’ Sidney and Terrance Simien. Zydeco festivals are held worldwide, but the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival was born in 1982 in St. Landry Parish.
Ledet will make history as a performer at the first Austin Zydeco Festival, set for Oct. 21 in Texas. He recently played at Vermilionville in Lafayette, the Port Arthur: Cajun Capital of Texas Party at the Museum of the Gulf Coast and the Wednesday Night Jam at D.I.’s Cajun Restaurant in Basile.
Born and raised in Mossville, Ledet has led his band, Creole Touch, since 2012. Their sound mixes old-time Creole music with the modern influences of Zydeco Force, Beau Jocque and other contemporaries.
For more information on the Zydeco Capital jam, visit the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission web site at cajuntravel.com.
