Buckwheat Zydeco

Buckwheat Zydeco
a.k.a. Stanley Dural, Stanley Dural

BAYOU BIRTHDAY BOY
Creole Ambassador Buckwheat Zydeco Celebrates 20 Years
Buckwheat Zydeco's music runs deep with the sounds and flavors of his native Louisiana. His consummate showmanship, dedication as an entertainer, and, of course, his musical inventiveness have brought the accordion-fueled sound of zydeco from Creole house parties to international venues. Buck (a.k.a. Stanley Dural Jr.) even performed at the closing ceremonies of Atlanta's 1996 Summer Olympics. This summer he's touring behind a disc that celebrates his 20th anniversary in the business, THE BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO STORY -- A 20-YEAR PARTY. Kerry Dexter caught up with him on tour in Ottawa, Canada.

barnesandnoble.com: Twenty years is a long time to be playing zydeco.

Buckwheat Zydeco: When I first went with Clifton Chenier, and then I decided to build my own band, I said, "I'll give it two and a half years, to see if it works, this zydeco thing, otherwise I'll go back to what I was doin' with R&B." Then, shockingly, by about 1980, we were playing Europe, going all over, man -- I couldn't believe it. It was my first time playing accordion with a band, and my first time singing too -- I couldn't get nobody else, so I had to do it myself! And I had never sang on stage, because I stutter, like I do today. But it was worse then -- I'd take about two days to tell you hello! Mel Tillis don't have nothin' on me! After the experience of working with Clifton Chenier, my inspiration, I went ahead. If it hadn't been for Clifton, seeing what he did with the music, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. Because until I saw Clifton, I hated this music!

bn: Really? What turned you against it?

BZ: I heard zydeco music so much comin' up -- 'til I got sick of it. My dad played the accordion almost 24-7, you know. That was his entertainment, after workin' long days. That's what he did, he just played there in the house, picking up the accordion. Me and my sisters and brother got so we had a bad trip with it, saying, "He's at it again!" You know, like, "Would you please stop!"

bn: But you didn't start out professionally playing zydeco?

BZ: No, I was a heavy R&B player. I played organ, from age nine I played out on stage. Funky music, jazz and blues, and R&B. Then Clifton Chenier asked me to play with him -- that would be 20 years ago, in 1979. That's when I started with zydeco.

bn: What is zydeco music?

BZ: It's accordion music based around the blues -- that's how I define it. It's a black, Creole dance music. It started out as music just performed within the house, the home. When I picked up that accordion, I didn't have no music, no songs to play. People asked me, "Buck, what's that you're playin'?" and I'd say, "I don't know, it just comes out." It's a roots music, and zydeco is a Creole French name we identify this music with.

bn: And now you've become something of an ambassador of zydeco.

BZ: People are so kind about that&.I like to think that my work has brought this music out to different generations from the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier, and now new generations can follow that same path. That's my reward, bringing out the culture, the roots, the identity.

bn: You've incorporated different styles into zydeco, though, jamming with Eric Clapton, doing Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" as funk tune, recording music by Bob Dylan...

BZ: I listen to all kinds of music. I love music. I don't have to be playing that kind of music to learn from it, you know. I love reggae, I love the blues. Music is the reason I'm doing what I'm doing -- like the saying goes, my ears are wide open.

bn: What's the best thing about Louisiana?

BZ: People come from all over the world to go to Louisiana, the Jazz Fest, the Zydeco Fest, the Festival International de Louisiane. I can go all over the world and there are lots of places I love, but I'll always return to Louisiana. It's culture, it's roots, it's the different flavors of the cooking, it's a lot of things so rare there, like this music here, it's rare. A lot of culture and roots there, that's what I like.
--Kerry Dexter