C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band Come to St. Paul's Ordway Tonight










Zydeco is the music of southwest Louisiana's Black Creoles, a group of people of mixed African, Afro-Caribbean, Native American and European descent. It is a relatively new genre of music, branching out as a unique style of its own in the mid 1900's.

Zydeco bands usually include an accordion, a modified washboard called frottior, the electric guitar, bass and drums. Secondary instruments include the fiddle, keyboards and horns. The music style itself sounds much like the blues. The upbeat, fast-moving Zydeco music is made for dancing.

Clifton Chenier is widely credited as being the original pioneer and "king of zydeco." He was the first Creole musician to win a Grammy Award for his album "I'm Here" in 1983. Chenier was famous for his flashy onstage gear of a cape and crown, but it was his exuberant and highly danceable Zydeco music that made him a legend. For more information about Zydeco music, click HERE.

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and McKnight stages attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance, and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. The Ordway also serves as authorizer for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, a professionally guided academic and artistic environment that trains aspiring pre-professional performing artists. Together with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances.

Performance and Ticket Information:
C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
Friday, Feb. 8, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets starting at $26 (including fees)
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
345 Washington Street Saint Paul, MN 55102
Ordway's Music Theater
Ticket Office: 651.224.4222
Groups: 651.282.3111

Photo Credit: George Balthazar