Search - Queen Ida :: Queen Ida & Her Zydeco Band In San Francisco

The Queen of Zydeco plays on!

Brianna Neal | USA | 09/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Zydeco is a mid-twentieth century fusion of Louisiana Creole and Cajun dance music, featuring vocals, accordion and metal rub-board. To this lively fusion, "Queen" Ida Guillory adds her own mixture of rhythm and blues, rock, latin, Caribbean and folk, as well as a healthy dose of the feminine perspective to this male-dominated genre. An excerpt from the liner notes of "In San Francisco" says it all: "Aware that her late-blooming career has made her an inspiration for American housewives, `When I was a little girl, women in Louisiana were expected to raise their children, tend chickens, go to church and bake bread,' says the woman who has executed all of the above and gone on to international glory. `And the lyrics to the Cajun songs were about unfaithful women. I'm changing that,' she says proudly, acknowledging another phenomenon: `The only thing women did not do was play Zydeco. Well, I'm changing that, too!' Go, Queen Ida! Now based in San Franciso, she tours the country, bringing this good-time Louisiana music to live audiences far and wide. Her throaty vocals are all heart and soul, and her lively personality shines through on every number. She's joined here by brother Willard "Chilly Willy" Lewis on percussion, Gregory "Pepe" Depew on drums, Pierre "LaRogue" Allen on violin (gotta love those nicknames!) and others. And with any number of Guillorys and Lewis's credited in the liner notes, it's obvious that her love of Zydeco is truly a family affair. Check out her many other releases, such as "Cookin' With Queen Ida," and "Queen Ida & the Bon Temps Zydeco Band On Tour." And for music from another group dedicated to keeping Cajun music alive, check out the work of the northeast's Bayou Bandits.

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