Cedric Watson with Bijou Creole Savannah Music Festival GA March 2009

Cedric Watson (born 1983) is an American musician. He has been nominated four times for

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Career

Born in 1983, Cedric grew up in

San Felipe, Texas San Felipe ( ), also known as San Felipe de Austin, is a town in Austin County, Texas, United States. The town was the social, economic, and political center of the early Stephen F. Austin colony. The population was 747 at the 2010 census. Histor ...

surrounded by the blues, old soul,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

, and

zydeco Zydeco ( or , french: Zarico) is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. ...

music. Though hip-hop was then popular amongst his peers, Cedric developed an affinity for the old-style French songs of Southwest Louisiana and the greater

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

area. He soon found himself in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234 ...

where he became part of the musical community and began contributing to the continuity of

Creole music The term Creole music (french: musique créole) is used to describe both the early folk or roots music traditions of rural Creoles of Louisiana. Examples One possible definition of Creole folk music is this: melodies, sometimes including dance-re ...

. He has played with some of the great names in Creole music, such as Dexter Ardoin and the Creole Ramblers and Jeffrey Broussard and the Creole Cowboys. With the

Pine Leaf Boys The Pine Leaf Boys is an American Cajun and Creole band from South Louisiana, United States. Members include Wilson Savoy ( accordion, fiddle, vocals), Courtney Granger (fiddle, accordion, vocals), Drew Simon (drums and vocals), Jean Bertrand ( ...

, Cedric added a Creole and zydeco foundation to the group's roots

Southwest Louisiana Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) is a five-parish area intersecting the Acadiana and Central Louisiana regions in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is composed of the following parishes (counties): Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Dav ...

sound. Cedric continues to explore the roots of Louisiana's Creole music with his own band, Bijou Creole. He has performed in places across the United States as well as in France, Nova Scotia,

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

, and Spain. He has said he wants "to present the Creole Nation of Louisiana to the Creole Nations in other parts of the world, to make these Creole cultures aware of the one in Louisiana, and vice versa." In 2010 Watson appeared in season 1 episode 7 of the HBO series Treme with

Wilson Savoy Wilson Allen Savoy (born February 1, 1982 in Eunice, Louisiana) is a Grammy winning accordionist, keyboard player, fiddler and singer with the Cajun bands Pine Leaf Boys and The Band Courtbouillon, as well as a local filmmaker in Lafayette, LA. ...

and Watson's replacement in the

Courtney Granger. The scenes depict Annie (

Lucia Micarelli Lucia Micarelli (born July 9, 1983) is an American violinist, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with Josh Groban, Chris Botti and classic rock band Jethro Tull, and her role as Annie Talarico in '' Treme''. Early life Born ...

) trying out to join the Pine Leaf Boys on a Canadian tour as Watson's replacement, but choking at the audition. Watson actually left the band to form Bijou Creole in 2006, not 2005 as depicted in the show.

Musical style

Cedric Watson plays a variety of old-school zydeco styles, original material, and Creole traditionals. The polyrhythmic and syncopated sounds of Africa and the Caribbean echo in his ensemble. He plays old La-La French music (traditional Creole music) in accordion, fiddle, and guitar with mentors Edward Poullard and James Adams in Les Amis Creol

With accordionist Corey "Lil' Pop" Ledet, he displays the more blues and R&B influence of

Clifton Chenier Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987), was an American Creole musician known as a pioneer of zydeco, a style of music which arose from Creole music, with R&B, blues, and Cajun influences. He sang and played the accordion and ...

John Delafose John Irvin Delafose (April 16, 1939 – September 18, 1994) was an American French-speaking Creole Zydeco accordionist from Louisiana. Early life Delafose was born in the unincorporated village of Duralde, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, near ...

Canray Fontenot Canray Fontenot (October 16, 1922 – July 29, 1995) was an American Louisiana Creole people, Creole List of fiddlers, fiddle player, who has been described as "the greatest Creole Louisiana French fiddler of our time." Early life Canray ...

Beau Jocque Beau Jocque (born Andrus Espre; November 1, 1953 – September 10, 1999) was a Louisiana French Creole zydeco musician and songwriter active in the 1990s. Beau Jocque is known for his gruff vocals, his fusion of many musical styles into zyde ...

(Andrus Espree ) and Bebe Carrier. "Cedric's creative style and obvious joy in playing make him an engaging and exciting performer. Moving with ease between fiddle and accordion, his natural playfulness on stage makes him just plain fun to watch." More recently with Bijou Creole, he is "developing an expansive modern take on his adopted state's already hybridized Creole sounds, flavoring it with hearty injections of soul and Caribbean influences as well as whiffs of bluegrass and string-band music—an approach that reached its fullest expression yet on 013's''Le Troubadour Creole''."

Discography

*''Les Amis Creole'' Les Amis Creole (sic) (2006)

Arhoolie Records Arhoolie Records is an American small independent record label run by Chris Strachwitz and is based in El Cerrito, California, United States (it is actually located in Richmond Annex but has an El Cerrito postal address.) The label was founded by ...

*''Goin' Down to Louisiana'' Cedric Watson and Corey Ledet (2006)

Valcour Records Valcour Records is an independent record label based in Eunice, Louisiana. Valcour was founded in 2006 by Joel Savoy (son of Marc and Ann Savoy), with friends Phillip LaFargue II and Lucius Fontenot. Valcour Records' first release in 2006 was ...

—ASIN: B000GBE8EM *''Cedric Watson'' (2008) Valcour Records—ASIN: B00151HZYW *''Homage Au Passe'' with

(2009) Lionsgate Records—ASIN: B0023BZ64E *''L'Esprit Creole'' with Bijou Creole (2009) Valcour Records—ASIN: B0030E7PZ6 *''Creole Moon: Live From Blue Moon Saloon'' (2010) Valcour Records *''Le Soleil Est Leve'' with Bijou Creole (2011) Lache Pas Records atson's own labelref name=Margasak2014/> *''Le Troubadour Creole'' with Bijou Creole (2013) Lache Pas Records

Compilations

* ''Allons Boire un Coup: A Collection of Cajun and Creole Drinking Songs'' Various (2006) Valcour Records * ''En Francais: Cajun 'n' Creole Rock 'n' Roll'' Various (2011)

Bayou Teche Brewing Bayou Teche Brewing is a brewery in Arnaudville, Louisiana, USA. Bayou Teche Brewing, named for the nearby Bayou Teche, was formed by three brothers, Karlos, Byron and Dorsey Knott, when they started brewing in an abandoned railcar on St. Patrick ...

CD Baby CD Baby, Inc. is an online distributor of independent music. The company was described as an "anti-label" by its parent company's Chief Operating Officer Tracy Maddux. The CD Baby music store was shut down in March 2020 with a statement that " ...

On Others' Recordings

* ''L'autre bord de l'eau'' Savoy-Michot Cajun Band (2004) * ''Transatlantic Sessions: Songs of Death, Divorce, Drinking and Dancing'' Cajun Roosters (2011) Whoopee Records-Pine Groove Sound/

* ''Movin' On'' Ilana Katz Katz (2016)

References

External links

Cedric Watson
official website.

Arhoolie Records' album webpage.
Pine Leaf Boys
official website.
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole: Creole Moon Live from Blue Moon Saloon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Cedric Louisiana Creole people Singers from Louisiana Living people 1983 births American male violinists American accordionists Cajun musicians Zydeco musicians 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century accordionists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American violinists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers