Zydeco is a genre that blends African rhythms and blues, with soul, rock and country and no one does this better than Bayou's barnstorming bandleader, Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. Dural is the first zydeco artist signed to a major record label, to perform on a national television show, to release a children's zydeco album, to launch his own record label, as well as the first zydeco artist to win an Emmy award.
Onstage and in the studio, Buckwheat has collaborated with a who's who of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Mavis Staples and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo. The band plays a long list of high-profile gigs year in and year out, and their music can be heard in major motion pictures and television shows. A whole new audience was exposed to the fun and excitement of Buckwheat Zydeco as the song "What You Gonna Do?" from Buckwheat Zydeco: Down Home Live! served as the theme music for the 10th anniversary season of "Comic View," BET's #1-rated series.
The bandleader was born in 1947 in Lafayette, Louisiana, a close-knit community where many black people express their Creole heritage by speaking French, and by playing and dancing to zydeco. This hybrid genre blends Afro-Caribbean rhythms with blues, soul, rock, country and the French-rooted Cajun music of the Creoles' white neighbors. As the son of a zydeco accordionist, Buckwheat grew up steeped in this culture, and also absorbed Lafayette's prodigious output of blues and Gulf Coast "swamp pop." After three years of touring, recording and accordion apprenticeship to the late, great Clifton Chenier, Dural left to form Buckwheat Zydeco and the Ils Sont Partis Band. Like Chenier, Buckwheat has continued to blend traditional Creole zydeco with the latest black-contemporary styles, drawing on all of his rich and varied musical experience. During the years of critical acclaim that have ensued, Buckwheat Zydeco has toured constantly, headlining major venues as well as sharing stages with the likes of U2 and appearing as a featured guest with The Boston Pops.
The band performed at both of President Clinton's inaugurals, and Buck was featured on the Closing Ceremonies of the Atlanta Summer Olympics before a worldwide television audience of three billion, sharing the bill with Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Little Richard and Gloria Estefan. Buckwheat Zydeco has also made numerous appearances on national television shows such as "Late Night with David Letterman," "The Today Show" and the "CBS Morning News." Dural was also named a Louisiana Music Commissioner by the governor. Another first for Buckwheat Zydeco was the release of the band's lively children's album, Choo Choo Boogaloo, on the Music For Little People label. The CD has won numerous awards and rave reviews.
The HACC Alumni Association is hosting a Creole Dinner prior to the show on Saturday, March 25 at 5:30pm in the HACC Cooper Student Center. The dinner will feature Cajun catfish, pecan crusted chicken with Creole sauce, red beans and rice, tomato with fried okra and more. A dinner and show package is offered for $40.00 person. Seating is limited. Call 780-2363 to make reservations.
Buckwheat Zydeco will perform in the RLAC theatre at HACC on Saturday, March 25 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25 adult, $20 senior citizen/student and $12 children ages 7-12. Box Office phone is 717-231-ROSE (7673).