We’re back!
It has been some time since we posted a Cajun Corner article, but we’re resolved to be more proactive about bringing you news and updates on Cajun & Zydeco music, because we know there are more than a few of you who are drawn to the sounds of South Central Louisiana. It’s difficult to make this a regular feature because, even with the internet, it’s still hard to get regular news and information from the region, but Cajun Corner will definitely be appearing more frequently from now on and we’ll be doing our best to update you on new releases and activity from the best Cajun and Zydeco artists as often as we’re able.
We have two great pieces of news for you this time, and we’re starting with a new album release from Johnette Downing and Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas. The album is called My Little Snap Bean: Zydeco For Children, and it’s a rocking album that should appeal to children of all ages, not just the kids.
Johnette Downing is a multi-award-winning children’s musician and author from New Orleans, and she has teamed up with the Grammy-nominated Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas to record an album based on adaptations of her own “singable books”. One of the major problems that all marginalised communities face is the preservation of their culture, and that’s particularly difficult for the Cajun community, living literally surrounded by the wider American culture and the influences that brings to bear, particularly on young minds. If they can hear music that reflects their own culture, it can help to strengthen the ties to that culture and keep their music, language, and way of life preserved for the future. The overarching themes of My Little Snap Bean are exactly that: culture, community, and how the shared stories and rituals of our communities inform our identities. Johnette’s original stories, My Parrain is the Loup Garou and The Fifolet tell of mythical swamp creatures familiar to Louisiana children. Hitch Up My Pony and Going to the La La are songs about two Southwestern Louisiana Creole traditions (the trail ride and an old-fashioned zydeco dance), while Loop de Loop and Ready or Not are regional children’s game songs. Juré and My Little Snap Bean bring child-friendly lyrics and expanded musical arrangements to two ancient Creole motifs. The whole album nods to Louisiana’s rich Creole traditions with several songs featuring lyrics in Cajun French and Southwest Louisiana Creole (also known as Kouri-vini).
Johnette Downing said of the album, “Musician Ellis Marsalis once said, ‘In other places, culture comes down from on high. In New Orleans, it bubbles up from the streets’. This holds true not only in my hometown of New Orleans, but across the state where music is made by and for the community. I have dedicated my career to sharing Louisiana roots music with children around the world. For this album, I collaborated with Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas to combine zydeco with children’s music as a way of introducing the genre to youngsters and helping our musical heritage thrive for generations to come. Zydeco music is for dancing. It brings multi-generational people from all walks of life together in a joyful celebration of community.”
“It’s really for the culture and for the future of the culture“, adds Nathan Williams. “Zydeco music is fun, it’s happy music, it’s good music, and we hope we can share it with kids and grandkids around the world”
Johnette Downing has written thirty-two books and made twelve previous recordings for children. She developed a passion for music at an early age, encouraged by her music-loving and musically talented parents. Just as her parents shared their musical passion with her, she has aimed to share her love of Louisiana roots music with children around the world. This new album sees her teamed up with one of southwest Louisiana’s most popular musicians, Nathan Williams, an accordion player at the top of his game for almost 4 decades. The album was released on Johnette Downing’s own Wiggle Worm Records earlier this month, and you can find out more about it and Johnette’s other projects here.
Staying with the theme of education, news has also reached us of yet another award for the great Michael Doucet, the founder and fiddle player of BeauSoleil, one of the best known Cajun bands since they first appeared back in 1975. They have some 13 Grammy Award nominations to their name (the band was awarded the 1997 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album and the 2008 Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album) and a track record of extensive touring throughout the world, helping to spread the appreciation and understanding of Cajun music. It’s because of this contribution to the wider appreciation of Cajun music and culture that the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has recently awarded Michael their Bright Light Award and named him as their Humanist of the Year for 2026.
Beausoleil were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame back in 2011, but Michael Doucet’s own contributions to the advancement of Cajun music go beyond performing and recording. With his contributions to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s music programme, he helped to establish Cajun music as a serious academic subject. He was instrumental in creating a course that examined Louisiana French music through the lens of its European and operatic influences, the first of its kind anywhere, while also taking the time to teach and mentor students. The University’s Traditional Music Program is the only university program solely focused on Cajun, Creole and zydeco music and traditions.
There are few musicians who have given as much back to their music and the community that spawned it as Michael Doucet, and it’s fitting that his contributions have been so well recognised. At 75, Doucet is still going strong, and this year will see him and Beausoleil back at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where they’ll be appearing on the second Friday, May 1st.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
