Amede Ardoin

• Genre: Cajun/Zydeco

About

Amede Ardoin is regarded as the godfather of Zydeco music, having made the first Creole accordion recording in 1929. His composition "Two Step de Eunice (Eunice Two Step)" is a standard in every Zydeco band's songbook, and he developed a devoted audience -- both black and white -- in the Bayou region in the '20s and '30s. His rough-hewn voice mixes with the fiddle, playing an upbeat, Acadian version of the blues. Rumors of his prowess -- both as an entertainer and as a ladies' man -- abounded, but by the '40s he was quickly degenerating mentally and physically for reasons that have never been made clear. He insured his legacy, however, by helping to create a lively new style of music that crossed the color line and filled the dancefloor. His cousin Bois Sec and grandson Chris have carried on the tradition, making their name on the dancehall circuit squeezing out the good times in Ardoin's spirit.

- Robert Leaver