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 Nathan
Williams plays zydeco, the fast and furious accordion-driven
dance music of the Creole people of South Louisiana, a relatively
modern style that emerged after the Second World War. With its
trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars and R&B influences,
zydeco is distinct from the fiddle-driven music of neighboring
Cajuns.
Zydeco is now a familiar sound to many, heard in commercials
for mainstream companies such as Burger King and Toyota, and
there are pockets of devoted zydeco dancers throughout the world.
Yet, after its flush of national popularity in the late 1980s,
which saw soaring sales of both zydeco and Cajun CDs, zydeco
has in many ways faded from popular consciousness, retreating
to the South Louisiana dance halls and festival gigs that sustained
it all along.
If zydeco was a one-trick pony, that might be well and good.
However, in the hands of a dedicated musician and songwriter
such as Nathan Williams, zydeco is one of the most expressive
sounds in roots music. Nathan’s down-home parables are delivered
with surprising musical turns and a distinctive Caribbean lilt
that reaches back to the very beginnings of Creole culture in
Louisiana.
Growing up in a Creole-speaking home in St. Martinville, Nathan
eagerly sought out the music of zydeco originators such as Clifton
Chenier. When he was too young to actually attend a Clifton
Chenier dance at a St. Martinville club, he hovered by the window-sized
fan at the back of the building to hear his idol, only to have
the bill of his baseball cap clipped off by the fan when he
leaned too close. Later, while recovering from a serious illness,
Nathan decided to dedicate himself to learning the accordion.
That dedication blossomed into an illustrious career, encompassing
seven albums and spanning close to two decades.
The music of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas is the expression
of a remarkable South Louisiana family. Dennis Paul Williams,
Nathan’s brother, brings his jazz-influenced guitar chops to
the band. He’s also a well-known painter whose work has been
shown throughout the country, and who contributed the cover
and tray card paintings for their new album, Hang It High,
Hang It Low. Keyboardist Nathan Williams Jr. is enrolled
in the music program at the University of South Louisiana, while
he leads his own band in the Lafayette area. Rubboard player
Mark Williams is a cousin who has been with the band since its
inception. Manager Sid “El Sid O” Williams, the eldest Williams
brother, is an entrepreneur who has built a remarkable network
of businesses in Lafayette, while honing his skills as an accordion
contender himself.
Rounding out the Cha Chas is the exceptional rhythm section
of bassist Robert LeBlanc, who has been with the band for more
than five years, and drummer Herman “Rat” Brown, who held the
drum chair with Buckwheat Zydeco for many years.
In the world of contemporary African-American music, roots styles
are easily categorized as old music—good for sampling, maybe,
but not music that relates to the lives of mainstream American
people. Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas might make us think twice
about this assumption, for here is uplifting, new music that
remains connected to its place in history. If you haven’t heard
what’s happening in zydeco lately, here’s your chance!
| Nathan
& The Zydeco Cha Chas Fan Club |
To receive
the Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas itinerary and/or
join the Nathan Williams International Fan club via email,
please email your request to miss.bev@verizon.net.
(Please be sure to state whether you prefer attachments
or text version and enter the name of the band in the
subject field of the email.)
CDs and t-shirts can also be purchased by contacting the
NZCC Fan Club at: miss.bev@verizon.net.
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Purchase Nathan & The Zydeco
Cha Chas' Music Online:
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| Amazon.com |
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