Clifton Chenier believed his music could heal. 杏吧专区淎 lot of old people come to my dance,杏吧专区 the founding father of zydeco once said with a laugh. 杏吧专区淭hey be having a walking stick and when they leave the dance, they can杏吧专区檛 find the stick. They throwed it outside 杏吧专区檆ause they don杏吧专区檛 need it no more!杏吧专区
Dr. Tommy Comeaux, another South Louisiana musician, was also a healer 杏吧专区 though, as a pathologist, in a more exact sense. A new scholarship at UL Lafayette, funded through proceeds from the all-star Tribute to the King of Zydeco, is joining the legacies of both men.
The will support students studying zydeco accordion in the Dr. Tommy Comeaux Endowed Chair in Traditional Music. The fund was created by Valcour Records, which released the album, in collaboration with Chenier杏吧专区檚 estate. 杏吧专区淎 goal of this project was to give back to the community that this music came from,杏吧专区 said Joel Savoy, Valcour杏吧专区檚 founder and one of the tribute杏吧专区檚 co-producers.
杏吧专区淐lifton Chenier brought the sound of South Louisiana to the world,杏吧专区 added Dr. Gwendolen von Einsiedel, the second holder of the Comeaux Endowed Chair and an associate professor in the . 杏吧专区淭his scholarship ensures that his legacy lives on in the lives of young musicians learning to carry that sound forward.杏吧专区
When Comeaux died in November 1997 in a cycling accident at age 45, his friends 杏吧专区 a group of musicians, physicians, artists, lawyers, writers, chefs and cultural advocates who dubbed themselves 杏吧专区渢he Comeauxtians杏吧专区 杏吧专区 set out to honor him through the endowed chair杏吧专区檚 creation. To secure the $1 million endowment, they had to raise $600,000. The Louisiana Board of Regents then would contribute the remainder.
Seven weeks after Comeaux杏吧专区檚 death, friends staged the first 杏吧专区淢edicine Show.杏吧专区 Ten more would follow each year until 2007 when proceeds from the concerts, combined with monies raised through other fundraisers, propelled the Comeauxtians over the finish line.
The Board of Regents approved a bachelor of arts concentration in traditional music at UL Lafayette in 2010. Now in its 15th year, the program remains one of a handful nationwide 杏吧专区 and the only one in the state 杏吧专区 dedicated to roots music. 杏吧专区淲e have a traditional music program that is like no other traditional music program in the world,杏吧专区 said von Einsiedel. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 incredible. Lafayette is an absolute global music hub, and we take advantage of that.杏吧专区
In the same way that grassroots philanthropy created the traditional music program, community has sustained it. There are four permanent musical ensembles 杏吧专区 Cajun, zydeco, R&B and string 杏吧专区 and students don杏吧专区檛 have to pursue a degree in traditional music to join. Ensemble instructors have included many local Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning musicians. Students and mentors participate in workshops, masterclasses and performances, all of which are open to the public.
杏吧专区淭he community got together and cared so much they spent 10 years fundraising to create this program, and the community remains actively involved and connected to what we offer,杏吧专区 von Einsiedel said. 杏吧专区淎nd the Chenier scholarship is coming at the right time in terms of where we are and letting people know what we杏吧专区檙e doing and why we杏吧专区檙e special. It杏吧专区檚 beautiful, and we are so grateful.杏吧专区
A Tribute to the King of Zydeco is available for purchase on all major streaming services, locally, and online at . directly to the Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Photo caption: (top) Chenier and members of the Red Hot Louisiana Band Photo credit: (top) Courtesy of Johnnie Allan, the Center for Louisiana Studies, and Special Collections, UL Lafayette
