
|

One of the most noted young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole
music in the past few years, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist,
accordionist and songwriter of seemingly unlimited potential.
Born in 1983, Cedric grew up in San Felipe, Texas surrounded by
the sounds of blues, old soul, country and zydeco. Unlike his
hip-hop focused peers, Cedric was drawn to the old-style French
songs of Southwest Louisiana and the greater Houston area. He
soon made his way to Lafayette, LA where he was enthusiastically
accepted into the musical community and immediately recognized
as an important participant in the continuity of Creole music.
Cedric has played with some of the great family names in Creole
music, including Dexter Ardoin and the Creole Ramblers and Jeffrey
Broussard and the Creole Cowboys. With the Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric
expanded his repertoire of Cajun songs while adding his Creole
and zydeco foundation to the band's true-to-the-roots Southwest
Louisiana sound. He plays old La-La French
music (traditional Creole music) in a trio of accordion, fiddle
and guitar with his two musical godfathers, Edward Poullard and
James Adams, in Les Amis Creole. With accordionist Corey "Lil'
Pop" Ledet, Cedric turns to the more blues and R&B influenced
songs of Clifton Chenier, John Delafose, Canray Fontenot, and
Bebe Carrier.
Now Cedric continues to explore the roots of Louisiana’s
Creole music with his own band, Bijoux Creole. Playing a variety
of old-school zydeco styles, original material and Creole traditionals,
the polyrhythmic and syncopated sounds of Africa and the Caribbean
are unmistakable in this ensemble of talented musicians.
Cedric has been making a name for himself reviving the old Creole
fiddling styles of Canray Fontenot and Bebe Carrier, injecting
a healthy dose of his own personality and ingenuity, and bringing
them to an ever-broadening audience. He has played across the
United States as well as in France, Nova Scotia, Haiti and Spain,
and would like next to go to West Africa and other parts of the
French Caribbean. He has a keen interest in connecting Louisiana
Creole music back to its homelands. "I want to present the
Creole Nation of Louisiana to the Creole Nations in other parts
of the world, to make these Creole cultures aware of the one in
Louisiana, and vice versa."
Cedric's creative style and obvious joy in playing make him an
engaging and exciting performer. Moving with ease between fiddle
and accordion, his natural playfulness on stage makes him just
plain fun to watch.
His soaring, soulful vocals, all in French, remind us of a time
long ago. And his interest in reconnecting with the varied roots
of the music in other parts of the world will make for an interesting
ride. It will be nothing short of exciting to see what he does
next.
|