Swamp
pop, south Louisiana's gumbo of Cajun, rock 'n' roll, New Orleans R&B,
country and zydeco that originated in the 1950’s, is the Rodney Dangerfield of
Louisiana music. Just like the late comedian, it don't get no respect.
Zydeco and Cajun music headlines most festivals,
clubs and casinos in this music-mad region. Swamp pop is rarely featured, although
it has outsold zydeco and Cajun music combined.
The Boogie Kings playing benefit for Swamp Pop Museum.
Since the 1950's, swamp pop has had more
than 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 national charts. Songs like Sea of Love, first recorded in 1959 by
Phil Phillips of Lake Charles, reached No. 1 with covers that became hits for
other artists. Johnnie Allan's accordion-flavored cover of Chuck Berry's Promised Land was a gold record in
Europe.
Zydeco and Cajun bands alike cover Matilda, a hand-holding, belly-rubbing
classic by Cookie and the Cupcakes that's considered the swamp pop national
anthem.
The city of Ville Platte is the home of the
60-year-old Floyd's Record Shop and studios, where many of swamp pop's hits
were recorded.
The city is working to honor that rich
musical history. A restored train depot
on Railroad Street has been converted to a swamp pop museum, scheduled to be
open this summer.
The Swamp Pop Hall of Fame in Ville Platte, LA
Mark Layne of KVPI 92.5 FM is a museum organizer.
KVPI, an oldies station that spotlights swamp pop on Fridays and other times
during the week, enjoys a loyal following locally and online at
www.oldies925.com.
Layne says when the museum is open,
visitors will be treated to a walking tour of swamp pop, featuring photos,
records, costumes, rare videos, radio interviews and more.
"We've got a lot of donations. Lou
Gabus, who had the Louisiana Hall of Fame, died not long ago and her son turned
over a ton of stuff. The family gave it to Rod Bernard and he turned it over to
us.
"Rod turned in a DVD of his
performance of American Bandstand that will be in there as well. It's going to
be very nice." Layne adds that
in recent years, there's been concern for swamp pop as the gray hairs grow on
its original musicians and fans. The recent deaths of legendary songwriter
Bobby Charles and Ned Theall, manager of the Boogie Kings, have underscored
that march of time.
Yet swamp pop is flourishing in southeast
Louisiana communities surrounding Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where there are
a number of young bands and regular venues for them to play.
"I'm impressed with some of the young
guys around the Houma-Thibodaux area," said Layne. "There's a big
area around there where swamp pop is really hot, really popular. I'm glad for
them.
Tab Benoit of Houma, LA is a 3x Grammy Nominee
"Without out some of these younger
guys, it's going to die out. All we're going to have is these old recordings. We
need to have a youth movement, like Cajun music had a few years ago."
This
weekend the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales will showcase this unique
Louisiana music experience with the Swamp Pop Music Festival.
July
15-16, 2016, the 2016 Swamp Pop Music festival will feature the finest in Swamp
Pop & South Louisiana Music benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Festivities
include Jambalaya Association Cook-Off, Car Show, Poker Run & Pageant.
Tommy McLain with Warren Storm Willie T & Cypress at the Swamp Pop Festival
Hosted
inside the event center you can enjoy the music and great food without worry of
rain or heat in the fully air-conditioned facility! For
more information, visit the link below: www.swamppopmusicfest.com or visit
them on Facebook.
Contributed by Herman Fuselier
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