By: Wilson Savoy
I read an article this morning about C/Z (Cajun/Zydeco) music that got me thinking.. reflecting on my own career in this music for the last 25 years.. myself, I never planned on being a musician. I think most musicians I know around Lafayette would say the same thing. We liked music, or loved it, decided to take part and toy around with an accordion or a fiddle or a drum set.. we became pretty good, then thought.. let’s play a gig at the bar down the street…. then WHAM! fast forward a few months and.. “well, I guess we’re in a band now..?” Then.. “There’s this festival in New England that wants us go up there and play..” fear and dread.. do I play the same French two steps that I was playing at Blue Moon? Will they laugh at us and snicker and joke “WTF is this noise? Are they singing in Chinese?” I don’t want to blow it.. do I tweak it to their taste buds.. but then I’m losing myself.. did the festival hire us on hype or merit..?
Every single C/Z musician in this semi-modern world has had this exact thought process, I promise you. From Wayne to Horace, from Clifton to Lil Nate.. add on top of that “what would dad think of this..?” The pressure is too much.. if i take it too far, I’ll lose the traditional crowd.. if I play some old Iry LeJeune, I’ll lose the other half.. what do I do? then a 60 minute whirlwind of explosions of sound on a stage and.. applause.. maybe..
What the audience sees is a group of people playing music and smiling big shiny white teeth in colored lights. What they don’t see is the calculations.. the fear masked by closed eyes and a bit lip. “Ok they didn’t like that song vibe.. or is it a cultural thing? Maybe these weirdos don’t dance or groove.. they just sit and smile and clap politely.. or maybe not.. let’s switch things up.. damn, they didn’t like that.. but this crowd likes rock n roll.. dare I?” Calculate.. weigh the pros and cons.. is this ME?”
And sure.. everyone always says BE YOU.. don’t worry about them.. I say: a careless musician ignores the crowd in front of them. Careless as in “I don’t care if they like it or not because I have a day job..”
But to some, THIS is their only job. They’ve 100% committed to playing music and stopped all other income.. my personal opinion is that this is foolish and short sighted.. to each their own.. go swing a hammer for a few hours.. go learn a craft, build a boat, study law, teach music.. do something so that you won’t be homeless if the music thing doesn’t work.. the odds are definitely NOT in your favor. The cost of a house, insurance, car, taxes, healthcare… how many nights will you need to pour your heart out tailoring music to them so you can survive..? PLAY MUSIC, aspire to travel.. this doesn’t take 24 hours a day.. you have time to have something that complements your passion… but have a backup so that you can play the music you want and “to hell with the crowd” if they book you or not. And in the end, you will always win..
Do I see Cajun music ever being accepted like Country or Bluegrass? Honestly? No. Never. If it does, then something drastic has happened in the world that I could never see coming. As it stands, C/Z festivals are dwindling every year in this country and world, the audiences are getting older and smaller.. what incredible event will have to happen to suddenly make young people flock to Cajun festivals all over the country?? Unlike Country and Bluegrass, these Cajun and Zydeco musicians won’t sell out. They won’t stop singing in French and trade the accordion for an electric guitar..
I don’t want to sound like a pessimist. I’d love it if suddenly there was a huge renaissance of Cajun music… but I try to be a realist. Pretending something is strong and has momentum without looking at the facts/market signs is a great way to lose your savings in the stock market. So.. bottom line. Play music because you love it, not because it’s your job. What a crime and a tragedy to start hating your favorite hobby because now your life depends on it.. Diversify.. have a backup plan.. and maybe American music will hit rock bottom and people will crave GENUINE CULTURAL MUSIC.. crave something real and not auto-tuned bubble gum.. but the fact that an AI generated band has over a million Spotify listeners doesn’t give me much hope.. my dad once printed a bumper sticker that he displayed from his little Toyota Corolla: “No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public”