Zydeco Archives - The Arhoolie Foundation

Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz

A visual storytelling celebration of American roots music in its rich variety through unseen and newly scanned photographs by the founder of the legendary Arhoolie Records....

The Ann Savoy Collection Goes Live

https://youtu.be/GuJgSbV2Wss The Arhoolie Foundation is proud to make available new audio interviews with legendary Cajun and Creole musicians from the Ann Savoy Interview Collection. Ann’s collection...

Ann Savoy Collection: Bois Sec & Marceline Ardoin, 1984

When I lived in Richmond, Virginia, one of my first and favorite Louisiana LPs was an album from the Arhoolie label by Bois Sec Ardoin, Canray Fontenot, and his son, Morris. I loved the simplicity of the accordion style, the soulful tone of the vocals, and the way they spoke the French language.

Ann Savoy Collection: Freeman and Canray Fontenot and Bois Sec Ardoin

I had interviewed each of these men separately but gathering these three men together was primarily done so I could photograph them for the NTCA. After the photos were taken, they came inside for a visit and Marc asked them questions in French about their worlds.

Ann Savoy Collection: Shirley Bergeron, 1983

Marc was a good friend of Shirley’s father, Alphée Bergeron, and his band The Veteran Playboys. He got me to listen to their CDs, especially Shirley singing Quelle Etoile! What a voice.

Ann Savoy Collection: Bébé Carrière, 1983

I clearly remember going to Bébé’s little house in Lawtell to interview him. He was a handsome, light skin creole, tall and slim. He had a gentle, slow way of talking.

Ann Savoy Collection: Rockin’ Dopsie, 1984

I loved the zydeco of the Lafayette area very much and was happy to interview left-handed Rockin’ Dopsie. He, his wife Alvina and his baby son Dwayne (now a zydeco megastar) were sitting on the sofa of Dopsie’s house.

Ann Savoy Collection: Claude Faulk, 1983

I had met Clifton Chenier several times with my husband Marc, who was a good friend of Clifton. Marc used to go to listen to Clifton at various venues and Clifton would always ask him to come up on the stage and play his “little accordion” (in contrast to Clifton’s piano key accordion!).

Ann Savoy Collection: Clifton Chenier, 1984

Clifton didn’t grant many interviews and I was worried I wouldn’t get to talk with him. His wife, Margaret, was fiercely protective of him and wouldn’t let me into the house when I went to interview him.

Ann Savoy Collection: John Delafose, 1983

We would go to John’s dances at Catholic Church halls in and around Eunice. He had his whole family working for him-Tony on rubboard, Geno on drums…He also had two slim brothers, Charles and Slim Prudhomme, playing bass and guitar.

Genre: Zydeco