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Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is proud to present Nathan Williams. Please enjoy his performance in our Golden Hour series.
Nathan Williams plays zydeco, the fast and furious accordion-driven dance music of the Creole people of South Louisiana, a relatively modern style that emerged after the Second World War. With its trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars and R&B influences, zydeco is distinct from the fiddle-driven music of neighboring Cajuns. Zydeco, in the hands of a dedicated musician and songwriter such as Nathan Williams, is one of the most expressive sounds in roots music. Nathan’s down-home parables are delivered with surprising musical turns and a distinctive Caribbean lilt that reaches back to the very beginnings of Creole culture in Louisiana. Nathan Williams grew up in a Creole-speaking home in St. Martinville, Louisiana. He eagerly sought out the music of zydeco originators such as Clifton Chenier. When he was too young to actually attend a Clifton Chenier dance at a St. Martinville club, he hovered by the window-sized fan at the back of the building to hear his idol, only to have the bill of his baseball cap clipped off by the fan when he leaned too close. Later, while recovering from a serious illness, Nathan decided to dedicate himself to learning the accordion. That dedication blossomed into an illustrious career, encompassing seven albums and spanning close to two decades. |
Last updated: January 22, 2022