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Spotlight on:
Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-Evolution in St. Pete September 19
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DON'T MISS THE INTERVIEW OR THE PERFORMANCE!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 7 p.m., Interview with Ruben Moreno by John Osgood, WSLR.org. John will play music by Ruben Moreno throughout his 2-hour show, “Louisiana Gumbo Show.” SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-Evolution play live at Edge of 9, 900 Central Avenue #25B (actual location is First Avenue South near corner of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Street --- look for red canopy and park in the lot if there is a space.) Doors open at 7 p.m., zydeco dance lesson at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20. “He’s the best singer in all of zydeco!”
— Leroy Thomas Houston-raised Ruben Moreno is only 25 years old, but he has been touring and performing on stage and in recordings with zydeco legends for the past ten years. Leroy Thomas, Roy Carrier, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, CJ Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Andre Thierry, Geno Delafose and Jeffery Broussard, to drop a few names. He writes his own music superbly well which is infused with traditional zydeco, blues, country, brazilian and african beats and gospel chord changes, and he is a great story teller and passionate about a lot of social issues. His childhood was spent in the company of his grandmother (who owned a bar in the east part of Houston) and her friends, many of whom were zydeco musicians. After picking up the washboard while still very young, Moreno’s musical turning point came when he performed on stage at age 10 with Leroy Thomas. It was an experience that inspired Moreno to focus his energy on becoming a performer, and subsequently led to tours with CJ Chenier and Andre Thierry. For Moreno, though, it’s about more than just the music. He sees his career as a tool for making the world better, admiring Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bob Marley for using
their talents to enable and encourage change. But he doesn’t let the heavy things get in the way of zydeco’s natural ability to make you feel good. His 2012 debut album Por Ti Volare is full of upbeat, syncopated rhythm and his own soulful voice, with universal themes of love and heartbreak.
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AN EARLY START IN MUSIC According to a 2004 article in the Houston Chronicle
by Daphne Rozen, by the time Ruben was 14 he had already played over 100 performances as the youngest member of Leroy Thomas and The Zydeco Roadrunners. He was first recruited by Leroy Thomas to join the band on stage on rub boards. "He's the first person I know who came into zydeco music not being shy," Thomas said. "I think he [has always known] that's what he wanted to do." Then as an 8th grader, “Little Ruben” with his accordion, and with his science teacher Jerry Dearbonne on acoustic guitar, made their musical debut at his middle school introducing students and teachers to zydeco music. To their utter amazement, the audience went wild. "They were going
crazy," said the 14-year-old Moreno. "The people in the bleachers were about to fall off." Moreno was born into a family of musicians. His uncle Neto of Neto Perez & the Originals, a Houston Tejano group, and his uncle Mickey of Bon Ton Mickey and The Zydeco Hot Steppers, were regionally well-known musicians. From an early age, Moreno said he felt connected to zydeco more than any other musical genre. "I [play zydeco] because I like it that much," he said. Leroy added at the time Moreno is definitely
an up and coming zydeco musician. "He's got a lot of rhythm and a lot of soul," Thomas said. "He's got a lot of talent."
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FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF CLIFTON CHENIER Ruben spent the past decade honing his craft touring with Leroy Thomas, C.J. Chenier, the late-great Roy Carrier, Jeffery Broussard and Andre Thierry in California. Ruben released his first solo recording,”Por Ti Volare (For You I Will Fly) in 2012 which was nominated for a zydeco music award, and a second album, Compliqué
(Complicated) released recently is also being praised by peers and audiences alike. Zydeco is a musical genre of the French Creole community in Louisiana that blends blues, R&B, Caribbean rhythms, and the indigenous Creole “lala” music with a distinctly different 8-count driving beat. One of the first zydeco artists was Clifton Chenier who gave it the name “zydeco” in the mid-1950s and made it famous around the world. At 14, Moreno said he also hoped to be a great musician like his role model, Clifton
Chenier. "They say I play like I've been playing all my life," Moreno said. "So I guess I play pretty fast." "That's one thing I like about this music," Moreno said. "Everyone's always having a good time. (There's) no fighting, no arguing, no nothing."
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ZYDECO MUSIC IS A GUMBO The new vanguard of zydeco artists like Ruben Moreno are blending additional influences like hip-hop, soul, jazz, rock, folk and pop ingredients to move the genre in new directions with a different attitude. Ruben Moreno’s style is that of soulful storyteller, and his music is sometimes reminiscent of doo-wop and early rock’n roll with a honky-tonk playfulness, all with a driving zydeco beat of course. Moreno sees zydeco continuing to push forward in so many ways. But what it’s really about, he says, is who influences the artist and how he expresses himself. Sometimes Moreno is questioned if he’s really playing zydeco. “They come up to me and they say ‘Oh no, that’s not zydeco. I have heard zydeco before,’” Moreno explains. “And I’ll ask them ‘Who are your zydeco idols?’ Oh well, they’ll say ‘Beau Jocque.’ Well okay, he took ’60s-’70s pop and funk hits and incorporated it into zydeco. How’s that any different? And the same with the King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. He was playing top 40s, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Fats Domino,
Ella Fitzgerald and all types of swing and rock ’n’ roll hits on the accordion. It’s the same concept but a different era.”
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THE ZYDECO-MEXICO CONNECTION Offbeat magazine writer Dan Willging wrote, if zydeco keeps pushing forward, Ruben Moreno will be one of the reasons why.
Last year he and west coast zydeco phenom Andre Thierry, producer of Moreno’s two albums, were involved in a pan-cultural collaborative project with Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and the nonprofit Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy of Richmond, California to bridge the commonalities of zydeco and Latin music. Historically, the two cultures have paralleled each other. One of the songs, “You Will Cry,” sung by Moreno on the resultant Shades of Brown
album, came by the way of Ry Cooder. “It has a great back story,” explains Eugene Rodriquez, Los Centzontles executive director. “This popular East Los Angeles singer named Little Julian Herrera, who was a real star in the neighborhood back then [the ’50s], recorded ‘You Will Cry’ and Ry had turned me onto that. Ruben sang it, and wow, Ruben is the reincarnation of Little Julian!” At the concert, Bonnie Raitt was in attendance, “All of a sudden, Ruben turns into superman. He comes alive onstage and he’s just a big ham all over the place dancing,” Rodriguez says. “Bonnie Raitt just went bananas. Wow, I thought, that was an interesting
transformation.” And Rodriguez was amazed by how naturally the Creole music meshed with the sounds of traditional Mexican folk instruments like the requinto guitar and the quijada,
a donkey's jawbone. "It just locked into place," says Rodriguez. “We have the same traditions and the same values, the same background, experiences and history somewhat, you know,” Moreno explains about how the cultures are alike. “And the music is similar, the language, the expressions, the food, the fact that we celebrate and we dance and that is a big part of who we are in our culture.” “And all of that ties in and brings us closer together. And that’s what I try to express
through my music and live performances,” Moreno continues. “Playing in Houston where the whole crowd is mainly people of color, the one group is mainly African-American and Creole and the other is a mixed race of Latin background and they are all dancing the same and having a good dance high. It is a good time to come together and just really celebrate.” “I’m kind of building this bridge right here,” Moreno said. “I don’t know how it’s happening, but I am going with the flow. I’m not going to fight it, that’s for sure.”
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HIGH PRAISE FROM BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO Performing at the major festivals in the United States and Europe, Ruben attracted the attention of iconic Creole ambassador Buckwheat Zydeco. "I was captured by the sounds I was listening to, not knowing who it was on
stage. I had no clue and it was amazing!" stated Grammy award-winning Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, after seeing him at a California festival. "Ruben's music takes you to a different dimension. He is very versatile and that is what makes a professional."
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YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO CATCH A TOURING ZYDECO BAND
IN FLORIDA THIS MONTH Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-Evolution’s ONLY FLORIDA PERFORMANCE is Saturday, Sept. 19 at Edge of 9 in downtown Saint Petersburg. Edge of 9 is located off of First Avenue South at 9th Street (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street), although the official address is 900 Central Ave., Suite 25B. There are 40 parking spaces at the venue for those who show up early. Doors open at 7 p.m., with a zydeco dance lesson at 7:30. Ruben Moreno and Zydeco Re-Evolution will perform 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Cost is $20.
For additional information call Edge of 9 at (727) 843-3343 or visit the website www.FloridaCajunZydeco.com
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In October, there will be performances in Florida by Nathan Williams Sr. & The Zydeco Cha Chas, Tab Benoit, and Buckwheat Zydeco. The Magnolia Fest in Live Oak, FL Oct. 15-18 will feature Donna The Buffalo and Lost Bayou Ramblers.
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Zydeco Cha Chas in Miami BeachOn Thursday, October 8, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas play at Dance Band Night, North Beach Band Shell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL (305) 672-5202. 7:00 – 8:00 PM Dance lesson from Jarene 8:00 p.m. Open dancing to Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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Tab Benoit at Skippers (Tampa)October 17 and 18, Louisiana Cajun blues artist Tab Benoit
is at Skippers both Saturday and Sunday. Skippers Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Rd., Tampa 33613. More info at skipperssmokehouse.com. They have a ticket special price if you buy tickets for both Saturday and Sunday. The show should be different each night. That’s the way Tab rolls.
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Friday, October 30th JB's Zydeco Zoo plays the Halloween Party at Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL, 32309. Phone 850-906-0766. Dress up as your favorite zydeco zoo animal. Website: http://www.bradfordvilleblues.com/index.htm
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Buckwheat Zydeco at Skippers (Tampa)Saturday, October 31 at 8 p.m., opening band will be Gumbo Boogie. Buckwheat Zydeco takes the stage a bit later at Skippers Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa 33613, Phone 813-971-0666. Info at www.skipperssmokehouse.com
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