Creole Soul

For the photographs alone, this book would make a great addition to any music lover’s bookshelf. DONNA MEREDITH, SOUTHERN LITERARY REVIEW

To knowledgeably write about any cultural music, one has to experience it in its cradle since it’s practically impossible to do so from afar. That Feintuch did. . . . Samson’s stunning 58-color photographs of the subjects, spectators, trailrides, performances, and action-packed dancing are a huge part of this book and its take-you-there appeal. Dan Willging, Offbeat

Musician and writer Burt Feintuch, along with fellow folklore expert Jeannie Banks Thomas, capture the Creole zydeco scene through the musicians’ own words and stories, both on stage and off, highlighted by extraordinary photography by Gary Samson. Creole Soul: Zydeco Lives puts readers right in the middle of this riotous, energetic, colorful world, and is a must-have for music fans as well as cultural history buffs. Ashley McLellan, Louisiana Life Magazine

All told, this beautiful package contains a wealth of knowledge on the world of zydeco. . . . The book is indeed brimming with ‘Creole Soul,’ and makes it abundantly clear that Zydeco music has carved out a niche that will carry on the traditions for future generations. Highly recommended to all music fans! Mark Thompson, Blues Blast

Gary Samson’s photos are colorful and full of the energy, celebration, and life that is such a big part of the Creole zydeco community. Creole Soul is a fitting tribute to a distinctive Gulf South regional tradition. David Kunian, New Orleans Jazz Museum, Southwestern Historical Quarterly

The book represents extensive work that the author and editor have put into bringing this culture to a wider audience, both popular and academic. Jim Hobbs, ARSC Journal

Among the rarest things on earth is a book about great music that looks as great, and true, as that music sounds. Creole Soul is that rare book. As captured by Burt Feintuch, Jeannie Banks Thomas, and Gary Samson, the music makers’ words and players’ images silently project the living sounds that shaped them. Images of trailriders dancing in the dust and big-city clubs filled wall to wall with party, homages to founding spirits Amédé Ardoin and Clifton Chenier side by side with shout-outs from ten-year-old drummers and radio DJs. Because zydeco goes everywhere that Creole culture goes, this book is truly the story of 'Creole soul,' tracing the paths of families and communities swept up in a music that is always in motion: an urban music shaped by farm-raised folks, with the power to transform the city into a suburb of the country. Carl Lindahl, professor at University of Houston, editor of American Folktales from the Library of Congress, and coeditor of Second Line Rescue: Improvised Responses to Katrina and Rita and Swapping Stories: Folktales from Louisiana

Creole Soul is a welcome addition to the repertoire of studies on the Gulf Coast's rich Creole culture and zydeco music. Through the interviews Feintuch conducted with various Texas and Louisiana zydeco musicians, readers will enjoy an intimate glimpse into the lives and careers of these talented artists. Complemented with a plethora of beautiful photos that capture the heart and soul of the zydeco music scene, Creole Soul enables readers to feel as though they're there with the music pulsating through their bodies and the sweat rolling down their faces as boots, jeans, accordions, and rubboards blend together in perfect rhythmic harmony. Elista Istre, founder and director of Belle Heritage