Les Blank I Hot Pepper I Kréyòl Lalwizyàn I Twentieth Century Documentary Film
An international ambassador of Creole Louisiana, for nearly three decades, Zydeco musician Clifton Chenier, transformed the sound of Louisiana Creole music, beginning in the 1950s. His piano note accordion amplified the sound of the free-reed instrument to produce and rival the output of an electric guitar. In this 1973 film clip from "Hot Pepper," producer Les Blank provides a glimpse into the life of the "King of Zydeco". Blank is the first-known filmmaker to capture and present a videographic moment of spoken Louisiana Creole. This scene, including Chenier and his first cousin, Carlton King, depicts that moment, as Chenier shares a joke about one relative with another. The cousins, Clifton and Carlton, interchange phrases in the Louisiana French and Louisiana Creole languages. For more articles covering the Louisiana Creole language, culture and/or diaspora, please visit Mo Creole MAGAZINN at mocreolemagazinn.blogspot.com. #LOU
