Cedric Watson is the brightest young talent to emerge in Creole American music from New Orleans in the last decade. He is a four-time Grammy-nominated fiddler, singer, accordionist & songwriter with seemingly unlimited potential. He and his band toured Turkey on a one-week trip, after which they hit the road to perform at the famous New Orleans Jazz Festival. Following their performances at cities in different regions of Turkey, their last stop was Istanbul. Watson & Bijou Creole Band met Beylikdüzü Aşık Veysel Fine Arts High School students before their Istanbul concert on April 10. After this lively workshop and mini concert with students, they performed at the Avcılar Municipality Barış Manço Culture Center at a joyful evening of music and dance.
About the band: Originally from San Felipe, TX (population 868), Cedric made his first appearance at the age of 19 at the Zydeco Jam at The Big Easy in Houston, TX. Just two years later, he moved to south Louisiana, quickly immersing himself in French music and language. Over the next several years, Cedric performed French music in 17 countries and on 7 full-length albums with various groups, including the Pine Leaf Boys, Corey Ledet, Les Amis Creole with Ed Poullard and J.B. Adams, and with his own group, Bijou Creole.
What does “creole” mean? “Creole,” from the verb “to raise,” is an all-purpose term for people who were born in one place to parents one or both of whom were from another place. This was most often used to refer to the native-born descendants of European colonists in Africa and the New World. There are many “creole” ethnic identities in the world, including Haitian Creole, Seychellean Creole, and Afro-Brazilian Crioulos, but one of the most famous Creole cultures is that of the Louisiana Creole.
Louisiana Creole: Louisiana Creole people are those who are descended from the colonial settlers of Louisiana, especially those of French, Spanish, Native American, and/or African descent. The term creole was first used by French settlers to distinguish between anyone born in Louisiana and someone born “from away.” Therefore, a person could be French-Creole, Spanish-Creole or African Creole or Native American Creole.
It was a term used for “native-born”. A definition of a creole is a person, whether African or European, who was born in Louisiana. The term “creole” denotes a culture which embraces the influences of French, Spanish, African and Native American peoples in Louisiana.
Louisiana Creoles have common European heritage and share cultural ties, such as the traditional use of the French language and may include the continuing practice of Catholicism. Some Creole people have African and/or Native American ancestry.
For more information about the band visit www.cedricwatson.com
