Buckwheat Zydeco

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural stood as the foremost exponent of modern zydeco, stepping into the spotlight left vacant by his mentor Clifton Chenier after the latter's death. Blending his high-energy dance music with rock and R&B influences, the Lafayette-born accordionist added synthesizer and trumpet textures that fused classic and updated zydeco elements, drawing an unprecedented mainstream following. Born November 14, 1947, in Lafayette, Louisiana, he earned the nickname "Buckwheat" from his braided hair, a nod to the Our Gang character, and was already recognized as a piano prodigy by age four. Although immersed in traditional zydeco during childhood, he favored R&B and began performing professionally with Lynn August by the mid-1950s, later supporting Joe Tex and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown on keyboards.

Dural started his own 16-piece funk outfit, Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers, in 1971 and led it for five years. His path shifted in 1976 when he joined Chenier, a friend of his father, initially on organ; within two years he had switched to accordion and studied directly under the master. Rebranding as Buckwheat Zydeco, he assembled the Ils Sont Partis Band in 1979 and issued One for the Road on Blues Unlimited that year, followed by Take It Easy, Baby in 1980. After 100% Fortified Zydeco in 1983, the group moved to Rounder and released the Grammy-nominated Turning Point; the 1985 album Waitin' for My Ya Ya earned similar recognition.

New York critic Ted Fox secured Buckwheat Zydeco a contract with Island Records in 1986, the first zydeco act signed to a major label, and produced their output. Their Island bow, the acclaimed and Grammy-nominated On a Night Like This, appeared in 1987, the same year the band appeared in the film The Big Easy. Taking It Home followed in 1988, yet after Where There's Smoke There's Fire in 1990 the label dropped the group. Charisma released On Track in 1992; subsequent moves brought Choo Choo Boogaloo on Warner in 1994 and Trouble on Atlantic in 1997. Commercial traction fluctuated, yet live popularity endured despite purist critiques of commercialism, marked by the 1999 compilation The Buckwheat Zydeco Story: A 20 Year Party. Dural remained active in the new century, issuing Jackpot! in 2005, Lay Your Burden Down in 2009, and Buckwheat Zydeco's Bayou Boogie in 2010. He died of lung cancer in September 2016 at age 68.