Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole (USA)

One of the most noted young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole music in the past few years, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of seemingly unlimited potential. Born in 1983, Cedric grew up in San Felipe, Texas surrounded by the sounds of blues, old soul, country and zydeco. Unlike his hip-hop focused peers, Cedric was drawn to the old-style French songs of Southwest Louisiana and the greater Houston area. He soon made his way to Lafayette, LA where he was enthusiastically accepted into the musical community and immediately recognized as an important participant in the continuity of Creole music.

Cedric has played with some of the great family names in Creole music, including Dexter Ardoin and the Creole Ramblers and Jeffrey Broussard and the Creole Cowboys. With the Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric expanded his repertoire of Cajun songs while adding his Creole and zydeco foundation to the band's true-to-the-roots Southwest Louisiana sound. He plays old La-La French
music (traditional Creole music) in a trio of accordion, fiddle and guitar with his two musical godfathers, Edward Poullard and James Adams, in Les Amis Creole. With accordionist Corey "Lil' Pop" Ledet, Cedric turns to the more blues and R&B influenced songs of Clifton Chenier, John Delafose, Canray Fontenot, and Bebe Carrier.

Now Cedric continues to explore the roots of Louisiana's Creole music with his own band, Bijou Creole. Playing a variety of old-school zydeco styles, original material and Creole traditionals, the polyrhythmic and syncopated sounds of Africa and the Caribbean are unmistakable in this ensemble of talented musicians.

Cedric has been making a name for himself reviving the old Creole fiddling styles of Canray Fontenot and Bebe Carrier, injecting a healthy dose of his own personality and ingenuity, and bringing them to an ever-broadening audience. He has played across the United States as well as in France, Nova Scotia, Haiti and Spain, and would like next to go to West Africa and other parts of the French Caribbean. He has a keen interest in connecting Louisiana Creole music back to its homelands. "I want to present the Creole Nation of Louisiana to the Creole Nations in other parts of the world, to make these Creole cultures aware of the one in Louisiana, and vice versa."

Cedric's creative style and obvious joy in playing make him an engaging and exciting performer. Moving with ease between fiddle and accordion, his natural playfulness on stage makes him just plain fun to watch. His soaring, soulful vocals, all in French, remind us of a time long ago. And his interest in reconnecting with the varied roots of the music in other parts of the world will make for an interesting ride. It will be nothing short of exciting to see what he does next.

Cedric Watson was nominated for a Grammy Award for his first Solo album in 2009.

Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole:

Cedric Watson: accordion, fiddle, vocals
D'Jalma Garnier: guitar, fiddle
Daniel Coolik: bass
Jermaine Prejean: drums
Mike Chaisson: scrubboard, vocals

(www.cedricwatson.com)

Pete Contino Band (USA)

Many music fans will quickly recognize the name. Pete is the son of world-renowned accordionist Dick Contino, the man who made "Lady of Spain" a No. 1 hit. Pete toured with his father for over fifteen years as his drummer, it was on the road where he honed his skills on the accordion. While Pete embraces his heritage,...he has decided to take the accordion in a different direction than his father. His style has been described as "acoustic zydeco/blues."

The band, which features accordion, upright bass, guitar, harmonica, drums and percussion, has created a unique blend of music resulting in a style unmatched in today's scene. Their high energy riffs and rhythms envelope the audiences who quickly get caught up in the sound.

Rob Edwards is an amazing upright bass player with high-energy and rhythmic interludes. His unique blend of rockabilly and blues make him stand out above the rest. He has played with, and opened for, bands such as Chuck Berry, The Stray Cats, Ted Nugent, and many more.

Al Ek plays a mean slide guitar but considers himself most accomplished on the harmonica. He has opened for such bands as Johnny Winter, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los Lobos, and Lonnie Brooks, and many others. He has also joined Rob Edwards and Jim Lovgren for a recording session backing up Sun Studios legend Narvel Felts.

Jim Lovgren has over 30 years of professional experience while mastering a wide variety of styles, playing behind a multitude of different artists. Jim has lent his well-crafted 'driving the bus' style of drumming to a huge variety of venues worldwide including concerts, nightclubs, recording studios and International television appearances (Solid Gold) (Travel Channel), with grammy award nominated artists Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, country chart toppers Rex Allen Jr., Barbara Fairchild and David Frizzell.

Currently, the band performs mainly in the Las Vegas area, featured at Brendan's Irish Pub, The House of Blues and inside The Orleans Hotel and Casino, where they've played for the past five years. PCB also had the honor of opening for Buckwheat Zydeco and Dr. John. The Pete Contino Band was also featured in an independent film entitled "The Fall" which premiered in Los Angeles, CA. This is their first tour of Europe.

Pete Contino Band:

Pete Contino. accordion, vocals
Rob Edwards: upright bass
Al Ek: guitar, bluesharp
Jim Lovgren: drums

(www.myspace.com/petecontinoband)
(www.youtube.com)

Cajun Roosters (GB/NL/D)

Bandinfo here