Let's Go Out This Weekend: Zydeco Whim — August 1, 2008

MUSIC

BAYOU TUNES Friday night is your last chance to attend Let's Zydeco, a concert series that showcases musical forms native to Louisiana. Musician Dikki Du combines classic zydeco songs with his own funky, hypnotic style. Born into a musically gifted family in Church Point, La., Mr. Du (né Troy Carrier) plays the accordion and sings to the polyrhythmic beats of his band, the Zydeco Krewe. On one album, "Make It Funky," the band covered Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," demonstrating its creative ability to stretch the Cajun musical tradition.

Zydeco, it could be said, is currently experiencing a national heyday, as many Louisiana musicians have spread across the country since Hurricane Katrina. The genre emerged in the early 1900s in the melting pot that was the state at that time, drawing inspiration from the music of American Indians and the descendents of African-American slaves from the Caribbean. Contemporary musicians often infuse R&B, rock, reggae, and hip-hop sounds into their work. Let's Zydeco, which has been in existence since 1993, has provided some of the displaced musicians — including Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys — with a forum in New York. Complimentary dance lessons are offered an hour before the start of the show, so attendees can be active participants in the evening's performance. Friday, doors open 6:30 p.m., performance 8 p.m., Connolly's on 45th, 121 W. 45th St., between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, 212-685-7597, $22.

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