Buckwheat Zydeco

The reigning King of Zydeco is coming to San Antonio. Performing with style and grace befitting a king with his Ils Sont Partis Band for over 30 years, Stanley Dural, Jr., aka Buckwheat Zydeco, ascended the throne after the passing of his mentor and bandmate Clifton Chenier. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947, Dural's unique talents on the piano were recognized early on. He was more interested in R&B than zydeco, however, and joined his first band, Sam and the Untouchables, on farfisa when he was only nine years old. Although surrounded by zydeco music, Dural followed his own muse and after backing musicians like Joe Tex and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, he formed the 15-piece funk band, Buckwheat & the Hitchhikers in 1971. After five years on the road, the Hitchhikers disbanded. Soon after, Clifton Chenier called on Buckwheat to join the Red Hot Louisiana Band as an organist on tour. Still reluctant towards zydeco music, Buckwheat was hesitant, but out of respect for his father, a personal friend of Chenier, agreed to give it a try and never looked back.

Amazed by the energy and abilities of both Clifton and his brother Cleveland Chenier, Dural was inspired to learn the accordion. After two years studying with the master, he took the name Buckwheat Zydeco and formed the Ils Sont Partis Band. They recorded their debut album in 1979, One for the Road. With Buckwheat's talent for arranging and skill on the accordion as well as the organ, the band took off, touring the world and recording two Grammy nominated albums. In 1986, Buckwheat Zydeco signed with Island records, scoring another Grammy nomination for the album On a Night Like This and becoming the first zydeco act to sign to a major label. Over the next two decades, Buckwheat recorded many more albums for a variety of labels, earning more Grammy nominations and garnering great critical acclaim as a masterful musician and stunning performer. Buckwheat Zydeco has recorded with rock stars and performed for presidents, and has always remained dedicated to promoting zydeco music and educating audiences about the Creole culture of his heritage. Constantly pushing his music to new heights, he continues to combine traditional zydeco and contemporary blues, R&B, and whatever other music he encounters into the Buckwheat sound. Celebrating 30 years of his zydeco career, Buckwheat Zydeco reigns supreme.