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Weekend Soundtrack

"Ma 'Tit Fille"

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Holly Maddox at a zydeco dance
(Courtesy Holly Maddox)

This week's Weekend Soundtrack comes from Holly Maddox. The soundtrack to her weekend is "Ma 'Tit Fille" by Buckwheat Zydeco

Bill Radke: Holly, my feet are moving.

Holly Maddox: I'm dancing.

Radke: Why is zydeco and why is "Ma `Tit Fille" your weekend soundtrack?

Maddox: Zydeco is party music. It's dancing music. It's music that people who really love a great rhythm and zydeco has got a great syncopated beat. You know, love to hear it-it really makes you want to dance and I've always loved the blues and when I first heard zydeco, I thought to myself, "Oh, my goodness, I can finally dance to the blues."

Radke: How did you first fall for zydeco?

Maddox: I had a friend who had gone to zydeco dances and asked me if I wanted to go. I had no idea what it was. I had never even heard the word "zydeco." We went to downtown Baltimore and I remember an old antiquated maroon brocade wall paper and a band just pumping out this incredible zydeco music. But it was dark and dim, but the room was rocking and everybody was just gleaming with perspiration and just looking, just joyous and enthralled with this music-and I was captivated.

Radke: This is Buckwheat Zydeco. Tell us about him?

Maddox: I think he's got a lot of the traditional zydeco sound. He's just an expert with the accordion and, as you can hear from this song, is the main instrument. I love the French, it pulls in that whole culture of south-west Louisiana and eastern Texas-and it's just a stewpot of cultures down there. That's where this music comes from-it's a combination of the Caribbean and the Creole and the Cajun and sort of an exhale from the swamps. It's just really an indigenous American music. It's great stuff.

I go to a zydeco dance - and I don't think there is any such thing as a zydeco concert cause you can't help dancing - and everybody's smiling, big wide smiles and it reminds me of the accordion when it opens up. That accordion opens up and your soul opens up and a big wide smile's on your face and you just feel so great.

Radke: Holly, thank you for picking us up with your weekend soundtrack.

Maddox: Oh, you're welcomed. It was my pleasure.

More stories from our Weekend Soundtrack series

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