re: Kouri-Vini: The return of the US' lost language

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Clifton Chenier, the king of zydeco, was born in Leonville. I love this part of the story:

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Chenier moved to Port Arthur in 1946 to work on the labor gang at the Gulf refinery. During his lunch break, Chenier would often play the accordion for his coworkers. The first frottoir, or metal rubboard, was made for Clifton and Cleveland Chenier by Willie Landry. The three men worked together at Gulf Refinery in the 1940s. One day, Cleveland drew the type of musical instrument he wanted in the dirt, and Landry, a Cajun metal craftsman, created the metal rubboard for the brothers. Landry's son still makes rubboards. Legend has it that the money from tips was better than his salary, so Clifton quit the labor gang to start playing local venues.

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There was a local DJ in Lafayette that played on one of the stations when I was a kid, I think it was KVOL. His name was Paul Thibeaux. I remember him doing commercials for Clifton Chenier back in the late 60s/early 70s as well as Rocking Doopsie. Brings back some memories for me.

ETA: this guy

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3302874-Paul-Thibeaux

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Record store owner and long-time radio DJ, also known as "The House Rocker", from Louisiana, USA. He became the first Black disc jockey in Lafayette when he joined the staff of KVOL in 1965. He also opened Lafayette's only Black music store, House Rocker Record Shop, in 1968. Thibeaux appealed to a more diverse audience and for years, he provided the Acadiana Black community with its only forum, and gave underexposed local musicians much needed exposure by playing their music. Thibeaux worked at KVOL until his untimely and unexpected death in 1983.

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