Watch Zydeco played with conviction
and authenticity
Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. (pronounced Doop'-See) & the Zydeco Twisters
are the greatest living practitioners of the zydeco genre. Dopsie presents
Zydeco with the conviction and authenticity of its rich heritage. His father,
legendary zydeco accordion player gave his son his own accordion when Dopsie,
Jr. was only nine. He taught himself to play by listening to the radio and
playing along. "I really loved that sound but I needed more mobility so
I could jump up and down and do my splits, you know." Dopsie got his first
rub board at the age of 21, it was his ticket to joining his father's band.
He became an official member in 1982 and developed his style of funky zydeco
complete with his own dance moves, emulating the likes of James Brown and
Sly Stone. Until Rockin' Dopsie's untimely death in 1993, the team of father
and son garnered international recognition. Today the Zydeco Twisters' sole
leader is Dopsie, Jr. His brother, Tiger Dopsie , is the band's drum virtuoso
and maintains the highly danceable beat. Anthony Dopsie, a great accordion
player, replaced his father in the band, playing the button accordion in
a manner similar to his father's but with a more contemporary feel.
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