♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ My name is Jacob Edgar.

I'm an explorer, but I don't search for lost cities or ancient ruins.

I'm on the quest for a different kind of treasure -- music.

[ Sarazino's "Cochabamba" playing ] ♪ Je retrouveràis Cochabamba ♪ ♪ Je verrais les femmes et les enfants du Che qui mendient ♪ Edgar: As an ethnomusicologist and world-music record producer, I travel the globe hunting for the best songs the world has to offer, and I suffer through some of the worst so you don't have to.

♪ Amigo, reste pres de moi ♪ ♪ Cette nuit on va danser tout pres de la muerte ♪ Edgar: I've got a backstage pass to the world's music, and I won't stop until I've heard it all.

[ Sarazino speaking indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ I'm in Los Angeles, California, during the weekend when the Grammy Awards light up the city with celebrity parties, concerts, and music industry self-congratulations.

During the buildup to the Grammys, I've been traveling across the country, meeting with fascinating nominees in a wide range of categories for the second episode of the "Music Voyager" Road to a Grammy special, I headed to Washington, D.C., to meet with neo soul star India.Arie and some very special guests.

And then I went all the way down to Lafayette, Louisiana, to meet with one of the hottest young Creole musicians in the Cajun and zydeco music scene.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Although she lives in Atlanta, I heard Grammy nominee India.Arie was going to be in Washington, D.C., for a couple of days, where she was scheduled to perform at the Kennedy Center for a special Martin Luther King Day concert that would include President Obama and his family in the audience.

It sounded like a once in a lifetime event, and I just had to be there.

So off to D.C., I go.

♪♪ It was a little over 40 years ago right here at the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

And I'm here in D.C. on Martin Luther King Day to visit with India.Arie, an artist who really embodies the spirit of equality and mutual respect that Dr. King called for that day.

And I thought it would be really great to bring two artists that India knows well and that I know well here to D.C. to collaborate with her and put them in a room and see if they could make beautiful music together.

The first artist I invited was Dobet Gnahoré from the Ivory Coast, who actually shares a Grammy nomination with India this year for their duet on the song "Pearls."

They've never actually met in person before, so I think it's going to be really special.

I also invited Idan Raichel, an Israeli superstar that India knows well.

She's performed and recorded with him in the past.

♪♪ Dobet Gnahoré is originally from the Ivory Coast, and her father is a master musician and former teacher at one of her native country's top schools for the arts.

Surrounded by theater, dance, and music as a child, Dobet knew from a young age that she wanted to be a professional singer, and her lifelong training has helped her become one of Africa's hottest young talents.

I've seen Dobet perform many times, and she never fails to blow people away with her amazing voice, incredible dance moves, and powerful stage presence.

While India.Arie and Dobet recorded a Grammy-nominated duet this year, they'd never actually met in person.

And I was really looking forward to bringing them together.

Dobet had performed in D.C. before, but like most artists on tour, she hadn't had the chance to see the sights.

So I take her around a bit to explore the town.

For musical accompaniment, I pop Dobet's album "Na Afriki" into the car stereo.

Nothing better than some of Dobet's African grooves to provide a little soundtrack for some sightseeing.

[ Dobet Gnahoré's "Dala" playing ] ♪ A djènon ne ihiriré wouan la ♪ ♪ Grigbèkou ♪ ♪ Plassaka aa ♪ Edgar: When she arrived, Dobet told me she needed an unusual percussion instrument called an Udu for her show with India.

Luckily, I knew just the place in the D.C. area for hard-to-find musical instruments, the House of Musical Traditions in nearby Takoma Park.

I like this guitar, this guitar.

It's a special price, 1/3 off.

Music instrument store humor.

It's a Mecca for folk and world music geeks.

Looking for exotic instruments from around the globe?

Well, you can find them here.

♪♪ For some reason, whatever instrument Dobet touches sounds beautiful.

Me, on the other hand...

It looks so simple.

Yes.

You may need a different length.

I think that's the problem.

I think the problem is the length.

Has nothing to do with my talent.

♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, a-ka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka ♪ [ Humming ] Edgar: Christylez Bacon, who works in the store, demonstrates you don't need a musical instrument to make awesome sounds.

[ Beatboxing ] ♪♪ Alright.

Alright.

Thank you.

So people who come to the House of Musical Traditions can get an impromptu concert.

Yeah, yeah, you could get that and a little bit of water, you know, to get the beatbox all tuned up and stuff.

Oh, yeah?

You got to tune it?

Alright, cool, man.

Well, thanks a lot.

Oh, man.

All good.

All this driving around has made us hungry.

So Dobet and I head over to one of my favorite local spots, Busboys and Poets.

A bookstore, cafe, restaurant, art gallery, and performance space, Busboys and Poets is the destination for D.C.'s artists and lefty politicos.

The wall is decorated with murals featuring important figures in the fight for civil rights and social justice, everyone from Bob Marley and Joan Baez to Gandhi, and of course, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holds pride of place.

[ The Idan Raichel Project's "Ayal-Ayale" playing ] ♪♪ Idan Raichel, an Israeli superstar who I've been working with for many years, is really good friends with India.Arie.

And when I told him that we were going to be doing a session with India and Dobet Gnahoré in Washington, he literally hopped on the next flight from Tel Aviv to be a part of it.

Later that evening, Idan Raichel's flight arrives from Tel Aviv, and he joins me and Dobet at Dukem, one of the most popular Ethiopian restaurants in the city.

Idan is a massive pop star back in Israel, and he's collaborated with a lot of that country's Ethiopian immigrants.

So he's very familiar with Ethiopia's terrific cuisine, which features a colorful array of deliciously spiced meats and vegetables served from a common plate over a crepe-like bread called injera.

Most people tell me my table manners are comparable to Attila the Hun.

But at Ethiopian restaurants, you're actually encouraged to eat with your hands.

[ The Idan Raichel Project's "Ayal-Ayale" continues playing ] [ Laughing ] The next day, India.Arie joins us at the Cue Recording Studios just outside D.C.

It's pretty special to see two artists who share a Grammy nomination actually meet for the first time.

India, Dobet.

Really cool.

You, too.

♪♪ In the studio, differences of language and culture disappear as India, Dobet, Idan, and guitarist Blue Miller, who plays in India's band, become immersed in the collaborative process.

[ Vocalizing drum beat ] [ Piano playing ] ♪ Galalé dénan mon méné ♪ Edgar: For her Grammy-nominated recording of "Pearls," India had incorporated elements of the vocals and guitar riff from Dobet's song "Palea."

Here in the studio, they create a new acoustic arrangement that expands the "Palea" portion of the song, and India even joins in with Dobet, learning how to sing in the West African language of Dida.

One of the things I've been doing for the last 10 years is praying.

Part of my -- I pray for everything.

When I travel, I pray, of course, and I always pray, "Bring exactly the right musicians, the right music, whatever it is, just bring it to me."

That's how I met Idan.

Edgar: Great.

Yeah.

How about Dobet?

How did you discover Dobet Gnahoré?

On my sabbatical in Hawaii, I heard Dobet's song, and I said, "I want to make music like that."

And I had my Pro Tools rig, and I was like, "I'm going to sample this.

I'm going to sample it, 'cause why not?

'Cause why not?

That's what I want to sound like.

I'm going to do it."

And a lot of the music on that album is that way, very much just letting myself be free, letting myself be free.

I don't care if it gets played on the radio.

I don't care if they don't like it when I turn it in.

It's just, this is what I wanted to do.

Figure something out.

If you don't like it, then drop me.

That's how I felt.

So with the Grammy nominations, it was -- This was the first time since the first time I got nominated.

This was the first time since the first time that I felt excited, because I... because I did what I wanted to do.

If I had gotten a half a nomination, you know, 'cause I did what I wanted to do, and I feel... good about it.

And that's why today is -- I keep telling my mom, my dreams are coming true.

That's why today is a dream coming true for me, 'cause this is me.

So, what was it like?

You know, you recorded this song "Pearls" that featured tracks.

You know, you never actually met Dobet in person before.

What was it like meeting her and working with her today?

Dream.

Really.

Yeah?

'Cause I wanted to work with her when I was recording, but time and scheduling and all the business things.

I've met enough people to know you never know what their personality's gonna be like.

Regardless of what their music sounds like, you don't know what they're gonna be like.

You don't know.

Yeah.

And all the things that I was able to understand about Dobet from being around her, I like.

Like I said, she's maternal, and she's playful.

Yeah.

She's very smart.

You can see that, 'cause she's -- You can see in her eyes as she takes everything in.

Yeah.

It's wonderful to get to know her like that.

♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: Since she burst onto the scene in 2001 with her multi-million-selling debut album "Acoustic Soul," India.Arie has earned 20 Grammy nominations and built a huge audience of fans, including myself, who love her personal, emotionally honest songs, soulful voice, and open-minded musicality.

She now has four hit albums under her belt and has performed with big stars such as Stevie Wonder, Akon, not to mention Elmo from "Sesame Street."

♪ Wôlo anin noussa min anin ♪ ♪ Wôlo kakabako ♪ ♪ Wôlo anin noussa min anin ♪ ♪ Wô-lo kakabako ♪ ♪ Paléa ♪ ♪ Pkêhi nihaa goné ♪ ♪ Paléa missé ♪ ♪ Pkê-hi ni-ha goné ho ♪ ♪ Wôlo anin noussa min anin ♪ ♪ Wôlo kakabako ♪ ♪ Wôlo anin noussa min anin ♪ ♪ Wô-lo kakabako ♪ ♪ Héimin galalé dénan mon hon ♪ ♪ Méné ♪ ♪ Héimin galalé dénan mon méné ♪ ♪ Héééé ♪ ♪ Héimin galalé danan monhon ♪ ♪ Méhéé hiné ♪ ♪ Héimin galalé dénan mon méné ♪ ♪ Héééé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, a-ka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka dé télé ♪ Edgar: India is considered one of the leading neo-soul artists, a style of contemporary R&B with a classic soul vibe combined with a progressive attitude, although it turns out that she's not the type to be pigeonholed.

And on her most recent album, "Testimony: Vol.

2, Love & Politics," India stretches the boundaries of the genre by including duets with singers from Turkey, Africa, and beyond.

♪ Dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, a-ka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, aka dé télé ♪ ♪ Hi alla hi nan mon, a-ka dé télé ♪ [ Barks, laughs ] Right.

Unh, unh, unh.

[ Laughter ] Wonderful.

[ Harmonica playing ] ♪♪ Edgar: I'd love to hang out with them in D.C. longer, but I don't have much time to meet up with more artists on this Road to a Grammy adventure.

So I'd better hit the road and see who else on the list of Grammy nominees would be cool to connect with.

♪♪ The Cajun Zydeco Grammy category was added just three years ago, and since I'm a fan of the music, food, and culture of Louisiana, I decide to head to the heart of Cajun country to see if the good times are still rolling on the bayou.

I'd recently seen Cedric Watson perform at a show in Copenhagen, and I wanted to learn more about this young violinist and accordion player who was making big waves in the Creole music world.

Located about two hours west of New Orleans, Lafayette is the epicenter of Cajun and Creole music.

The Cajun are the descendants of French speakers from the Acadian region of Canada who migrated here in the late 1700s after being evicted from the region by the British.

Over the years, Cajuns have blended their language, culture, and music with a particular Southern flavor.

The French influence can be felt in the local Creole culture, as well, which reflects a mix of African American, Acadian, and even some Caribbean and Native American roots.

While there are a lot of connections, generally speaking, Cajun music has a bit more of a country music flavor, and Creole music, especially the upbeat dance style called zydeco spices things up with African-American blues, funk, rock, and soul flavors.

Why do you think it is that all of the musicians who are nominated in the Cajun Zydeco category still live around here?

They have opportunities to live in New York, to live in San Francisco, live in Europe, wherever.

But they stay here.

Why do you think that is?

Well, I'll tell you.

♪♪ From myself to all the rest of the guys is that they're here because of the culture of Louisiana, the roots, the music, the food, just the culture, you know?

[ All singing indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ While all of the nominees have interesting stories to tell, there's one in particular that piqued my interest.

27-year-old Cedric Watson was born in East Texas to parents with Creole roots.

He had a difficult childhood and was raised by his grandmother.

From an early age, Cedric was more interested in the Cajun and Creole music of earlier generations than the hip-hop and urban music his peers were listening to.

Since he relocated to Lafayette a few years ago, Cedric has become one of the brightest stars on the local scene, and many people see in him the perfect blend of tradition with a youthful, creative spirit that will keep Cajun and Creole music thriving and relevant far into the future.

[ Singing indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Watson: I grew up in the country.

I was raised predominantly by my grandmother my whole life.

And it was a pretty laid-back childhood, as far as the way life was in that area, But for me, you know, things were kind of hard, 'cause my family wasn't all -- They didn't really have a lot of money or nothing.

And the house that we grew up in, it was kind of like, the roof was kind of leaking water and stuff, and things were just hard for us.

And, well, I guess I made it out of there, you know?

How old were you when you left?

I was about 20.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ You start as a fiddle player or as an accordion player?

'Cause you're pretty good with a fiddle.

Well, I started off playing guitar.

That was my first instrument.

And 'cause my grandma couldn't find a fiddle that she could afford, so she got me a guitar and told me if I learn chords and learn how to play, that she would get me a fiddle.

So she bought me some Cajun recordings and some zydeco and stuff, and I showed her that I could play and I said, "Now I want a fiddle."

So she told me if I found one that was affordable, I could get it.

So I went and found one in Musician's Friend, and it was like $75.

And she got it to me -- She got it for me.

And it was like in the summertime, I remember.

I was about 18 years old.

And I ran to the post office.

I'd go like every day, you know, "Is it here yet?"

And they were like, "No, it ain't come in yet."

When it came, I was like, "Yeah!"

And I ran down the road with my fiddle, got home, and started scratching around on it and -- Yep.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ You're young.

You're like not even 30 years old, but you're playing old music in a lot of ways.

It's old music.

I mean, why is that?

Why?

The thing is, is it's only old 'cause it's been around for so long.

But really, it's going to be around forever, and still is, you know?

So you can't really say it's old.

It's like 'cause whenever you're living down South, you hear the blues or you hear zydeco or something, it's pretty much like, what's new?

Yeah.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ Edgar: When he was teaching himself to play the fiddle, Cedric used to practice to the recordings of Michael Doucet, a member of the leading Cajun band BeauSoleil.

Michael meets us at the Blue Moon Saloon and Guest House, one of Lafayette's premier venues for Cajun and Creole music, and joins us for some gumbo and music, the perfect combination.

♪ Cochon, cochon, cochon, cochon de lait ♪ ♪ Cochon, cochon, cochon, cochon de lait ♪ Edgar: Let's talk about your first solo album.

Were you surprised that it got nominated for a Grammy?

Yeah, I didn't really think it would.

I didn't -- No?

Yeah, I didn't really -- At that time, to be honest with you.

I didn't really like think about it too much.

But then all of a sudden, whenever it was nominated, then I was like, yeah, that's pretty cool.

Your first record, you get nominated for a Grammy.

That's nice.

Pretty good.

♪ Cochon, cochon de lait ♪ ♪ Cochon, cochon, cochon, cochon de lait ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I never thought that whenever I was like growing up, like sitting around in like the living room or whatever and just like, messing around with the guitar and the fiddle, that I'd be like playing this song with you, you know?

It's pretty cool.

Well, why not?

It's better than playing alone.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: Later on, Cedric and his band, Bijou Creole, hit the stage at the Blue Moon, and the dancing continues until late in the evening, just another night of great music, food, and fun in Lafayette, Louisiana.

[ Singing in French ] ♪ Bijou Créole ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Bijou Créole ♪ ♪♪ Edgar: The next day, Cedric meets me at McGee's Landing, a renowned Cajun restaurant on the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp.

There's no better cure for the hangover that inevitably accompanies a night of zydeco dancing than a crawfish boil.

And McGee's Landing owner David Allemond demonstrates his award-winning recipe.

♪♪ Cedric is so excited about the crawfish, he even strips down to his undershirt so he can get nice and messy.

You think this is enough for us?

I don't know, man.

We might need -- I could probably eat about three of these, you know?

But I think this is definitely -- They got some more coming, too, but this should be enough to hold us off.

What do you do?

You, like, peel this out?

That's what I do.

But you can just take it and crush it and suck all the juice out.

Well, I'm a head sucker.

I never thought it would happen to me, but -- ♪♪ David, you are a maestro.

This tastes really, really good.

Mm-hmm.

Spicy.

Not too hot, just right.

Mm-hmm.

I've had a great time in Louisiana here in Cajun zydeco country.

You got great food, great people, great music.

Amen.

Amen, yeah, you right.

Edgar: Now that I've had a taste of Louisiana, it's pretty hard not to want more.

So I'm already making plans to come back for future episodes of "Music Voyager."

In the meantime, I've got to head off to Los Angeles for the final stop on my Road to a Grammy adventure.

California, here I come.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪