- This is a production of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

(bright optimistic music) (energetic classic rock music) ♪ Hey ♪ (crowd cheering) (energetic classic rock music) - Welcome to Levitt in your living room.

I am your host, Apolonia Davalos.

We are so blessed to be together, and we have to thank, first and foremost, our sponsors.

So, thank you, Dan and Arlene Kirby, the South Dakota Arts Council, and the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation.

The Levitt Shell Sioux Falls is part of a national network of outdoor Levitt music venues and concert sites dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of communities.

Presenting a broad array of musical genres and cultural programming, Levitt Venues bring together families, friends, and neighbors of all ages and backgrounds.

Learn more at levitt.org.

Keeper of the Zydeco flame.

The Creole culture of South Louisiana, is musically immortalized, through Nathan and the Zydeco Chachas.

Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, honored by the Zydeco Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, receiving multiple Big Easy awards for Best Zydeco Band, we welcome and celebrate the Creole culture with Nathan Williams of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas.

- Yes ma'am, yes.

(crowd applauding) It's a pleasure being here, and um, and in being in the music business And - Hmm, after all those years, you know, and just trying to stay positive and- - Absolutely.

- And move on, you know?

'Cause I love what I do.

- Oh, and we love hearing you.

- Thank you so much.

- And receiving what you do, you are a gift.

- Thank you, thank you.

- You know, what keeps you creating?

You started out playing professionally, 1985.

What keeps you going?

- Well, first of all, the man up there, God keep me going.

If I got him, he steer me, he know how to let me drive.

I let him drive, okay?

And what I do is, my motto in life is count it all as joy.

Like I tell people all the time, the world owe me nothing because, God been good to me, my kids all grown, they could take care of their self, me and my wife have been together almost 41 years.

So, I mean, it's a blessing, you know, and I enjoy playing for people all over the country.

You know, from the top thing you all the time, you know, all the way from the Grand Ole Opry, to Lincoln center, world trade Center, Uh, uh, you know, just all over the country, you know, and playing good thing uses stuff like that.

The Kennedy Center and stuff like that uh, uh, Valinia stage, and all that stuff.

I've come all over the country, Canada, all over the place.

I played a Canadian Academy Award, the Olympics, all kind of stuff, man.

- Oh.

- God is good.

- God is good.

- I play with the best of musician, James Brown, Irma Thomas, Al green, Aaron Neville we go on tour together.

"The Dirty Dozen."

Matter of fact, we got a tour, coming up next year with "The Dirty Dozen."

You know, God is good, man.

So I enjoy what I do.

And I tell people all the time and they say, " how you keep on going?"

I say, I keep on going because I love what I do.

You know, I'm serious about what I do, I'm a sober musician.

I thank God for that I've been sober all my life with that.

And so it's all natural, it comes from, um, they say I say I'm like a light bulb, you know, when it's time to turn on, trust me.

(laughing) - Yes, so you, what is Zydeco music?

You know-- - Zydeco music is uh, come from Clifton Chenier, Clifton Chenier was the originator.

He was the founder of Zydeco music, and Zydeco is really blues and a little, but now with the way I did it is I put a gamble in it.

(laughs) You know, when you make up a gamble, you put a little bit of everything.

I put everything except my foot in it.

(laughs) So in other words, I got a little reggae, little R&B, a little blues, a little serve, so I got a little serve for everybody.

So in other words, I, when I put it together, I say, well look, I'm gonna fuse all this together.

I can play in any kind of category.

I can fit there.

You follow what I'm saying?

- Hmm, - So when I, if I'm in a crowd that like to rock, I got a rock.

If I'm in a crowd that like to slow, slow your, I gotta slow drag.

If I'm a crowd that like that Wolves, I got a wolves crowd.

you know, so I'm, - Hmm - you are aimed to please the people.

- Yes.

- My set is never a, a plan.

- Hmm, It's all depend what I, who I got there.

Like we have some people want to jump all night.

Might have some people don't want to jump.

People want sit around and just clap on that.

So you got, that's the art of music, figuring out how to manipulate your crowd, how to let em, how to relate to your crowd.

- Yeah.

- You see, you know, you, you need to know all what you need to know music, but the main thing is being a entertainer.

- Hmm - You follow what I'm saying?

- I, I follow.

And you're so cause you're so present.

You're the first artist I've met or have heard that does not have a planned set list.

- Yeah.

I don't have a playing set list, but I got so many songs I can play.

I can play three dances, three or four dances and I'll play the same song.

- Hmm - So that's why I'm ready.

So I keep a band that know what I need to know because you know, I just, kick it off and look, boom they out there.

Somebody might call em like, Hey man, play, your mama don't know.

Boom!

you got it.

Anything.

I'm like a stop sign.

You might see me anywhere.

(laughs loudly) - And we need to see you everywhere.

- That's.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's the only thing about, you know, I outside my, you, you know my music, stuff like that, you know it, I, I, you know, I should, in 35 years I should be mainstream - Hmm, - And don't get me wrong.

I have some, I have some good gigs with stuff like that, but I, you know, I need to be eyes of the people cause people need that joy out there.

They need that happiness.

You know, a lot of times people, they had a old guy, he was ninety something years old.

I was playing in Oregon and he, he was sitting down.

He said, let me tell you something, buddy.

After the concert, he said, I never danced before in my life.

He said, "but I'm gonna tell you one thing."

He said, "you made me dance."

He said, "I felt you."

you follow what I'm saying?

- Hmm, - So I tell him if you can't dance, wave your hand.

(laughs) - Yeah.

You come to the concert to learn, to be present and just let yourself.

- That's right.

Look, we played in New York last week Katonah - Hmm, and look, man, they ate it up.

(laughs) I been, I been, I've been, I've been blessed, man.

- Hmm, - because if I figure, I say it in my life that uh, I tell people all the time and I said, look, if you, if you, if you come here late in Zydeco chachas, if you don't get up and shake a lake, call London to take her.

(laughs) Cause you did.

- That's right.

Hmm, - I got more soul in the Shoemaker.

- Yeah, (laughs) - You say where you come from?

I said, I come from where the crawfish got sold and alligator sing the blues, and where I come from, you get mud between your toes, the swamp.

(laughs) - Yeah.

- Oh man.

You are fire (laughs) - Yeah.

Well I'm about, let me tell you something.

It's not, I tell my son number all the time.

People it's nothing like yourself.

You can't be nothing like no, nobody can be yourself.

- Hmm, - Nobody can be you.

You, as long as you yourself be yourself and act like yourself.

- I agree.

I agree.

It is a purpose.

There's not a life that is wasted.

And... - I've been all.

I've been around all kind of people, man.

Good people overseas, everywhere, man.

Switzerland, Paris, France, Tokyo, Austria, France, just on and on.

You know, just Ireland.

- Yeah.

- Denmark everywhere.

- Hmm, - And, but lemme tell you what my secret is that I tell people all the time, no matter where you go, where you be, be yourself and always, you see, you gotta know when to come down in life.

- Hmm, I couldn't, I couldn't be married.

Only that If I wouldn't have be dedicated and wanted to say, well look to make things work.

You know what I'm saying?

- Hmm, yeah - If you wanna be a musician, so how can you be a musician be married that long?

You can be anything you want.

- Hmm - You can be anything you want.

- Yeah.

- But you gotta be dedicated.

You don't have to be married to be dedicated either.

- That's true.

And you've been married for 41 years.

- 40 We've been together 41 years been married 36, 35 years We went out for six years.

- Hmm - That's right.

- That's a lot - she was 13 and I was 16.

- Young love!

- And, and I tell you the, the God truth til to day, I love my wife the same as when I first met her.

- Oh gosh!

- That's real - That is beautiful.

- Hmm, Wow!

Is she a musician herself?

- No, she not.

No musician.

She work at school.

- Beautiful.

- She's and look, she knows she can trust me.

She know.

- Hmm, - It is what it.

- Is.

That's right.

that's.

Right.

- And I love what I do.

My mom still living 89 years old.

- Yes.

Go mom!

- Oh yeah.

Mommy.

(laughs) She's the boss, man.

My daddy, when um, my dad died, I was seven years old.

- Oh, - And so we had was eight brothers and one sister and my mom and my oldest brother, Sid Elsido, you got Elsido blues club.

The one I, I came, he wouldn't laugh yet.

Louisiana at the age of 13, him and his wife.

They took me in.

We, I worked, I wanted to be something.

They know what I wanted to be.

And so I, I thank them for that.

Thank God first.

And thank them, my sister and all of them.

We, we close family members.

- Family.

Well, you play everyone in the Zydeco Cha cha's.

Are they all family?

- Yeah.

I got my ne- uh, my, my great nephew played scrub board with me.

- Hmm, They call him Zydeco, buddy.

My brother been with me over 30 years, Dennis Paul.

He's an artist and everything got a couple of books out and you know, uh, uh, my drama.

Well, we adopted him, you know, the, you know, he's like my kid, you know?

- Yeah.

- And he shaman Frank.

He been with me for a while.

My first cousin is on base.

- Hmm, His daddy.

My dad is too brother.

So we a family thing.

Yeah.

- Damn!

- My son too.

He is same way.

He got his band on the how to go big timers.

I mean, he's big at all over and uh, (belches) same way.

When I started on the road with playing music, I took them three little boys.

My, my, my son, my two little nephews showed em, let 'em open to show for him in Canada and all over stuff like that.

Now they doing the own thing.

We got our own studio, Chacha records, own record company.

We record our own music.

Everything is in house.

Nobody's controls the Zydeco Cha cha's.

- Nobody.

- Those, nobody's - hmm - all nobody's we not, we never sold out to nobody.

God is good.

- God is good.

And that's a lesson to.

- We had to work to, And that's, that's a work.

That's the, yeah, it's a lesson I had to work hard.

I'm still working hard.

But you know, I thank God that I can.

Oh man.

I'm I'm good.

(laughs) - So the first song that we're gonna listen to is "Elsydaz zydeco Bugle" - That's about my brother club.

- Oh, your brother club?

- Yes well, you see what happened was we opened up a grocery store.

My brother opened up a grocery store, said one stop.

And I started playing music.

I got start my got my start from Buckwheat Zydeco.

Okay ?

- Hmm.

- Uh, Buckwheat, Zydeco.

I just, I got, I got nothing but history with me.

Buckwheat Zydeco, uh, used to live right across the street from my brother's store.

And then we got, we got to be good friends.

Him and my brother got to be good friends.

But my first guardian from him, that's the first band I played with on, on, on stage.

And then my brother decided to open a club.

They all started going into a blues club.

And then I started playing down on Friday night for free and started playing.

And I been, that's how I started off, you know, Clifton Chenier, I met Clifton Chenier.

Uh, the king of article used to play in St. MartinVille at a club called the Casino.

I couldn't get in.

I was a little bitty boy, seven, about seven.

She is seven years old.

And we had to sit As I sit down on washing machine and watch him play, outside, Cause they had them old time windows with the frame and you could have see him playing it all, man.

I admired that.

And the old lady should get mad with us.

Take our bicycles.

(laughing) Call the cops for us.

Cause we sitting down in New York watching.

But never gave up.

- Oh amen!

Well, let's be a part of history with Nathan today and listen to "El Sid O'S Zydeco Boogaloo."

- I need somebody to get up a little out now (band begins playing) ♪Somebody to get up ♪ ♪somebody scream now ♪ ♪ somebody come up ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ (music instruments playing) ♪ All right.

♪ (indistinct) ♪ somebody scream ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ (indistinct) ♪ All right now ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Somebody put those hands together ♪ ♪ Somebody scream ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Alexander, Louisiana, ♪ ♪ Sioux falls, South Dakota.

♪ ♪ whoa ♪ ♪ All right now ♪ ♪ Somebody make a little noise ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ ♪ Now that is a Zydeco Boogaloo ♪ (band playing) ♪ Yo ♪ (speaks in French) ♪I come to party with you ♪ ♪That's a party going on.

♪ - Whoa Whoa was that all right to you.

(crowd cheering) - Yes.

- Yeah.

So you being with family, um, others may find it difficult to tour with members of their family or just work in regular industries cause family, they know you - Well you see what I'm saying Lemme - yah - Lemme show you something about that.

- Yeah tell me.

- you see what people don't saying about that.

- Hmm, - It's come.

It's all depending on where you live.

- Yes.

- You see if I had, if I had something to hide, I wouldn't take my kids with me.

(laughs) - Right?

- You follow what I'm saying?

- Yeah.

- If I, if I had, if you know, if I had something to hide say, well, I'm running the girls, running the ladies, you know, I, that would probably take or miss my kids with miss all of their career and everything behind it.

So I had to sacrifice myself to do the right thing cause that's what I wanted to do.

And guess it pays off.

- Yes it does.

- You see what I'm saying?

- I do.

- So now my, by me being selfish, just looking out for me, it wouldn't have worked.

It didn't work.

It wouldn't work.

But now by me doing what I needed to do stand up the plate to the plate.

Look, I work out.

- Hmm, - Now my son, he got his master's degree.

He gone for his doctors.

He teach at the university.

He teach Zydeco music.

He teach people how to play cording and stuff, Like my son, Lil Nate, He got his master.

He's a school teacher and he still play.

You follow what I'm saying?

- I do.

- Then he going to get his doctorate.

- Hmm, - You follow what I'm saying?

- I do that gift that keeps on - My other son nailing.

He has a studio.

Like what she does it there.

- Yeah.

- He, he, he record music.

He matter of fact, he, he do, He producing my album.

- Hmm, - My next album.

You follow what I'm saying?

- I do.

- God.

When you do things, it come back to you.

- It does.

Yes.

- You follow what I'm saying?

So I tell people all the time I say, look, my motto, is Whatever God give you.

Try to help somebody else with it.

Cause you can't take it with you.

- Hm-hm - I always plead the blood.

(laughs) I always plead the blood.

I always pleaded the blood of Jesus.

I said, Lord, you know what?

I, I came here, drove my band here myself.

I drive all over the country nonstop.

- Hmm, - Got here 10 o'clock this morning.

And plus I do, when I'm not playing music, I'm in the oil fuel.

I do hotshot service.

It's oil, fuel truck.

And I go all over the country.

Just like I'm touring with my band.

I tour with my, with my oil fuel.

I go to full Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Detroit, everywhere.

I'm I'm like a stop sign.

- Hmm - You might see me anywhere.

(laughs) And that's for real.

- Oh, I know I, and I wanted to start us off, but I, I was so captivated with what you were sharing with the song, "Everything on a hog is good."

Tell us about where this comes from.

- Okay.

You know how I made that song?

- Yeah.

- When my brother, we opened up the store and we, I was, I was, you know, cut meat and everything you know, we had sell meat, make hog, crackling and hog a cheese, And bud dat, we make all, we started all baking all of that.

So my brother went, had a 500 pound hog and it was cutting the hog and up.

I said, man, you know what, man, everything on the hog is good.

I said, man, you know, I'm gonna make a song about that.

( laughs) And that song was on NBC movie of the week moment of true card in the crossfire.

They took that song, soundtrack.

Everything on the hog is good to be in the NBC movie up the week.

Mom would've troop caught in the crossfire.

Wow.

- Yeah.

- And so I said, I was walking around saying everything on the hog is good.

I said, well, and me, I'm a songwriter.

So I'm not, I'm a everything I do all my music, - Hmm, - Most of my music is I, I write my music.

It's about everyday life.

It's about where I come from.

- Hm - And it, It's a story.

- Yeah.

- You know, might might wanna be in a book.

- Hm?

- You follow what I'm saying?

- I do.

- So I tell and I saw walk around, say everything on the hog is good, but except his eyes (laughs loudly) And, and something came to me just like, (speaks french) That's French.

- Hmm, You know how I learned my French from my grandmother?

- Oh.

- Crayola French.

I went to Dominican playing Dominican.

This was crazy, man.

My family, my mom and them family last day was hip light.

That's all, all how folks are out there in Dominican Wow.

- Wow.

- Creole people.

- Hm.

So how did the accordion specifically why the accord, you know the accordion cause it's such a unique instrument that, - well They got different types of accordion.

- Hmm, - They got the little single rule accordion.

They got the diatonic is the, you know, Accordion and they got the piano accordion.

Now I play, I played different kind of accordion I played triple and two, but I played, this is my main instrument.

- Yeah.

- Cause I can get everything I want out of it.

- Yeah.

- You know, I play the blues.

I did.

I play anything.

I came, I played mama the baby and did it.

(chuckles) But uh, you know, so, and that's uh, and I found my, I got, I got my first accordion that I bought on my own was at Romero music.

I was going on.

I had my old 66 pickup truck.

Yeah.

I said, man, you know, I gotta find me accordion.

I went to the music store.

I bought it for like, I think $250.

It was a Chinese accordion and the court, What happened was the accordion that I bought for Buck's article, I couldn't, I ain't had the tone that I wanted to hear and that, and they had like a music song.

And so I, I learned good on that.

Then that's when I started and by buck, we, Zydeco I met my record company - Mm - round the records met my producers.

I met agency all by him.

I been to these.

- Oh man.

So we're we're gonna get in it.

Let's listen to "everything on a hog is good."

- (Laughs) (speaks French) (band playing) ♪ Somebody get up ♪ ♪ Somebody come up, ♪ (speaks French) ♪ Louisiana, ♪ ♪ Louisiana, ♪ ♪ Everything on a hog, ♪ ♪ Everything on a hog is good.

♪ ♪ Everything on a hog, ♪ ♪ Everything on a hog is good.

♪ (singing in french) (band playing) ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ (sings in French) (band playing) ( singing in french) ♪ Somebody scream now ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪Everything on a hog is good ♪ ♪ Everything on a hog ♪ ♪ Everything on a hog is good ♪ ( sing in french) ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ♪ I like the good old times, (indistinct) ♪ ( sing in french) (band playing) ( speaking in french) - So there's other instruments too, that the yah, - You got the rub-board and you got the guitar.

- Yeah.

- You got the bass.

- Yeah - You got the drums.

- Mm - Some people have keyboards, but I don't have keyboard.

I do the thing myself.

See this Accordion in here.

I got endorsed it with Roland.

And let me tell you how this happened.

I was playing in Spain, Was on a tour and I went to a music store over there in Spain.

And what happened when I went to that music store, I seen one of those accordion.

Like it was a black one and I told him, man, oh man, I like the song of it.

You know?

Because see, I can get the, the accordion you don't have.

You don't have, you don't get a feedback on it.

The feedback is mean like, you know the Mikasa accordion, you get a lot of feedbacks and stuff.

But this here it's, it's, you know, it's electric electrical accordion.

You get, I can get anything I want, I can play weddings, funerals, whatever I play, you get keyboards out of there.

You get organ, you get horns, you everything out of there.

- Mm , - So I man, and then when I got home, the music store guy, I mean he was talking and said, man, I got something for you.

They sent me accordion, brand new, two of them, one like that and one triple roll, brand new in the box, that amps everything Endorse, full endorsement.

- Mm.

That's what I'm talking about.

Bring it to life.

You bringing the accordion is just - yeah.

Yeah.

- Oh, and it's your soul.

It's an extension of your soul.

- But you see, I got keyboards.

I'm when we gonna finish, I'm gonna show you.

I got organ.

Everything keyboards on there.

I can play gospel.

I take you to church.

Everything.

(laughs) - Take is, all the church.

Is it?

- I'll take you.

I'll take, oh yeah.

Take you.

I'm telling you.

I'm like a rollercoaster.

- Hmm, Take you around the country.

Get on the Zydeco train.

- Yeah.

(laughs) - I got a song like I called Zydeco train.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Zydeco train and Zydeco girl.

That uh, yah, I, we got all kind stuff.

- Because you can do stories about life.

Real things, real People.

- Yes ma'am.

- Wow.

So our next song, follow me chicken.

- Well, you know how I made that song?

They said, man, I said, You know what?

Follow me, chicken.

I'm full of corn.

They said what that mean?

Follow me lady.

I got plenty money, (laughs) Plenty money.

(laughs) - Mm.

- I'm gone.

Full of cone.

- Ooh.

- Full of cone.

Follow me chicken.

- Ooh.

I, I think there's some, some folks that this song may resonate with.

So let's take a listen to, - Follow me chicken, yeah.

- Follow me Chicken.

I'm full of cone.

(laughs) ♪ Give a little special quest ♪ ♪ Let's up find a li chicken ♪ ♪ I'm full of cone ♪ (band playing) (indistinct) ♪ Follow me Chicken ♪ (indistinct) ♪ follow me chicken Beib ♪ ♪ Am gonna blow Your horn ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Chicken too Small to fry ♪ (sings in french) ♪ Follow me chicken ♪ ♪ Loving a girl ♪ ♪ Follow me chicken Beib ♪ (sings in french) ♪ South Dakota ♪ ♪ I've come to party with you ♪ ♪ Yeah, right, follow me chicken ♪ ♪ Lord, I'm full of corn ♪ ♪ Alexandria (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Follow me chicken ♪ ♪ Lord am full of corn ♪ ♪ follow me chicken beib ♪ ♪ Am gonna blow your horn ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Chicken too.

Small of fries.

♪ (indistinct) ♪ Follow me chicken ♪ (indistinct) ♪ follow me chicken beib ♪ ♪ Love am gonna blow your horn now ♪ ♪ somebody make a little noise ♪ ♪ Louisiana in the house ♪ ♪ South Dakota.

♪ ♪ Am gonna party with you ♪ ♪ Follow me chicken.

♪ ♪ Lord am full of corn ♪ (indistinct) (band playing) ♪ Follow me chicken ♪ ♪ Lord am full of corn ♪ ♪ power me chicken beib ♪ ♪ Lord am gonna blow your horn ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Chickens too small to fry ♪ ♪ whoa ♪ (indistinct) ♪ Follow me chicken ♪ ♪ Alexandria am gone ♪ ♪ Follow me chicken beib ♪ ♪ Lord am gonna blow your horn now ♪ ♪ South Dakota ♪ (instruments playing) (indistinct) (crowd shouting) - For those who have not been introduced or experienced the Creole culture.

Um, What are things you'd like to share about growing up.

- Man?

- Uh, - Growing up mean it was every all, all, all, you know, all my friends and people that I went to school with.

It was all like family, you know?

And people, well, like I told you, when my dad had died, I was seven years old and you know, everybody, all the neighbors was like family.

You know, they, they, they, on the weekend, they, they butcher hogs and make, uh, bud end hall crackling, all that stuff.

And if, if you, if you go play basketball to a friend house or whatever mama say, come sit down and eat.

You know, it was all good.

You know, it was so family oriented, you know?

- Yeah.

- Where we come from and not just where we come from.

That's what it, that goes back in the day, you know?

- Yeah.

- And so that was good being, people were family oriented and you know, so it's just, we need to live back them, go back to those days.

- Yeah.

- You know, and stop, you know, just uh, let's love one another.

- Yeah.

- Just be happy.

- Mm - And, and the, the time, cause we here on borrow time, anyhow, you know?

- Yes we are.

- You know what I'm saying?

- Mm, I think, do you think a part of that too is also learning the language and keeping it going.

- Yeah, - And the music.

That's why my son, he learned in the language, you know, he uh, singing in French and all that stuff.

So, yeah.

I got a little war song that I on my new album is talking about.

♪ Everybody wanna know, where I come I'm from ♪ ♪ I come from where crawfish got so home ♪ ♪ and alligator sing the blues ♪ ♪ I'm a Louisiana man ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪ ♪ I'm a Louisiana man now.

♪ Yeah.

- Ooh!

- ♪I say, you put me on, ♪ ♪on a Saturday morning.

♪ ♪ If you don't get up and shake a Lil, ♪ ♪ call am gonna take it babe.

♪ Yeah.

- Oh man.

- I love what I do, man.

I'm look, this is what I specialize in.

I'm I'm a Zydeco therapist, (laughs) Therapist.

I'm good - Therapist , yes, .

- I'm good for the soul.

- Oh yeah.

This is the kind of therapy We all need.

- That's good medicine.

- Yes.

- Like the more people say (french), you know, - Hmm, - you know that medicine means (speaks in french) good medicine.

- (speaks in french) - (speaks in french) - (speaks in french).

Oh good medicine.

- Good medicine.

- Be sure to check him out at "zydecochachas.com" - That's right.

- We wanna thank our sponsors for bringing Nathan with us today.

So thank you to Dan and Arlene Kirby.

Thank you to the South Dakota arts council.

And thank you, Mortimer and Mimi Levitt foundation.

So again, visit his website, bring him, invite him.

Welcome him in his band to your city.

Through "zydecochachas.com."

- Get on the zydeco train.

- Get let's all.

Get on that zydeco, train!

- Yeah.

You coming to your town.

- Hmm, So I read that the national museum of immigration on at Ellis island.

- Yeah.

- Um, You're up there.

How did that honor come about?

- Man?

It just look.

I, I just, I'm telling you, man, I got the folk award, the folk award, the folk Lord award and everything in Louisiana.

I mean, I just, man, God, I told you it just, God, don't give you what you don't deserve.

- Yeah.

Hmm, - You know what I'm saying?

- I do.

Yeah.

- You know, if something for you, no matter what they do.

- Yeah.

So you're always creating, you've got a new album.

- I got new album coming, coming out.

- Coming out.

Tell us about.

- I got one, one song on that new album it's called "Mama's love."

- Hmm, - Ain't no love like a mama.

Love.

- I agree.

(laughs) Mothers know us better than we know ourselves.

- I got some French song on there.

I got all kind of good stuff, man.

You know?

And I got one called "big dog boogie."

♪ Hey baby.

I'm your big dog ♪ ♪ I hunt you down all night long ♪ ♪ All I need is little sniff for your tail ♪ ♪ Oh baby.

I'm hot on your trail ♪ ♪ About midnight holler the moon ♪ ♪ The morning come way too soon ♪ ♪ Don't you worry about having fun ♪ ♪ This big dog got your own to run ♪ (laughs) ♪ Good time is the name of the game ♪ ♪ I'm about to drive you insane ♪ (laughs) ♪ Hey baby.

I view big dog ♪ Then I got stuff by Jerry.

LE's going, I'm gonna put, you know, whole lot of shaking going on.

- Hmm - I'm gonna do that.

And I got some, uh, you know, I got song called Zydeco jazz and one called "Casa lapa."

Casa lapa mean, if you and the person broke up, you know?

- Hmm - Yeah.

- Hm, - So, so it's all every day, little life things, you know?

- Yeah.

- And I got one digging on me.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You see, like on my last album, Clifton, that, that last album Zydeco wrote that uh, Zydeco wrote uh, album.

Uh, Uh, the gabin, this posted that it was the best Zydeco album Since Clifton Chenier days.

- Hmm, - See, I got one, It called uh uh, "plane on me."

It says, ♪ when your home by yourself ♪ ♪ your lady than left and gone out, ♪ ♪ she get back three o'clock in the morning.

♪ ♪You say where you been, ♪ ♪ she say none of your business.

♪ (laughs) ♪ That one was playing on me.

♪ Yeah.

- Oh god.

- It's a conversation.

- It's a conversation.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

Wow.

Oh, you are.

You've inspired me today and I hope, and I'm sure without a doubt.

Everyone who is listening.

So let's go our final song for this evening.

What uh, what's like what's let's go.

What are we going to do?

- Okay.

It's a participation song.

And I tell people all the time, when I play this song, we're gonna send this out to everybody.

That means get up and let's go.

So when I say, ♪Get up, get up and get up, get up and get up.

♪ ♪Get up, get up and get up.

♪ ♪ Let's go now.

♪ Yeah.

(laughs) They like that.

Yeah.

- Oh get ready to get up.

Get up.

Let's go.

- Yeah.

That's right.

(band playing) ♪ Somebody come up yo ♪ ♪ Somebody (indistinct) ♪ ♪ Somebody scream now ♪ ♪ Somebody get up now ♪ ♪ Somebody put those hand together like this now.

♪ ♪ Say get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up.

♪ ♪ Let's go.

♪ (band continues playing) ♪ Somebody scream now ♪ ♪ I'm gonna party with you now ♪ ♪ Louisiana in the house ♪ ♪ Sumo South Dakota ♪ ♪ Sumo South Dakota night.

♪ ♪ somebody scream now ♪ ♪ I got the fun with you tonight ♪ ♪ Put the bass man sound ♪ ♪ Somebody put hands together like this.

♪ ♪ Say get up, get up, get up, get up, get up.

♪ ♪ Peace man.

♪ ♪ get up get up, get up, get up, get up.

♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ somebody scream now ♪ ♪ I gotta fun with you tonight ♪ ♪ Louisiana in the house ♪ ♪ Somebody make some noise now ♪ ♪ Will the the drum sound now ♪ - Somebody put those hands together like this now south Dakota, Can I hear again?

♪ Say get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up, get up get up.

♪ ♪ Come up, come up, come up, come up, come up, ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up.

♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ (instruments continue playing) ♪ somebody scream up whoa ♪ ♪ I got the fun with you tonight ♪ ♪ Somebody make some noise now ♪ ♪ (indistinct) ♪ ♪ whoa ♪ ♪ Say get up, get up, get up, get up, get up ♪ ♪ get up, get up, get up, get up, get up ♪ ♪ Can't hear that ♪ ♪ Get up.

Get up, get up, get up, get up ♪ ♪ Get up.

Get up, get up, get up, get up ♪ ♪ lets go now ♪ ♪ somebody scream up ♪ ♪ I got the fun with you tonight ♪ ♪ Somebody make some noise now ♪ ♪ Rock it ♪ ♪ Rock it ♪ (shouting) ♪ Rock it ♪ ♪ Rock it ♪ ♪ Rock it ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ (shouting) ♪ Somebody scream up ♪ ( instruments playing) we came to party all night long baby (crowd shouts) - Was that all right to you?

(accordion plays) - And you know, you can get up and let's go and let it go.

- Let's go and let it go.

Yes, Nathan.

Wow!

- You see it comes automatically.

- Hmm, - So that's why after You see , oh, well how we going, man?

I don't plan none of this.

Well, I never planned this interview with you.

- Hmm, - Because it's just comes out natural.

- Right.

- You know?

- Yeah.

I didn't give you questions in advance.

We're just sharing our conversation.

All we just have is just, you know, just having a conversation about what it is.

Cause I, you know, when you people could tell when you're for real and you ain't for real.

- That's true.

- You follow what I'm saying?

- I do.

I think you say - you can tell you feel for real or you the real deal or what, - Hmm, - and that's it.

- Right.

And that's how you keep going.

Cause you hear so many musicians and bands and they perform maybe a couple years, five years, maybe 10 and then they're gone.

You're like, what happened?

- they are not 35 - 36 years.

- 36 years!

still here.

This is you.

- And guess what?

I keep my band members long.

I have because I, they know I'm good to um, I'm I'm for real.

- Hmm, - I'm not gonna take them nowhere and not take care of them.

- Right.

- You know?

- Yeah.

- When you, with me, you're in good hand.

Yeah.

- I think all of our gentlemen need to be looking to you for uh, how to be man - I advice about life about, - yeah.

- About how it is.

Cause I'd done did this and done that.

- Hmm, - And I'm not gonna tell you nothing.

If I can't help you, if I can't help you, I'm not gonna hurt you.

- Right.

- So I want to tell you something to, to, to, for you to progress in life, - Hmm, - You know what I'm saying?

And we and my son, he always, you know, it is time, somebody wanted, book and record a lot of bands and stuff and you know, we do recording bands, other bands, Zydeco bands and won the pandemic was we had a, we had streaming stuff, you know?

- Yeah.

- We started a little streaming.

We got all the, some of the bands took us bands together, brought em at the studio, put a PayPal and in more on there.

Yeah.

To help 'em out, you know, we got like six or seven band came out there and do that.

- Yeah.

- You know what I'm saying?

Just, and, but it, you see, that's what I tell you got to give in order to receive.

- Yes.

- It ain't hurt you.

Cause you can't take none of that with you.

- Now you cannot, I saw some of those recordings and you even had to kind of Uh, manipulate the sound, just the quality.

You had the drummer in one room and - yeah, yeah, yeah.

- You know, player.

And I thought, oh, this is brilliant.

How you could still hear and play.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- And deliver for one another.

- Yeah.

You see, we put it like, You know, We playing real, - Hmm, - You know, but you see In order to make music And to It's I can't tell you really.

I can tell you how I feel.

Yeah.

But you gotta feel, you gotta be me to really experience it.

- Hmm, - because when I'm playing music, I'm like, I'm in heaven.

- Hmm, - I for, I don't have no worries, no nothing.

And they say, you know, when our time come in life, when God ready for us, he ain't gotta worry about no getting up in the morning.

No nothing.

That's how I feel when I'm playing my music.

Like no worries, nothing that, - M-m, - And you see faith, Faith.

(breaths in heavily) a mustard seed.

(signs) Man.

I don't see myself, man.

I.

Just by wanting to do the right thing in life and need to get just like here.

I drove, I went to get my, my (indistinct) to Baton Rounge - Hmm, - Came from Baton Rouge, pick up my band members.

The rest of 'em at my brother hou- at my house.

Then I picked up my, bass band, my cousin on the way gone, got on I 49 , when they woke up, they woke up, they slept, woke up.

I started when they woke up at 10 o'clock in the morning, I was right here at the hotel, But I get my rest for the just I know what I need to do.

You know?

So I I'm serious about what I do.

I love what I do.

And whenever I'm gonna get that, I can't do it.

I'm not going, I'm not gonna cheat nobody out of it.

- Hm-hm - I'm gonna just stop doing what I do and say, thank God for what I done done.

- Yes.

Hmm, - You know?

And like I tell my wife most time say, well, if I get old, 80, 90 years old, I say I was 85.

(laughs) When I get 89 years old.

If I, now I'm gonna take care of my wife, as long as I can, if I'm healthy, you know?

- Yeah.

- I'm not gonna send her no nursing home, - Hm-hm, - but me, I'm not gonna give my kids no trouble.

They laughed at me.

When I said, I said, I'm gonna go sign myself, a nursing home and a friend with people and enjoy the rest of my life.

What I'm gonna go do is make my children not feel uncomfortable and let them live their life.

I done live my life.

- Hmm - What I want to happen somebody else, life for?

- Hm, - That's selfish.

You don't do that.

Your time on my time up.

- Wow.

Well thank you for you for living your time to the fullest.

- Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah.

That what I just told you.

I say the world don't owe me nothing.

- Hmm - The world don't owe me nothing.

I've been everywhere.

I wanted to go.

And I'm still going place that, uh you know, I never, I got one place I want to go.

And I talk to some people about it.

One place one thing I want to do, I wanna play Carnegie Hall.

- Ah!

we've gotta make that happen.

Yes.

That's my dream always was my dream to play Carnegie hall.

And I met a lady last week in New York.

- Hmm - She was running things at the Carnegie hall.

And I played at Bryan Park and it was for city Carnegie hall citywide concert series.

Wow!

- Yes!

- You see what I'm saying?

- Yes, Hmm - A lot of things that when I, but you see what I did in my, in my music careers, what I did is a lot of times, a lot of things that I wanted to be.

I wanted people, companies that I wanted to be with and everything, you know, I, I never could have be with him, but I, I was mad about it.

Cause I know I had that Man up there.

- Hmm, - That's my company.

- Yes.

- You follow what I'm saying?

- Hmm - Now they want to look at me now - Hmm - you see?

- I do - You follow what I'm saying?

- Oh yeah.

- So, but I'm good.

- Hmm, - I'm cool.

I'm good.

(laughs softly) So whatever people think, some people think they could make you, some people think they could break you, but if you got that Man up there, - Hmm, - If he with you, who can be against you?

- Exactly.

So much wisdom in one man who I feel I'm in the presence of a, a Saint.

(laughs) - Oh, but you know what?

Lemme tell you something.

I always tell people all the time, my wife could tell you that she know me, my brother, Dennis, he's a, he played guitar with me and I learned a lot.

Cause he's a very talented, talented man.

I mean, I learned all my, you know, advice and good spiritual thing and everything.

And I, and I, you know, I appreciated me being with me.

We spent more time together than anybody.

- Hmm, - Cause he been with me on the road all over the country.

- Right.

- And it's a blessing.

- Yes.

- And I, I just thank I'm thankful.

- In so many ways, we are all blessed by the very breath that we breathe.

- Yes Ma'am.

- and the company that we keep the life and life is yours.

Seek how to be of service based on the wonderful wisdom that Nathan has shared with us today.

Learn more about him, support him.

Let's get him to Carnegie.

(laughs) - yeah, I like it.

- Carnegie hall.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Check him out at Zydecochachas.com.

Again, we'd like to thank our sponsors for bringing this wonderful gentleman of the Zydeco tradition, the Creole heritage.

So much to embrace the love, to feel and just know that the faith you have could be the thing to uplift your home, your community, your family.

Thank you to our sponsors.

Dan and Arlene Kirby, the South Dakota arts council and the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt foundation.

I'm your host Apolonia Davalos and I love you.

Muah!

( Rock music playing) (crowd cheering)