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Zachary Richard
Biography
Cajun rebel Zachary Richard has been offering his zesty, unique fusion of traditional cajun, zydeco, rock and New Orleans blues since the early '70s. Though not well known outside of Louisiana, Canada and France, Richard, along with Michael Doucet and others has been a key figure in the revitalization of Cajun music. He has also been a long-time social activist using his potent song lyrics to promote Cajun pride and solidarity in the face of long-standing injustice and prejudice. This activism originally somewhat alienated Richard from conservative traditional Cajun artists and from audiences unprepared for the underlying kick of his punchy party music.

A full-blooded Cajun, Richard can trace his family tree straight back to Acadia where his ancestors lived for 200 years before the British forcibly exiled them in the mid-1700s. During the '50s and '60s, Cajun culture, due to prejudice, was on the decline. Richard's parents did little to instill cultural pride in their son and even refused to speak their native French. While earning a B.A. at Tulane University, New Orleans during the late '60s, Richard began his long-time campaign on behalf of the Cajuns. The eclecticism of his own music reflects his personal tastes.
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