When Andre Thierry was three years old, the King of Zydeco—the late great Clifton Chenier—grabbed him by the arms and declared him a future accordion player. Today, Andre is a virtuoso on all types of accordion, a soulful singer, and an exceptional multi-dimensional musician who seamlessly blends old and new, building from his love for traditional zydeco to create a unique sound for contemporary generations. Backed by his smokin band, Zydeco Magic, Andre sets the Freight on fire with an enthralling blend of traditional zydeco music with hip-hop, blues, jazz and rock—you bet the dance floor will be open!

The son of a family of transplanted Louisianans, Andre grew up in the East Bay deeply immersed in his French Creole heritage. He developed his love for, and mastery of, the traditional music of his forebears at the French Creole (La-La) dances his grandparents held at their church parish, St. Mark’s Catholic Church, which featured the best zydeco musicians Louisiana had to offer, including Mr. Chenier. By the age of 12, Andre formed his own band, Zydeco Magic, and started performing all over northern California . . . and the rest is history!

These days, Zydeco Magic includes Eric "Kenya" Baker on guitar, Jahon Pride on bass, Ruben Moreno on rubboard, and Tawan Bradford on drums, as featured on Andre's most recent release, Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic LIVE!

Zydeco music evolved among the French-speaking Louisiana Creole people in the prairie lands of Southwest Louisiana, far from the jazz, blues, and brass bands of New Orleans. Populated by descendants of free people of color, Native Americans, and French and Spanish settlers, this region's rich culture also embraces Cajuns, descendants of displaced white settlers from Acadia (now Nova Scotia in Canada). Distinct from Cajun music, the roots of zydeco (earlier called Creole, French, or la-la music) go back to European, African, and Caribbean musical traditions.

Michael Tisserand, author of definitive history The Kingdom of Zydeco, wrote, "Just as Delta musicians took Highway 61 to Chicago and electrified their blues, so did the Creoles and Cajuns migrate to California and establish vital dance communities. Now the California scenes rival anything back home in Louisiana, and that's due to players like Andre Thierry, a standard bearer for the new generation. Thierry is among the best of both the West Coast and the Gulf Coast, and he combines youthful vigor with a mature appreciation for his inherited tradition."

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Listen to a track from Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic: