Over the past four decades and counting, Stanley Dural Jr., a.k.a. Buckwheat Zydeco, has been playing the accordion and bringing his energetic and joyous style of zydeco music to the masses. He’s won Grammy Awards and has recorded with everyone from Robert Plant to Willie Nelson, but his idea of true happiness is bringing smiles to the faces of those in his audience, the people he calls his “family.” Buckwheat checks into Hugh’s Room in Toronto on July 21.
What was your introduction to zydeco?
As a child growing up, my dad, he played every day. I didn’t really understand it, and as part of the younger generation, I wanted to do other types of music, so I played heavy funk music in the ’70s, and in 1971 I started my first band, Buckwheat and the Hitchhikers. We had, like, 15 musicians on stage, man.
And what brought you back?
I played a show with my daddy’s best friend, Clifton Chenier, “the King of Zydeco,” in ’76. And, jeez, I didn’t know zydeco music was like that. I was supposed to play just that one night, take my organ back and say I’d played zydeco and still don’t like it. But man, I stayed with him over two years. He was very inspirational, you know. I knew my dad was right, and I decided to pick up accordion and start playing it, and I decided to build this band, Buckwheat Zydeco.
Tell me about your show, your music.
I do zydeco music and perform for all generations of people — younger 50 per cent, older 50 per cent. My repertoire’s for everybody, some young, some old. Everybody come out at same time, not to separate. That’s why clientele be like it is, you see.
So what can we expect from your show here in Toronto?
I love Toronto, man. We coming to party. We coming to have some fun, like always. That’s what I’m all about.
Hugh’s Room is a sit-down spot. Can you get people up?
Oh, they’re going to get up. I’m not coming there for people to sit down man. Even if they have to squeeze between chairs and tables, somebody is going to stand up and do something.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
Performing, man, that’s my favourite part of my job, seeing people being happy, you know. That’s what keeps me going. As long as I can do this, I will. If I can’t play, I’ll have something to do with music, that’s for sure. I’m like a music fanatic. That’s what I do.
You’ve made your own reality series, Buckwheat’s World?
Yes, well, what’s going on here, I’m out in front of thousands of people, but with this, I’m trying to let you know, I’m just like everybody else. When I’m at home, I work; on the road I work. I don’t come to play. I come to work, you know what I mean. That’s what it’s about. You can see me on my old tractor. That’s what I do, you know. I got to work when I get home here, you know. Out there, I’m working but having fun, but over here, I’m in bondage.
So you’re not the sit-around-and-rest type of guy?
On my rest time, I might go fishing, something like that, you know. But something need done over here, we got seven acres, and my animals — sheeps, dogs, cats — that keeps me going, too you see, always something to do. And I like working on old cars. I’m what you call a shade tree mechanic.
