Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie

"Geno Delafose is a standard-bearer for traditional Zydeco... and he has proved himself one of the most versatile musicians in South Louisiana." - the Smithsonian/PBS Television documentary River of Song

There is this other way of life in the south; a musical ethnicity that has simmered itself to a uniquely homespun flavor. Immersed in the culture since birth, Geno Delafose has lived the life of a true cowboy. He relies on his traditional Creole sensibility for guidance in music, and divides his time between touring and operating his Double D Ranch outside of Eunice, deep in Southwest Louisiana’s bayou country, where he breeds cattle and raises quarter horses.

Unbeknownst to many northerners, who often reserve the image of a cowboy for white Anglo-Saxons, Creoles (African-American Francophones) also share in the rural roots of hard work and dedication to the land. Geno epitomizes this cultural tradition. Born into a family of Zydeco musicians, at the ripe age of seven, Geno picked up the rubboard and joined his father John Delafose’s band the Eunice Playboys, an ensemble that Geno would one day lead. John Delafose was key in re-launching the current upsurge of Zydeco, and Geno is poised to crossover Zydeco to a wider country music audience with his charismatic cowboy spirit and lively presentation.

To this day, Geno still performs in many of the same dancehalls and churches that he visited as a child in his father’s group. Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie are no strangers to the stage. Performing a rigorous one hundred fifty shows each year has left the band in a rigid state of exactness. Cut after cut the group is right there, turning on a dime with each spicy lick emitted from Geno’s squeezebox.

Geno fuses his Creole roots and modern voice through his multi-accordion attack. Germans introduced the accordion to Louisiana, and, ever since, it has been a popular instrument thanks to its distinctive ability to speak above the hum in a crowded room of dancers. Geno plays the single-row and triple-row diatonic button accordions for more traditional "French style" tunes, and changes to piano accordion for pounding out contemporary Zydeco. Piano accordions were adopted for their chromatic versatility and ability to play "blue notes." Up until the 1980s only the most sophisticated players could incorporate them into Zydeco.
~ Press Release, Rock Paper Scissor

"A lot of zydeco music has not been written down - only handed down from generation to generation - and Geno does not want to see that music lost. He resists the trend in zydeco today to move away from its Creole roots. He defiantly continues to write, record and sing primarily in French. ... one of zydeco rising young stars."
~ CBS News Saturday Morning

"There is this other way of life in the south; a musical ethnicity that has simmered itself to a uniquely homespun flavor. Immersed in the culture since birth, Geno Delafose has lived the life of a true cowboy. He relies on his traditional Creole sensibility for guidance in music, and divides his time between touring and operating his Double D Ranch outside of Eunice, deep in Southwest Louisiana’s bayou country, where he breeds cattle and raises quarter horses. Geno fuses his Creole roots and modern voice through his multi-accordion attack. Germans introduced the accordion to Louisiana, and, ever since, it has been a popular instrument thanks to its distinctive ability to speak above the hum in a crowded room of dancers. Geno plays the single-row and triple-row diatonic button accordions for more traditional "French style" tunes, and changes to piano accordion for pounding out contemporary Zydeco. Piano accordions were adopted for their chromatic versatility and ability to play "blue notes." Up until the 1980s only the most sophisticated players could incorporate them into Zydeco."
~ ritmoartists

"Delafose appears to be one of those cultural guardians with the courage to inject modern influences and themes into traditional Zydeco, without sacrificing its integrity."
~ San Diego Tribune

"On both the traditional diatonic and more modern piano accordion, Delafose is a Keith Richards kind of player, leading the rhythm section while reeling off killer licks."
~ Orlando Sentinel
 

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