Deal  At The Crossroads

 limited print copyright by Mississippi artist Cristen Craven Barnard
To order email: rbarnard@clarksdale.com
 

There is a legend born out of the South  which every blues musician knows and is bound to live by.  It's known by many names, "The Deal  At The Crossroads", "Deal With The Devil," and "The Delta  Legend" to name a few.  But regardless of how it is referred to, the story is always the same, and it goes like this.....

If you go down to the Crossroads at midnight and think and
wish for the Devil, while playing your guitar, the Devil will come.  The Devil will sit down beside you and tune your instrument.  Then he will play your instrument and give it
back to you.  When the Devil leaves, you will be able to play  anything you want to play.

And you can do anything you want in this  world.
But you have made a contract with the Devil. you have sold your eternal soul to the Devil and will belong to the Devil in the world to come.This legend was  the basis for the myth that has surrounded famous Delta blues musicians for many
years.   And it was featured  in their songs about the crossroads.

There are many crossroads  in the South to which the legend
could be referring , and  across the South these legends have
spread.  These songs, musicians, and their styles influenced
rock and blues musicians for generations to come.
A movie, "Crossroads"  based upon the legend
was also produced.

Other Louisiana Music...
 

In the days of old, the Creole Community would gather at harvest time and work together to complete their tasks. When a family would have a bouchere` (butchering of a hog), everyone in the community would come over and share in the work and cooking of fresh meat.  When the work was finished, the people would celebrate and entertain themselves with a “La La” ( Creole French for house dance.) Instruments used to create “La La” music were the scrubboard (frottoir), spoons, fiddle, triangles (ti-fers), and an accordion.
When times got tough for a family, they would throw a “La La”, a Saturday night dance in the living room. Emptying the room of all furniture, they would charge ten or fifteen cents admission  and sell gumbo, homemade beer and lemonade.

By most of the music being sung in Creole French, “La La” music was
thought of as being for rural and “old folks" so one noted musician, the late great “King of Zydeco”, Clifton Chenier, is credited with naming the music  ZYDECO.  It's not for old folks anymore!
 

Click the graphics for

 More about
Zydeco
and Jazz
And the Swamp Pop Era
Dale & Grace
 

As the birthplace of Jazz, Dixieland,
Cajun, Zydeco,Swamp Pop , SouthernRock,Southern Soul,Southern Comfort, and  with roots in Country, Gospel,Blues, and Rock '  n ' Roll, Louisiana's impact on the world of music has been profound and enduring.  And as we say in the South, "I'm not just whistlin' Dixie."  To sample some of the "best music you evah gonna hear," just click any of the above links, sit back, and enjoy.  Trust me on this one...you won't be sittin' long.  Our music may be a bit different than what you're use to, but it's like we say in Louisiana..."Come as you are..leave different!"...Enjoy!

The samples above are in midi format.  For the best Cajun music, and more, on the Internet visit Accordion Man.

 

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