Acadiana Musicians Form Band to Preserve La-La Music

La-La music, the precursor to Zydeco, inspires local band Le Nouveau Zydeco

LAFAYETTE, La. (press release) – Louisiana musicians Zydeco Izreal (Israel Chaisson) and Brayden Janice have formed Le Nouveau Zydeco, an acoustic band dedicated to preserving and celebrating traditional Louisiana Creole music, particularly La-La music, the precursor to modern Zydeco.

Rooted in the sounds of 19th- and early 20th-century Creole house dances, Le Nouveau Zydeco seeks to reconnect audiences with the music that once echoed through homes across South Louisiana. 

Upcoming Performances:

Aug. 27 at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center (250 Park Ave., Eunice, La.), 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The History of La-La Music From the Musicians

Le Nouveau Zydeco shared the following history for its musical influences:

Long before Zydeco reached dance halls, festivals and international stages, La-La music lived in family homes where neighbors gathered to dance, celebrate and strengthen community bonds.

Louisiana Creole music is one of the oldest living musical traditions in America, with roots stretching back to the 1700’s. 

From this rich cultural foundation emerged Zydeco, a genre that has been evolving for nearly 100 years while remaining deeply connected to its Creole heritage.

The original sounds of La-La music featured the single-row French accordion, fiddle and triangle. As the music evolved, musicians began incorporating the washboard, a common household tool used for washing clothes. Over time, the washboard evolved into the vest frottoir, or rubboard, famously designed by Zydeco pioneer Clifton Chenier for his brother Cleveland Chenier.

The combination of accordion and rubboard became the defining sound of what many musicians called “Zydeco” or “Push & Pull.” This sound could be heard throughout Creole communities from Opelousas and Lafayette to Houston, Texas.

Creole musicians continued expanding the music’s sound throughout the mid-20th century. Accordionists such as Sidney Babineaux were among the first Creole musicians to perform La-La music on triple-row, double-row and piano accordions, inspiring generations of musicians to adopt these instruments. 

During the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, playing a triple-row, double-row or piano accordion was commonly associated with Zydeco music, while the single-row melodeon remained more closely linked to traditional Cajun and Creole music.

That distinction began to change in the late 1970’s when Zydeco legend John Delafose recorded “Joe Pitre A Deux Femmes,” a song written by Creole fiddler Canray Fontenot, using a single-row French melodeon accordion. 

The recording sparked renewed interest in traditional accordion playing and inspired many musicians to perform Zydeco music on the single-row accordion once again.

La-La Music and Le Nouveau Zydeco

Today, Le Nouveau Zydeco continues the legacy through an acoustic approach centered around accordion, fiddle, frottoir, triangle and cajón. 

The band’s performances seek to honor the sounds that laid the foundation for modern Zydeco while introducing new audiences to Louisiana’s Creole musical heritage.

The band is led by Zydeco Izreal, a Louisiana musician, cultural educator and founder of Le Nouveau Zydeco. 

Born into a family of musicians, Izreal began performing on the rubboard at just two years old after learning from his father. He began playing accordion in 2023 and has spent his entire life immersed in Louisiana music. 

In 2025, he launched a series of Zydeco Jams dedicated to preserving Creole music and now hosts monthly jam sessions in Arnaudville. 

Joining him is Brayden Janice, a talented Louisiana musician who has been playing music for more than 14 years. Four years ago, Janice founded his own band, Next Gen Zydeco, and has become part of a new generation of musicians dedicated to carrying Louisiana’s musical traditions forward.