“You
can’t come to my show and stay unhappy,” says C.J. Chenier. “You’re going to
break a smile before too long. This is happy music.” Sounds exactly like what we
could all use right about now, doesn’t it? Well, a whole bunch of that happy music—also
known as zydeco—will be served up when C.J. Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana
Band take the outdoor stage at Opus 40 on August 17.
Accordionist,
singer, and saxophonist C.J. Chenier is true zydeco royalty, the son of the
music’s main architect, the legendary Clifton Chenier. Born in 1957, he loved
funk, soul, and jazz as a boy and played sax in Top 40 bands when he was
starting out as a musician.
He began playing with his father’s band in 1985 and
took up the mantle of his music when his father passed away in 1987. Since
then, the award-winning musician has toured the world repeatedly and recorded
three studio albums under his own name and five with his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
C.J.
Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band will perform at Opus 40 in Saugerties on
August 17 at 7pm. Tickets are $35.
This article appears in August 2025.
