Renowned music documentarian Robert Mugge dives into the black Creole music scene of Southwest Louisiana and documents the attempts, in the mid-1990s, to name a new “king of zydeco.” The original self-proclaimed “king” was the great Clifton Chenier who did more than anyone to develop zydeco’s musical form and to promote it around the world. After Chenier’s death, his good friend and former “crown prince” of zydeco Rockin’ Dopsie was crowned king by the mayor of Lafayette under somewhat controversial circumstances. Then, with Dopsie’s death, a new struggle to crown either veteran accordion player Boozoo Chavis (a zydeco founding father) or the younger Beau Jocque (Southwest Louisiana’s most popular musical artist) comes down to one final concert showdown.

“A cunning little comedy of manners and a sweet-tempered celebration of American roots music... The Chavis-Jocque tussle is prototypical American status buffoonery painted in folk-miniature. Both these men kick out the jams in thrilling performances filmed with blissful authority by Mugge.” –Newsday

DIRECTED BY ROBERT MUGGE
UNITED STATES | 1994 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE