New Orleans, LA (Top40 Charts/ Chunny Carrier Official Website) Third-generation Zydeco artist Chubby Carrier took home a sweet reward for decades-long work born of a family music tradition in winning the Grammy for his album Zydeco Junkie. "My dad, Roy Carrier, and grandfather, Warren Carrier, paved the road for me. I'm happy to reap the reward. It's a great triumph for the band and for Zydeco music."
The recognition is a ground-breaking win for the Zydeco genre, whose artists fought hard to get the music category added to the Grammy line-up. Unfortunately, next year The Recording Academy will consolidate it.
"I'm thrilled and thankful our music was recognized but saddened there will no longer be a specific Zydeco or Cajun album category," he said.
Going forward, five awards of varied genres get lumped into one called Best Regional Roots Music Album. The consolidated awards include those for Best Traditional Folk and Contemporary Folk Album, Hawaiian Album, Native American Album, and Best Zydeco or Cajun Album.
"The Grammys are one of the few platforms where mainstream listeners get exposed to regional music. Now there's a lot of unrelated music forced into one category," Carrier said. "Zydeco has little in common with Native American Music and Hawaiian Music because of our vastly different cultural heritages. We ALL need the Grammy support and will be forced to come together and fill in the blanks in an attempt to sustain our instrumental traditions. It just feels like my Louisiana Family has taken yet another hit."
Not surprisingly, the band is getting plenty of attention since winning a Grammy. They are busy touring with more than 30 dates in the coming months including the Edmonton Labatt's Blues Festival, Monterey Blues Festival, Portland Blues Festival and their hometown New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 8th. For the complete schedule visit www.chubbycarrier.com.
"Touring is how we continue to serve a spicy gumbo," Carrier added. "The band and I will be working harder than ever to spread Zydeco music."
Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band have recorded 10 CDs. The band's latest release Zydeco Junkie won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Album. The band has traveled all over the world, performing to audiences throughout the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, North Africa and Europe.
