The City of Opelousas, Zydeco Capital of the World, hosts the 16th Annual Zydeco Breakfast on Saturday, September 1, 2018, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. under the oak trees surrounding the historic St. Landry Parish Courthouse. This year, attendees and music lovers will experience the energetic sounds of Cupid and Koray Broussard & Zydeco Unit.
The annual downtown Labor Day event is held in conjunction with the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival which celebrates its 36th festival this year. Opelousas Tourism, with support from Opelousas Main Street, Inc. and St. Landry Parish Government, host the event each year to get people excited about the Labor Day festival music and activities as well as to bring awareness of the downtown district.
Local downtown businesses will feature a unique assortment of breakfast menu items for sale from Bloody Mary’s and coffee to Clifton Chenier Casserole and pancakes. Local restaurants and bars around the Courthouse Square, that will be open, include Java Square, Back in Time, Palace Café and Dairy Queen and The Brass Rail.
Bryson Cupid Bernard initially enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a scholarship in track; however, he left the track team to pursue a singing career. A short time afterwards, he took on the name Cupid. The singer first received radio airplay in 2001 with his self-released first single, “Do Ya Thang”. In January 2007, shortly before the release of his third album, he was signed to Atlantic Records. His single from that album, “Cupid Shuffle”, peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs’ chart. Since then, the song has gone double platinum. Cupid’s biggest song since “The Shuffle” has been “Do It With Your Boots On,” done with zydeco musicians Chris Ardoin, Lil Nate, Leon Chavis, J. J. Caillier, J.Paul and Tucka. Cupid’s exercise DVD, CuRobiks, has sold 30,000 copies.
Koray Broussard is the lead vocalist and accordion player for Koray Broussard & the Zydeco Unit. The musical heritage within Koray’s family started generations ago with his grandfather, Delton Broussard, leader of the Lawtell Playboys. His uncle Jeffery Broussard helped to start the modern zydeco movement with the band Zydeco Force. In February 2010, he released his first CD titled Trapped.
About the Original Southwest Zydeco Festival
The Treasures of Opelousas, a group of concerned citizens, feared that Zydeco and Creole music were dying; in response, they organized the first festival. With the guidance and sponsorship from the Southern Development Foundation, the first Zydeco Festival in 1982 was started in a field in Plaisance, Louisiana on the outskirts of Opelousas.
People attending the free Zydeco Breakfast are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy the entertainment in a relaxed and charming setting in the heart of downtown Opelousas. For more information about the City of Opelousas Zydeco Breakfast, call 800-524-5442 or visit www.cityofopelousas.com or on facebook at OpelousasTravel. For more information about the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, visit www.zydeco.org
