Médikamen by Corey Ledet Zydeco

Médikamen by Corey Ledet Zydeco

Corey Ledet Zydeco's Médikamen is his first zydeco album written and performed completely in Kouri-Vini (Louisiana Creole) as an homage on Corey's journey to reclaim his family’s language. This project was made with an aspect of creation heavily inspired by his ancestors and culture. It’s more than just his next record, this is art that he is proud of no matter the reception. Celebrating 20 years and being comfortable as an accordionist and songwriter, Corey’s reclaiming the language and making this music are two ways in which he takes part in Creole culture today. Special guests include Germaine Jack, Anders Osborne, Kermit Ruffins, and Grant Dermody.

If I’m making art, it’s a different aspect of creation than just making a record. Definitely something I can be proud of no matter the outcome. After 20 years, I finally feel like I found my identity and am comfortable with this leg of the journey. I’m able to play what I’d like to on various accordions, though through learning the Kouri-Vini language and creating art using it, I feel whole. Reclaiming the language and making this music are two ways in which I take part in our Creole culture.
Collaboration definitely opened up possibilities for this album to have fellow Creoles’ perspectives when writing narratives and song, including mô kouzin, Herbert Wiltz. On this journey to learning my heritage language, it was a blast to have three different Kouri-Vini speakers on the recording (Ledet, Mayers, Zeno). It was also cool to hear and learn various variations of the language. Finding out Lee Allen spoke Creole while creating this album reassured me that my first full album completely written in Kouri-Vini was certainly the best step forward.
Back in the day there was farm life where folks raised chickens, cows, hogs... grew cotton, cane, corn, but they had the language. As time went on, this way of life was diminished by industry, cars, and Americanization. I feel that in Louisiana and in the Louisiana Creole Diaspora, we have or can find most things that makes us Creole: the cuisine, the music, the way of life… I just feel the only ingredient that’s missing in my and the younger generations is the language, which gives us our identity. Ça fé, ça isit çé in kado pou tou nouzòt (So, this is a gift for all of us).
-Corey Ledet

This project was funded in part by ArtSpark, a collaboration of Lafayette Economic Development Authority and Acadiana Center for the Arts, and was supported by a National Performance Network (NPN) Take Notice Fund, with funding from the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression program. More information: www.npnweb.org.

KOURI-VINI:
Kan m’apé fé lar, mo trouv m’apé fé plisk’in album. Byin sir, m’a dèt fyær apré ça nimpòt ki mañè ça sorti. Apré vin lanné, mo senti mo-minm astœr é mo konfortab avèk shmin-çila. Mo kapab jwé ça mo sé linmé jwé enho bokou kalité lakòrdéyon, mé ça fé mò plin kan m’ap aprenn kouri-vini é fé lar avèk ça. Réklamé langaj-la é fé lamizik-çila çé dé mañè dan ki mo fé parti dan nô kiltir kréyòl. Kolaborasyon té donné posibilité-yé pou ouvri lalbum-çila a dòt pèspèktiv kréyòl pendan prosé-la pou ékri kont é shanson, konm çila a mô kouzin, Herbert Wiltz. Pendan voyaj-çila pou aprenn mô langaj néritaj, mo té sitan éksité pou rikòdé trò diféren moun ki parl kouri-vini (Ledet, Mayers, Zeno). Mo té linmé tendé é aprenn dòt mañè pou parlé langaj-la. Mo té byin asiré ke mô primiyé lalbum tou dan kouri-vini té la bonn dirèksyon kan mo té vini konné Lee Allen té parlé kréyòl dan studyo-la. Dan vyé tem, navé moun dan lakampañ ki té konné grosi poul, lavash, koshon… koton, dékònn, mayi, mé yé té gin langaj-la. Plitar, mañè pou viv-çila té diminnwi par lindistri, shar, é mérikinizasyon. Dan Lalwizyàn é dan djaspora kréyòl Lalwizyàn, mo krò no gin o no kapab trouvé bokou zafè ki fé nou Kréyòl: manjê, lamizik, mañè viv… mo jish krò sèl indgrédyen-la ki manké dan jénérasyon pli jènn-layé é mochènn çé langaj-la, ça-ki donné nou nô lidentité. Ça fé, ça isit çé in kado pou tou nouzòt.
-Corey Ledet