Rockin' Sydney
b. Sidney Semien, 9 April 1938, Lebeau, Louisiana, USA. The full range of black South Louisiana music — blues, R&B, swamp pop and zydeco — can be found in the work of Rockin' Sidney, who was born and grew up in the French-speaking part of that state. Many of his records are characterized by a light approach, even his blues tracks frequently opt for melody rather than emotional expression. Nevertheless, he has recorded regularly for over 30 years, from early singles on the local Jin and Goldband labels to albums self-produced in his own studio. In the early '80s, he achieved a wider profile through the success of his song Toot Toot. So far he has not managed to recapture its novelty appeal, despite evident hard work his recent recordings have featured Semien playing all of the instruments. His infectious and accessible songs have done much to widen the appeal of zydeco music in Europe.