With his red-hot accordion and unmistakable blend of Creole soul, blues, and R&B, Clifton Chenier, the man dubbed King of Zydeco pulled south Louisiana onto the global stage, note by note, dancefloor by dancefloor. And now, a century after his birth on a farm near Opelousas, the world is returning the favor.

A Tribute to the King of Zydeco is far from an typical homage, however. The lineup reads like a musical gumbo of Louisiana royalty and global heavyweights: the Rolling Stones with Steve Riley. Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Marcia Ball, Steve Earle, CJ Chenier, Sonny Landreth - and that’s just the short list. Every track is a reimagining of songs Chenier made famous, recorded in Lafayette, Louisiana, where, as the local saying goes, even the crawfish got soul.

The album was co-produced by Valcour Records’ Joel Savoy, a Grammy-winning artist and engineer with deep roots in Cajun country alongside John Leopold of Arhoolie Records and Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin. Arhoolie was instrumental in launching Chenier’s career beyond Louisiana, and their involvement ties the past to the present in fitting fashion.

“Clifton's music touched so many artists across the country,” Savoy said. “This was a chance to bring them together, right here where it all started, to celebrate his legacy the way only Louisiana can.” And what a celebration it is. From the Stones and Steve Riley tackling “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés,” to Lucinda Williams, Tommy McLain, and Keith Frank turning “Release Me” into a slow-burning stunner, the album spans genres, generations, and geographies - all anchored by Chenier’s unshakable groove. The closing track, “I’m Comin’ Home,” featuring Chenier’s son CJ and slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, brings the journey full circle.

While celebrating all that is Chenier is great, this project gives back. All proceeds benefit the newly created Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship Fund, established in partnership with the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The fund will support students studying traditional south Louisiana music, with a focus on Zydeco accordion.

“This is the only academic program in the world focused on teaching Cajun and Creole music,” said Dr. Gwennie von Einsiedel, who heads the university’s Traditional Music Program. “Students get hands-on training from culture bearers and Grammy-winning artists — it’s a living tradition, not a museum piece.”

And that’s the beauty of A Tribute to the King of Zydeco. It honors the past, plays for the present, and invests in the future just like Chenier himself did. As Keith Richards put it in a recent quote to the Associated Press, “Zydeco and Clifton Chenier have been with me since forever. It’s deep South with some interesting French.”

If you'd like to pitch directly, you can do so here: Clifton Chenier Memorial Fund.