Southwest Louisiana

The bayou sings and the trees sway with the untold stories of many unsung heroes, including Louisianas amazing Zydeco musicians. The music is an extraordinary blend of the accordion, the bass and electric guitars, the drums, the rub or scrub board, and other instruments. It tells stories about finding and losing love, life lessons, and other revelatory events that rise from the skillful hands of musicians playing the diatonic and piano accordions. The diverse population of Louisiana creates a rich culture with Zydeco festivals, Creole foods, and the unique music that fills the air with a foot-stomping beat like no other. Louisianas Zydeco is a snapshot of some of the many musicians who live and play the homegrown music known as Zydeco.

In this volume, Andrew Sluyter demonstrates that Africans played significant creative roles in establishing open-range cattle ranching in the Americas. In so doing, he provides a new way of looking at and studying the history of land, labour, property and commerce in the Atlantic world.

Tired of the same old tourist traps? Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, Louisiana Off the Beaten Path shows you the Pelican State with new perspectives on timeless destinations and introduces you to those you never knew existed. Ride over a pirate pistol-adorned bridge to swashbuckler Jean Lafitte's stomping grounds. Stop and smell the roses at the country's largest rose garden, the American Rose Center in Shreveport. Check out "America's Most Haunted City" and explore the historic cemeteries of New Orleans--if you dare! So if you've "been there, done that" one too many times, forget the main road and venture Off the Beaten Path.