Music in Louisiana 

Louisiana has a deep musical tradition of creating, enjoying and sharing its indigenous music, such as jazz, Cajun and zydeco. They are also proud of their musicians' major contributions to blues, rock'n'roll, country and gospel. Louisiana music is featured throughout the State with festivals, clubs, restaurants, and on the streets, so there is never a shortage of beats to make you tap your feet. 

Each region of Louisiana adds a unique note to Louisiana's musical heritage:

• North Louisiana is a major contributor to America's rock'n'roll, country and Southern gospel music. In fact, the phrase "Elvis has left the building" was coined in Shreveport after fans would not leave following the King's performance on the Louisiana Hayride radio show. North Louisiana is where superstar cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley as well as artists Tim McGraw and Trace Adkins were born and raised. 

• South Louisiana has an incredible musical tradition as well. In southwest Louisiana, the sounds of Cajun and zydeco music echo from restaurants featuring Cajun fare and a dance floor. Communities come together at boucheries - all-day pig roasts common throughout southwest Louisiana - where Cajun music guides both the cooking and eating. And in southeast Louisiana, you find the sounds of blues, gospel and jazz. On the streets of New Orleans alone you can hear the authentic sound of a brass band or clarinetist playing the melody of the city's almost 300-year history. 

In Louisiana, there is an adundance of sound to choose from!

Don't Miss in Louisiana: 

• Mudbug Madness Festival in Shreveport
• Preservation Hall in New Orleans
• Live Cajun music in Lafayette

The Soundtrack to New Orleans

New Orleans, as the world knows, is famous for being a musical city. It is the birthplace of jazz, one of the only purely American art forms offered to the people of the globe (the other, of course, being barbecue). It would be an impossible task to adequately represent the sounds and rhythms of the Big Easy in a list that didn’t stretch from one end of Canal St. to the other, but if you’re looking for some musical inspiration that will make you long for the Crescent City, here’s a good start:

Professor Longhair: “Big Chief”

There is a good reason why this song is evergreen. Those piano rolls, that beat, everything about it just screams “New Orleans.” While the music that pays him tribute might be named after another one of his tunes, “Tipitina,” “Big Chief” is the one that most people think about when they imagine Fess:

Louis Armstrong: “When the Saints Go Marching In”

It is the city’s anthem, sung by one of the city’s most iconic, treasured native sons. There's a football team named after the song and an airport named after the singer. That’s how important this combo is:

Preservation Hall Jazz Band: “Tailgate Ramble”

If you’re looking for the ultimate representation of Dixieland jazz look no further than Preservation Hall. No microphones. No amplifiers. No electricity needed. Just pure, Dixieland gold:

Fats Domino: “The Fat Man”

Okay, so everybody knows “Blueberry Hill,” “Walking to New Orleans,” and other legendary Fats tunes, but the thing is that they never get old. The Fat Man is often credited for inventing rock and roll... just ask Elvis:

Please do get in touch with our Louisiana experts if you need help planning your perfect holiday to the State - they are always on hand to advise!