Friday, September 11, 2026, 6 PM

Patricia Buckley Moss Lawn

Free

This performance will last approximately 105 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.*

"…gifted reanimator of Louisiana Creole music."

— The New York Times

As the last of summer lingers in the air, four-time Grammy nominee Cedric Watson leads a high-spirited celebration on the center’s lawn. 

A master fiddler, accordionist, and songwriter based in South Louisiana, Watson brings Cajun and Creole traditions to life, channeling centuries of African, Native American, French, and Spanish influence. With Bijou Creole, he moves seamlessly from ancient contra dance melodies to modern Zydeco grooves, tossing in bluegrass fiddle tunes for good measure. 

Rhythmic, soulful, and irresistibly danceable, this open-air concert invites you to gather, move, and start the season in full swing.

Originally from San Felipe, Texas (population 868), Watson made his first appearance at the Zydeco Jam at the Big Easy in Houston, Texas when he was 19. Just two years later, he moved to south Louisiana, quickly immersing himself in French music and language. Over the next several years, he performed French music in 17 countries and on seven full-length albums with various groups, including the Pine Leaf Boys, Corey Ledet, and Les Amis Creole with Ed Poullard and J.B. Adams, as well as with his own group, Bijou Creole.

Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole resurrect the ancient sounds of the French and Spanish contra dance and bourré alongside the spiritual rhythms of West African Congo tribes, who were sold as slaves in the Caribbean and Louisiana by the French and Spanish.

With an apparently bottomless repertoire of songs at his fingertips, Watson plays everything from forgotten Creole melodies and obscure Dennis McGee reels to more modern Cajun and Zydeco songs. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he is also a prolific songwriter, writing almost all of his songs on his double row Hohner accordion. His songs channel his diverse ancestry (African, French, Native American, and Spanish) to create his own brand of sounds.

Watson’s albums are a tapestry of pulsing rhythms and Creole poetry, and his live performances are unforgettable, all at once progressive and nostalgic.

This is Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole's first performance at the center.

Photos courtesy of Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole

* Run times listed here are based on information provided at this time and are subject to change.