Louisiana has always been a state that dances to its own beat. That beat might be a jazz brunch in Lake Charles, Cajun dance at a traditional pig roast in Baton Rouge, or swamp pop blasting out a jukebox in a Lafayette diner.
Simply put, there’s no one genre that defines Louisiana. Thanks to an immensely rich cultural heritage, you’ll encounter a stunning array of influences in the rhythms and harmonies that flow through the state. The music reflects everything from Louisiana’s Indigenous roots to protest songs from the southern Creole communities, folk traditions from Appalachia, and even the ‘bounce’ hip-hop emerging from the housing projects of New Orleans in the 1990s.
