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Rockin' Dopsie

Carencro, LA

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Rockin' Dopsie, born Alton Rubin, became one of zydeco's most internationally recognized ambassadors during the 1980s, performing with his band the Twisters at major international festivals and collaborating with rock musicians including Paul Simon, whose 1986 album "Graceland" featured Dopsie's band. That "Graceland" collaboration introduced zydeco to a massive global pop audience that had likely never previously encountered the genre, giving Dopsie a level of mainstream international visibility that few other traditional zydeco musicians of his era achieved. His energetic live performances, incorporating showmanship elements alongside his accordion playing, made Dopsie one of zydeco's most popular touring acts internationally, helping introduce the genre to European and other international audiences well beyond Louisiana and the broader American South. His combination of his high-profile Paul Simon collaboration and his role as one of zydeco's most internationally touring ambassadors has made Rockin' Dopsie one of the genre's most globally significant figures.

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