Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor College of Visual and Performing Arts is proud to present Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas for a special Highways and Byways presentation on Thursday, February 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hughes Recital Hall of Presser Hall on the UMHB campus. This concert is free and open to the public.
This concert qualifies as a Fine Arts Experience (FAE) credit for UMHB students. The Fine Arts Experience program endeavors to expose students to a wide variety of artistic expression during their time on campus. To this end, students are required to attend at least one designated Fine Arts Experience event each semester.
Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas play the fast and furious accordion-driven dance music of the Creole people of South Louisiana. With its trademark scrub-board percussion, electric guitars, and R&B influences, zydeco is a soulful brand of music that sweeps audiences up in its beat and carries them away with its rhythms.
Born and raised in the heart of America’s creole country, Williams is an accomplished zydeco performer, who has devoted his life to finding the roots of the beloved art form. He is a staple of the zydeco genre and does his part to spread its influence across the country and around the world.
Williams formed the Cha-Chas in 1985, and has brought his unique take on this regional South Louisiana music to all corners of the globe. Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005, he was honored last year with the Zydeco Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. The Cha-Chas have been voted the top Festival Band in the country, and have won the coveted Big Easy award for Best Zydeco Band for several years running.
For more information about Highways & Byways or any other UMHB music events, please contact Melanie Brazeal at (254) 295-4678.