Articles

Zachary Richard

Singer and author Zachary Richard is one of the founders of the Louisiana French contemporary literature movement. He began in the 1970s, first drawing inspiration from traditional songs and then composing his own original songs that were included in well over twenty albums; some, including "Réveille" and "Au bord du Lac Bijou," have become veritable cultural anthems. His poetic songs have earned him a number of awards, including six Félixes from Québec and the Prix de la jeune chanson from France. He has also written poems, short stories and essays that have appeared in Cajun and Creole literary publications, including the collective Cris sur le bayou (1980), and his own collections, Voyage de nuit (1985), Faire récolte (1997), and Feu (2001), as well as several children's books. He also participated in the production of several documentary films, including Against the Tide (2000) and Contre vents, contre marées (2001).