SR 165

2026 Regular Session  ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 165
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
  A RESOLUTION
To commend and express sincere appreciation to the filmmakers, producers, and
       contributors of Built on Zydeco on the occasion of a private screening of the
       documentary in Lafayette, Louisiana, and to recognize the film as an important
       Louisiana-made work that preserves and celebrates the stories, music, language, and
       cultural legacy of Zydeco.
       WHEREAS, Built on Zydeco is a Louisiana-made documentary film that examines
the roots, rhythms, artists, families, language, and lived experiences behind Zydeco, one of
Louisiana's most powerful and enduring cultural exports; and
       WHEREAS, the film, directed by Milton Arceneaux and Dustin Cravins and
produced by Robert Chevalier, reflects a meaningful commitment to documenting Louisiana
culture through the voices, performances, and experiences of the people who have shaped
and sustained Zydeco; and
       WHEREAS, Built on Zydeco is a Creole-directed documentary that celebrates the
artists, legacy, and cultural impact of Zydeco music and presents the genre not only as
entertainment, but also as a living record of community, history, and identity; and
       WHEREAS, the film was made in Louisiana and filmed in Louisiana's Creole
Country, including Opelousas and other areas of St. Landry Parish, and documents the
musicians, families, dancers, and communities connected to Zydeco music and Creole
culture; and
       WHEREAS, through interviews, live performances, archival materials, and
community storytelling, Built on Zydeco captures the sound, language, movement, memory,
and spirit of a musical tradition that continues to shape Louisiana's cultural identity; and
       WHEREAS, Built on Zydeco highlights both the historical importance and the
present-day vitality of Zydeco by presenting the artists, families, culture bearers, and
communities who have helped carry the music across generations; and
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SR NO. 165  ENROLLED
        WHEREAS, the documentary features and uplifts the voices and contributions of
artists associated with the history and continuation of Zydeco, including Terrance Simien,
Keith Frank, Reginald "Buckwheat Jr." Dural, and many others whose influence have carried
Zydeco across generations; and
        WHEREAS, the film is rooted in Louisiana French and Kouri-Vini and highlights
the language, sound, and spirit that continue to shape Louisiana's cultural identity, tourism
economy, and artistic reputation; and
        WHEREAS, Built on Zydeco demonstrates the power of documentary film to
preserve local stories, elevate Louisiana artists, educate new audiences, and honor
communities whose contributions are central to the cultural identity of the state; and
        WHEREAS, the private screening of Built on Zydeco in Lafayette, Louisiana, offers
a significant opportunity to recognize the film's artistic, cultural, historical, and educational
values and celebrate Louisiana filmmakers and participants who brought this story to the
screen; and
        WHEREAS, Lafayette and the surrounding Acadiana region have long served as a
center for Louisiana music, language, food, dance, storytelling, and community life, making
Lafayette a fitting place to recognize a documentary devoted to the history and continuing
vitality of Zydeco.
        THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend and express sincere appreciation to the visionary talents who
contributed to the production of Built on Zydeco on the occasion of a private screening of
the documentary in Lafayette, Louisiana, and does hereby recognize Built on Zydeco as an
important Louisiana-made documentary film that preserves and celebrates the stories, music,
language, artists, families, communities, and cultural legacy of Zydeco.
        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
directors of Built on Zydeco.
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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