Southwest Louisiana. His music is influenced by the styles typical of
the region,Cajun, Zydeco and New Orleans rhythm and blues, but he
has always gone beyond the limitations of any particular style,
creating his own musical gumbo. With "Coeur Fidèle" (Faithful Heart),
his follow up to the immensely successful "Cap Enragé", Zachary
Richard continues to pay his respects to the musical traditions of his
home while exploring his own unique musical universe.
French language albums. Despite critical and commercial success,
including two gold albums, Zachary decided to return to Louisiana in
the early 1980s and began another phase of his career, this time
recording in English. After two albums for Rounder Records,"Mardi
Gras Mambo" and the perennial favorite "Zack's Bon Ton", Zachary
signed with A&M, and recorded two albums back to back, "Women in
the Room", and "SnakeBite Love". Non-stop touring and the strength
of these recordings guaranteed Zachary an international following. In
1995, Zachary swung full circle and returned to French language
recording, reestablishing his presence in both Canada and France.
In addition to his music, Zachary Richard is a published poet. His
second collection of French language poetry, "Faire Récolte",
published by Les Editions Perce Neige, was awarded the Prix
Champlain, in recognition to his contribution to the French language
literature of North America. Although never published in English,
samples of Zachary's English language verse can be found on this
site. With illustrations by his daughter, Sarah, Zachary published a
children's fable, Conte Cajun, about a band of small animals on a
mission following a devastating hurricane.
Beyond his artistic endeavors,
Zachary Richard is committed to the
defense of the native French language of Louisiana. He is a founding
member of Action Cadienne, a volunteer organization dedicated to the
promotion of the Cadien language and culture. He produced and
narrated "Against the Tide", a one hour television documentary
detailing the history of the Cajun people. He also participated, in
collaboration with The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, in the
production of "The Legacy of Labranche", a television documentary
examining the history and present state of the Labranche Wetlands.
In New Brunswick, Zachary is involved in the effort to restore the Petit
Codiac River.