Swamp Pop

Swamp pop is a style of music developed in the southern Cajun region of Louisiana as well as southeastern Texas. It is in a Rhythm & Blues mold (with significant influence from the New Orleans R&B of Fats Domino), and is distinguished by tripleted pianos, walking bass lines, a clear Blues structure and an emphasis on slow, sentimental ballads. The style was developed by young Cajun musicians such as Johnnie Allan, Rod Bernard and Warren Storm in the 1950s. While these musicians were often raised around Cajun Music and Country, swamp pop took more influence from rhythm & blues and Rock & Roll, although Cajun and country influences are common in the genre. Swamp pop as a genre remained mostly local to Louisiana and Texas, although artists such as Phil Phillips and Dale & Grace had national crossover hits. By the mid-1960s, swamp pop saw a decline in popularity in the region due to the increasing influence upon American musicians by British Rock artists, as well as the continuing popularity of country music. Despite this, artists such as Freddy Fender and the aforementioned Johnnie Allan continued having international hits into the 1970s. Although the popularity of swamp pop has dwindled significantly since its heyday, swamp pop artists continue to tour locally, and a handful of Louisiana radio stations still play swamp pop hits.