Sunset, Louisiana is about a twenty-minute drive straight north from Lafayette and it’s the official world capital of rubboards, thanks to Tee Don Landry and his Key of Z Rubboards company. Started by Tee Don’s father, Key of Z has been making the percussive bib by hand since 1946 when the elder Landry met Clifton Chenier while working at an oil refinery in Texas.
We stopped by Key of Z Rubboards last October and got a special behind-the-scenes tour of Landry’s workshop, a walk through of the handmade process and a look at some of the memorabilia he’s collected over the years. Following the tour, Landry told us about the history of the rubboard and its place in Creole music. Watch both videos below and check out Key of Z Rubboards here.
“Guaranteed not to rust, bust, collect dust, rip, rot or come apart at the seams”