Zydeco Music Guide: The Origin and Sound of Zydeco

Zydeco is a style of music from southwest Louisiana that draws from Black American blues, Louisiana French Creole, and Native American musical cultures. Its origins predate the United States as a country, but it evolved into its present form in the 1950s under the influence of Clifton Chenier, who is often called the king of zydeco.

The term "zydeco" has unclear origins. Some music historians believe it comes from the French phrase "les haricots sont pas salés," which translates to "the snap beans ain't salty.” Functionally, this serves as a figure of speech meaning, "times are tough." When spoken quickly, the French phrase sounds a bit like "zydeco."

Other historians believe the word is a variation on the West African word for "music making." This theory was partially embraced by famed twentieth-century music historian Alan Lomax and his son John Lomax. Clifton Chenier, the vocalist and accordionist commonly known as the king of zydeco, also credits himself with inventing the term, citing his 1955 song "Zodico Stomp" and the follow-up "Zydeco Sont Pas Salés." The current spelling of the term was popularized by Houston musicologist Mack McCormick on the 1960 compilation, A Treasury of Field Recordings.

Zydeco music draws from many forms of folk and popular music, including traditional blues, French Creole music, R&B, gospel, jazz, and Native American music. It incorporates musical instruments from these styles to create an ensemble that is unique to zydeco music.

• Creole heritage: The zydeco song form borrows from a form of French Creole music called la-la. Popularized in southwest Louisiana by artists like Amédé Ardoin, la-la was frequently played in rural dance halls and at social events. Small Louisiana towns like Opelousas and Marksville hosted la-la groups, as did some towns on the other side of the Texas border.
• The core zydeco ensemble: Classic zydeco bands feature a rubboard (called a vest frottoir in French), which is an oversized washboard instrument worn like a shirt. Clifton Chenier designed the instrument in 1946. Other key zydeco instruments include the accordion, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and various percussion instruments ranging from drum kits to spoons.
• Zydeco dance: Like many folk music traditions, zydeco has a corresponding folkloric dance which is practiced in communities across the country. The partnered dance revolves around eight beats, where dancers take sideways steps and hold their upper bodies steady. Dancers typically add flair on the second and sixth beats.
• New roots for modern zydeco: Contemporary zydeco is played by artists like Geno Delafose, Dwayne Dopsie, and C.J. Chenier (all sons of twentieth-century zydeco legends). Modern zydeco music incorporates elements of country music, Afro-Caribbean dance music, hip-hop, ska, and rock music. Classic bands like Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha-Chas continue to celebrate the accordion and other traditional instruments.

While zydeco is still popular in Louisiana and very much a folk tradition, zydeco bands exist throughout the United States.

Zydeco has been a celebrated folk music genre throughout the second half of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first century. In 2007, The Recording Academy introduced a new honor: the Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album. Louisiana zydeco artists Queen Ida, Rockin' Sidney, Terrance Simien, and Clifton Chenier have all won the award. Others, like Buckwheat Zydeco (born Stanley Dural, Jr.) and Rockin' Dopsie scored major label recording contracts. Other zydeco musicians—including Nathan Williams, Boozoo Chavis, John Delafose, Beau Jocque, and John Delafose—have enjoyed regional success in the south Louisiana bayou and in Southern cities like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Birmingham.

Zydeco music and Cajun music are two of Louisiana's great contributions to American culture. The genres overlap in certain ways, yet they are distinct from one another.

1. 1. Both use an accordion. The accordion was brought to Louisiana by the French, and it has become idiomatic to the state’s music. Both zydeco music and Cajun music place accordion near the forefront of their sound.
2. 2. Both feature English and French lyrics. Zydeco and Cajun music both feature lyrics in English and Cajun French. Zydeco is more likely to use Louisiana Creole in addition to these languages. Rosie Ledet, a singer and accordion player who performs in both the zydeco and Cajun styles, is known for her English-language lyrics, which demonstrate the evolution of both genres.
3. 3. Cajun music is closer to country music. Cajun music is almost always in a major key, with a propulsive churning rhythm and prominent use of the fiddle. This gives it notable similarities to American country music.
4. 4. Zydeco is closer to the blues. Prominent zydeco artists have drawn upon blues music (along with gospel and R&B) for inspiration. Contemporary zydeco often incorporates the fiddle and may incorporate some elements of mainstream country.
5. 5. Cajun music is more diatonic. Most Cajun music is built around a Cajun accordion (or squeezebox), which is a diatonic instrument that cannot play chromatic melodies. Zydeco can also use this style of accordion, but it is more likely to veer toward the chromatic flourishes of blues music. Neither style is known for tonal modulation or the harmonic complexity found in jazz or certain forms of rock.

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