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Creole folk songs originated on the plantations of the French and Spanish colonists of Louisiana. The music characteristics embody African-derived syncopated rhythms, the habanera accent of Spain, and the quadrille of France. Central to Creole musical activities was Place Congo (in English: Congo Square).
Zydeco (/ ˈzaɪdɪˌkoʊ, - diː -/ ZY-dih-koh, -dee-; French: zarico) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles, such as la la and juré. Musicians use the French accordion and a Creole washboard ...
Jan 18, 2024 · It originated in the 19th century in the Creole communities of Louisiana, particularly among the African American and Afro-Caribbean populations. The genre was heavily influenced by a diverse range of musical styles, including African rhythms, French folk music, as well as the blues and R&B sounds of the United States.
- Where Does Zydeco Come from?
- "Zydeco" Meaning
- Alternative "Zydeco" Meaning
- Zydeco Instrumentation
- What Does Zydeco Sound like?
- Zydeco Lyrics
- Clifton Chenier: The King of Zydeco
- Zydeco Dancing
Zydeco music is a relatively new genre of world music, having come about as a style of its own in only the mid-1900s. It is a derivative of "La-La" music (the shared music of the Cajuns and the Creoles), as well as blues, jure (syncopated a cappella religious songs), and in more recent years, zydeco has taken many cues from R&B and even hip-hop, pr...
The word "zydeco" has two different stories to explain it. One is that it comes from the phrase "Les haricots sont pas sales" meaning "the snap beans aren't salty." This phrase is a colloquial expression meaning that times are hard, and when spoken in the regional French, it's pronounced "zy-dee-co sohn."
The second often-accepted meaning of the word "zydeco" is that it comes from the word "zari", which means dance. The word "zari" is found in several West African languages (in various similar forms).
Zydeco bands generally include an accordion, a modified washboard called a frottoir, electric guitar, bass, and drums. Secondary zydeco instruments include fiddles, keyboards, and horns.
Zydeco music is often portrayed incorrectly as being polka-esque, but it actually sounds much more like the blues than like any European music. The band plays heavily on the backbeat, with modern bands relying on a double-kick to the bass drum to emphasize the syncopation. The accordion plays blues licks, and the guitars further emphasize this soun...
Zydeco music is sung in both English and French, with English being the preferred language for most modern bands. Many zydeco songs are simply reworkings of R&B or blues songs, many are modern versions of very old Cajun songs, and many are originals. Song lyrics deal with everything from the mundane to intense socio-political issues, with food and ...
What Bill Monroe was to bluegrass, Clifton Chenier was to zydeco. He was the one who took zydeco from older "La-La" music to what we now recognize, and Clifton Chenier is hailed by nearly everyone as the progenitor of the modern genre. You'll definitely want to start your collection with some Clifton Chenier.
Zydeco, like all accordion music, is for dancing. The steps performed to zydeco music look like swing dancing to those unfamiliar with it. Zydeco dancing is intensely passionate and sexy, and many are heralding it as "the new salsa."
- Megan Romer
Jan 7, 2015 · A Short History of Zydeco. The rollicking dance music called zydeco is a quirky invention that could only have happened in Southwest Louisiana, where descendants of French and Creole-speaking African Americans (who today call themselves Creoles) merged their ancient songs with a rhythm and blues beat. The essential instruments are an amplified ...
Modern Latin music is a beautiful melting pot of influences: Pre-Columbine, European, and African cultures are just some of the most obvious ancestors of today’s Latin sound. Creole, too, is an essential, lesser-known element of contemporary Latin music. Creole originated from folk songs on the plantations of Louisiana’s Spanish and French colonists. The classic Creole […]
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The Musical and Cultural Roots of Louisiana Creole and Zydeco Fiddle Tradition. By D ‘Jalma Garnier . One of the most renowned and beloved figures in Louisiana music is Canray Fontenot, who was an extraordinary fiddler and storyteller. No one, black or white, doubts his contribution to the two major folk streams, Cajun and Creole, and their intertwining, but too few have stopped to wond
