Zydeco
The Zydeco [ ˈzaɪdəˌkoʊ ] is a fast, danceable form of music from the south and southwest of the US state Louisiana . Characteristic instruments are the accordion and washboard ( frottoir ), the texts are predominantly in English, sometimes also in Cajun- French.
Zydeco developed in the early 20th century from mixing Cajun music with Afro-American influences, which also contributed to the emergence of blues and R&B . Before the name “Zydeco” was used, the music was known as “La-la” and “Zodico”, among others. Amédé Ardoin made the first recordings in this style in 1929.
In the mid-1950s, Zydeco gained some popularity through musicians such as Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis . Chavis had the first Zydeco hit in 1954 with Paper in My Shoe . When Chavis retired from the music business, Chenier became the leading star of Zydeco.
In 1965, Chenier had a hit with Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés (“The beans are not salted”). Chenier claimed that the term "Zydeco" was created as a corruption of this title. However, this must be understood as a joke, as the term, especially in the form of "Zodico", was known much earlier.
In the mid-1980s, the Zydeco experienced a revival when Rockin 'Sidney landed a hit with a new recording of My Toot Toot , which was also successful in the pop charts. This led to a reactivation of veteran Zydeco musicians like Boozoo Chavis, but also helped young Zydeco artists like Chubby Carrier and Rosie Ledet to success. Chris Ardoin , Beau Jocque , Keith Frank and Zydeco Force introduced new elements into the traditional way of playing and emphasized the rhythm even more through the bass drum . This new form is also known as "double clutching".
