Zydeco Music
By: Nascha Joli
Zydeco Music or Zydeco Blues is a blend of creole music, blues and rhythm, and blues founded by the indigenous and black Creole peoples of southern Louisiana.
Similar in style to the Cajun music of their white Cajun counterparts of Southern Louisiana, Zydeco music shares its common origins and influences and also overlaps in style and repertoire. However, Zydeco music’s distinct sounds are rooted in its rural beginnings and reflect the social and economic conditions of its black and brown creators.
The very word “Zydeco” is believed to have origins in West Africa or from a term used by the mixed-blood descendants of the Atakapas indigenous nation and African slaves to describe the swaying dances they did to the “raucous music” they created. More likely, it is some combination of both of these theories which created a foundation for the term “zydeco.”
The music itself is most often fast tempo and is dominated by instruments that include an accordion (button or piano), variations of a washboard (also called a rub-board and a scrub-board), guitars, bass guitar, drums, Cajun fiddles, spoons, triangles, horns, and keyboards. Zydeco music is also associated with dances including variations of waltzes and line dancing specific to its music that gained popularity in the dance halls and social parties in the region.
The longstanding tradition, popularity and social acceptance of Zydeco music can be attributed directly to the Louisiana Creoles who have a distinct culture, a way of life and a social prominence within their regional society. It was these characteristics that afforded the Creoles certain rights under French rule and its “Code Noir.”
When these privileges shifted after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 under the new rule of American Southern racist regimes, the Creoles began to fight back against this oppression and also to protest in song. Early Zydeco blues music used French and Creole lyrics to describe the pain and mistreatment of the members of their community.
Performed locally in house parties, its popularity spread throughout the Southern Louisiana region and was performed at Catholic church community centers, taverns, nightclubs, and dance halls. Its popularity spread throughout the state of Louisiana and into Texas and California with the help of the Great Migration where many black Creoles migrated to.
The first recordings of Creole and Zydeco music could be traced to Amede Andoir and his 1928 recordings, but it would be Clifton Chenier’s recordings in the mid-1950s that made Zydeco music popular nationwide. Chenier, dubbed the “King of Zydeco,” brought the music its first major success and popularity that crossed over to the mainstream. He often performed with his brother, Cleveland Chenier, a noted Zydeco musician and their family band.
Contemporary Zydeco music of the 1950s, led by Chenier himself, began to incorporate elements of rock and roll and rhythm and blues with traditional creole music. Chenier pioneered the use of the piano accordion in Zydeco music and using a full line band. He was also one of the first Zydeco musicians to use English lyrics where traditional Creole and Zydeco music used only French or Creole lyrics.
The explosion of rock and roll music in the mid-1950s caused a slowdown for many musical genres which also includes doo-wop, blues, Cajun music and also Zydeco music.
Musical artists such as Sidney Babineaux, Herbert Sam, Boozoo Chavis also contributed to the art of Zydeco music. Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida are some of the more well known and celebrated Zydeco musicians. These artists helped keep the traditions of Zydeco music alive after its initial surge into popular music.
Zydeco music remained regionally popular while still being celebrated and appreciated at musical festivals around the country and also internationally at blues concerts and festivals. Because of this Zydeco music experienced a revival in the 1980s. The careers of Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Queen Ida experienced a resurgence and recognition of Zydeco music increased culminating in a musical tribute at the Grammy Awards in the1980s. Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco also received their first Grammy awards for their albums.
Zydeco music continues to flourish with each new generation, many of whom are descendants of the traditional blues artists such as CJ Chenier (son of Clifton Chenier) and Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers (son of Rockin’ Dopsie), Geno Delafose, Beau Jocque, Nathan Williams and many more.
Many of the modern-day Zydeco artists are infusing elements of rock, soul, funk and hip hop into Zydeco music. But the traditional contemporary Zydeco music that began with Clifton Chenier and the jumping rhythm of accordion and percussions and French or Creole lyrics are still called for lovers of traditional Zydeco music.
These days, Zydeco music is heavily embraced in Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, California, and parts of Europe including Scandinavia. Zydeco Festivals continue to flourish all over the world promoting this unique brand of blues music.
