Zydeco has been steadily growing in national and international popularity over the past fifteen years, as Louisiana's rich cultural heritage has become more widely known. Cajun cooking shows, Hollywood films set in Louisiana, New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration, and the interest of Rock, country and pop musicians such as Eric Clapton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Paul Simon have all contributed to this trend. As dancers have started returning to couple dance styles such as swing, ballroom, and the lindy hop, Zydeco dance has also attracted a growing following.
Zydeco is a lively mixture of Cajun music, blues, R&B, the Jure' religious singing of southwest Louisiana, carribean music, and even a little jazz. Zydeco is based on the earlier Cajun and Creole music played in southwest Louisiana (in this area, the term "creole" was used to identify the French-speaking African-American populace). The Cajuns are descended from the early inhabitants of Canada's Maritime Provinces who were exiled from Canada by the victorious English in 1755. Many settled in Louisiana and came to be known as Cajuns, a slurring of "Acadians". Their fiddle music, played for house dances and community gatherings, retained its early French feel while absorbing the sounds of neighboring groups. German and Italian immigrants to Louisiana introduced the accordion in the late 1800's, and it was first picked up by the Creoles. By the 1920's the accordion-fiddle duet had become a standard feature of Cajun and Creole music. Some of the greatest early recordings of this music feature black accordionist Amede Ardoin with white fiddler Dennis McGee.
In the 1950's the late Clifton Chenier, known as the King of Zydeco, worked the Creole music into what came to be known as Zydeco (the word comes from a song called "Zydeco sont pas sales" -The Snap beans are not salty). He infused the French sounds with blues and rock, and his brother Cleveland invented the rub-board, based on the washboard. Clifton toured the world and inspired legions of followers in and out of Louisiana. In Southwest Louisiana today you can drive along the two-lane highways through towns like Mallet, Eunice, Mamou, or Iota and stop at the long rectangular tin-roofed dance halls-Richard Club, Gilton's, Bon Ton Roulet- on any Friday or Saturday night. Go on in- you'll be welcome. But if that's too far, come on out to the Zydeco right here on...