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Biography
Context|date=March 2010Refimprove|date=July 2008Infobox Music genre|name=Zydeco|bgcolor=chartreuse|color=black|stylistic_origins= Creole music , Cajun music , African American blues and jazz |cultural_origins=Early 20th century Louisiana Creole people|Creole s in Louisiana |instruments= Accordion , fiddle , vest frottoir , Drum kit|drums , guitar , bass guitar , washboard |popularity=Little, except briefly in 1950s and mid-1980s US|derivatives=|subgenrelist=List of zydeco genres|subgenres=|fusiongenres= Swamp pop |regional_scenes|other_topics= Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or traditional music|folk music . It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music . The rural Creoles of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas still sing in Louisiana Creole French .
Zydeco combines elements of an even older American musical style which began in the late 1700s: Cajun music, which comprises French fiddle tunes, Irish Celtic fiddle tunes, German button accordion, Latin rhythms, and Appalachian styles.
Zydeco music was born in the late 1860s as a blend of Cajun music and two other "new" American music styles: blues and rhythm and blues . Haitian rhythms were also added, as Haitian natives moved to Louisiana to help harvest the new cash crop - sugarcane.
Zydeco (French, from the phrase: "Les haricots ne sont pas salés", means "the snap beans aren't salty". This phrase is a colloquial expression that means 'I have no spicy news for you.'Fact|date=September 2011 It has alternatively been referred to as meaning "I'm so poor, I can't afford any salt meat for the beans." When spoken in the regional French, it is spoken thus: "leh-zy-dee-co sohn pah salay...")
The first zydeco song was called "Les Zydeco es Pas Salee". Zydeco music pioneer Clifton Chenier , "The King of Zydeco", made Zydeco popular on regional radio stations with his bluesy style and keyboard accordion.
Usually fast tempo and dominated by the button or piano accordion and a form of a washboard known as a "rub-board," "scrub-board," "wash-board," or frottoir , zydeco music was originally created at house dances, where families and friends gathered for socializing. Creoles do not consider themselves part of the black culture, but rather a mixture of Haitian, Native American, French, and Spanish known as "Quadronne" or "four-way".Fact|date=September 2011 The original French settlers came to Louisiana in the late 1700s, sent by the King of Spain to help settle the Louisiana Territory. Arriving in New Orleans on seven ships, the settlers quickly moved into the bayous and swamps. There the French culture permeated those of the Irish, Spanish, Native Indian and German peoples already populating the area. http://www.acadian-cajun.com/hiscaj2c.htm See for history about this diaspora.
Sometimes the music was performed in the Catholic Church community centers, as Creoles were mostly Catholic. Later it moved to rural dance halls and nightclubs. As a result, the music integrated waltz , shuffle step|shuffles , Two-step (dance move)|two-steps , blues , rock and roll , and other dance music forms of the era. Today, zydeco integrates genres such as Rhythm and blues|R& B , Soul music|soul , brass band , reggae , Hip hop music|hip hop , ska , Rock music|rock , Afro-Caribbean music|Afro-Caribbean and other styles, in addition to the traditional forms.
Early history
For 150 years, Louisiana Creole people|Louisiana Creoles enjoyed an insular lifestyle, prospering, educating themselves without the government and building their invisible communities under the Code Noir . The French created the Code Noir in 1724 to establish rules for treatment of slaves, as well as restrictions and rights for gens de couleur libres , a growing class of free people of color. They had the right to own land, something few blacks in the American South had at that time.
The disruption of the Louisiana Creole community began when the United States made the Louisiana Purchase and Americans started settling in the state. The new settlers typically recognized only the system of race that prevailed where they came from. When the American Civil War ended and the black slaves were freed, Louisiana Creoles often assumed positions of leadership. However, segregationist Democrats in Louisiana classified Creoles with freedmen and by the end of the 19th century had disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites under rules designed to suppress black voting (though federal law said all black men had the vote from 1870, women from 1920). Creoles continued to press for education and advancement while negotiating the new society.
Zydeco's rural beginnings and the prevailing economic conditions at its inception are reflected in the song titles, lyrics, and bluesy vocals. The music arose as a synthesis of traditional Creole music , some Cajun music influences, and African-American traditions, including Rhythm and blues|R& B , blues , jazz , and Gospel music|gospel . It was also often just called French music or le musique Creole known as "la-la." Amédé Ardoin made the first recordings of Creole music in 1928. This Creole music served as a foundation for what later became known as zydeco.
During World War II with the Second Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration , many French-speaking Créoles and African Americans from the area around New Iberia , and Opelousas, Louisiana left a poor and prejudiced state for better economic opportunities in Texas. Even more southern blacks migrated to California, where buildup of defense industries provided good jobs without the restrictions of the segregated South. In California blacks from Louisiana could vote and began to participate in political life. Today, there are many Cajun and Zydeco festivals throughout the US.
Post-war history
In the mid-1950s, the popularity of Clifton Chenier brought zydeco to the fringes of the American mainstream. He signed with Specialty Records , the same label that first recorded Little Richard and Sam Cooke for wide audiences. Chenier, considered the architect of contemporary zydeco, became the music's first major star, with early hits like "Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés" (''The Snap Beans Ain't Salty & mdash; a reference to the singer being too poor to afford salt pork to season the beans).
The term "zydeco" means snap bean in Creole, derived from les haricots in ( French language|French for the beans ), and thus the name for the music was born. However, this was not the first zydeco song: in 1954, Boozoo Chavis , another popular zydeco artist, had recorded "Paper in My Shoe." This is considered to be the first modern zydeco recording, though the term "zydeco" was not in use yet (see 1954 in music ).
In the mid-1980s, Rockin' Sidney brought international attention to zydeco music with his hit tune "My Toot Toot." Clifton Chenier, Rockin' Sidney and Queen Ida , all garnered Grammy awards during this pivotal period, opening the door to the emerging artists who would continue the traditions. Ida is the only living Grammy award winner in the genre. Rockin' Dopsie recorded with Paul Simon and also signed a major label deal during this time.
John Delafose was wildly popular regionally. The music took a major turn because emerging bands burst onto the national scene to fuse a new exuberance, new sounds and styles with the music. Boozoo Chavis , John Delafose, Roy Carrier , Zydeco Force , Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, the Sam Brother, Terrance Simien , Chubby Carrier , and many others were breathing new life into the music. Zydeco superstar Buckwheat Zydeco was already well into his career, and also signed his deal with major label Island Records in the mid 1980s. Combined with the national popularity of Creole and Cajun food, and the feature film The Big Easy (film)|The Big Easy set in New Orleans, zydeco music had a revival. New artists were cultivated and the music took a more innovative direction for increased mainstream popularity.
Young zydeco musicians such as C. J. Chenier http://www.cjcheniermusic.com, Chubby Carrier, Geno Delafose , Terrance Simien, Nathan Williams and others began touring internationally during the 1980s. Beau Jocque was a monumental songwriter and innovator who infused zydeco with powerful beats and bass lines in the 90s, adding striking production and elements of funk, hip-hop and rap. Young performers like Chris Ardoin , Keith Frank , and Zydeco Force added further by tying the sound to the bass drum rhythm to accentuate or Syncopation|syncopate the backbeat even more. This style is sometimes called "double clutching."
Hundreds of zydeco bands continue the music traditions across the U.S. and in Europe, Japan, the UK and Australia. Many play at restaurants and clubs like Rosey Baby's. A prodigious 9-year-old zydeco accordionist, Guyland Leday, was featured in an HBO documentary about music and young people.
In 2007, zydeco achieved a separate category in the Grammy awards, the Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/News/Default.aspx? newsID=2696& newsCategoryID=1 Grammy Awards
More recent zydeco artists include Lil’ Nate, Leon Chavis, http://www.momojomusic.com/ Mo' Mojo and Kenne’ Wayne. Wayne has fused zydeco with up tempo southern soul and smooth ballads to create a sound which he calls "zydesoul".
While zydeco is a genre that has become synonymous with the cultural and musical identity of Louisiana and an important part of the musical landscape of the United States, this southern black music tradition has also now achieved much wider appreciation. Because of the migration of the French-speaking blacks and multiracial Creoles, the mixing of Cajun and Creole musicians, and the warm embrace of people from outside these cultures, there are multiple hotbeds of zydeco: Louisiana, Texas, Oregon and California, and Europe as far north as Scandinavia. There are zydeco festivals throughout America and Europe. Zydeco music is performed at festivals, schools, performing art centers and large corporate events. It is performed for presidents and celebrities, heard on cinema soundtracks and used to advertise everything from autos to toothpaste to antacids, pharmaceuticals and candy bars. Rolling Stone , The Los Angeles Times , Time Magazine among many others have featured it. It is played on radio stations around the world and on Internet radio.
Instruments
The first zydeco vest frottoir (rubboard) was designed by Clifton Chenier , the "King of Zydeco," in 1946 while he and his brother, Cleveland, were working at an oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas|Port Arthur, TX . The first zydeco rubboard made to Chenier's design was made at Chenier's request by their fellow Louisianan, Willie Landry, a master welder-fabricator, who was also working at the refinery. The zydeco rubboard, designed specifically for the genre solely as a percussion instrument, is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution . http://www.zydecorubboards.com Frottoir History
Other instruments common in zydeco include the old world accordion which is found in folk and roots music globally, guitar , bass guitar , Drum kit|drums , Cajun fiddle , horns and keyboards.
In popular culture
Zydeco music is featured in the video game The Sims: Unleashed http://zydecoflames.com/bio.html Zydeco Flames biography, "Other" section when traveling to Old Town on the Shuttle Bus (while the game loads Old Town), during building mode in Old Town, as well as other scenarios. The songs are in Simlish , but certain Zydeco tracks such as "Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés" are clearly recognizable. The theme of the game, with its new lots and music, is considered Cajun or Zydeco. One could compare it to New Orleans ' French Quarter with Louisiana Voodoo|voodoo shops and jazz musicians appearing on commercial lots. This theme returns in The Sims 2: Apartment Life and The Sims Castaway Stories . It can also be heard in The Sims 3 on one of the cooking television shows.
Country music legend George Strait's 2009 album Twang includes a song called "Hot Grease and Zydeco".
Zydeco music is also a central theme in the German award-winning film Schultze Gets the Blues about a retired polka -playing miner living in rural eastern Germany, who, after hearing Zydeco music on the radio, without knowing a word of English, embarks on a tragi-comical odyssey to Louisiana. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388395/plotsummary IMDB plot summary of the movie
Zydeco music is featured in the pop song "Cupid Shuffle".
Paul Simon's 1987 album Graceland features a track called "That was Your Mother" that references Zydeco and Clifton Chenier, the "King of the Bayou".
"Zydeco" is the title of a song by Lil Boosie on his 2010 mixtape, 225/504. It features a contemporary Zydeco rhythm and beat throughout.
Weird Al Yankovic made a style parody of this genre with his song "My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder".
In the TV show Gilmore Girls Lorelai auditions a Zydeco band for her wedding to Luke in the episode "A Vineyard Valentine".
References
reflist
External links
http://www.ZydecoOnline.com/ ZydecoOnline.com, Uniting the Zydeco Nation
http://www.ZHPS.org/ Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society, Inc.
http://www.zydecoevents.com/ Zydeco Events, Zydeco Events From Texas to Louisiana
http://www.arnb.org/ ARNB.ORG, Cajun and Zydeco Music Event Schedules for the World
http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/genre/content.genre/zydeco_804 National Geographic.com - Nat Geo Music: Zydeco page
