Characteristics

• Zydeco is a fast-tempo, lively, rhythm-based form of music that is often contrasted with Cajun music, which is generally considered more melodic. Also, the lyrics are secondary to the music; they are usually of simple composition and hard to understand, instead relying on emotional delivery.
  
  

Origin

• Zydeco was first played in house dances, which gave people the chance to socialize. It eventually began to move into bigger avenues, which enabled it to draw traits from other genres, such as the blues, jazz and rock 'n' roll.
  
  

Name

• Zydeco got its name in 1960 from folklorist Mack McCormick, although the term had appeared in a song as far back as 1934, according to National Geographic magazine. The word "zydeco" is from a Creaole word for snap beans.
  
  

Instruments Used

• Zydeco's most primary instrument is the frottoir, which is actually designed like a washboard for laundry, and is used for percussion. The chromatic accordion (with piano keys) is another tool widely used in zydeco.
  
  

Important Features and Events

• Clarence Garlow is credited with bringing traits of zydeco to a wider audience with his R&B hit "Bon Ton Roula" in 1949. The first zydeco hit was "Paper in My Shoe" (1954), with Boozoo Chavis as its author. Clifton Chenier (1925 to 1987) is regarded as the "The King of Zydeco" because his work is considered responsible for making zydeco a full-fledged genre in its own right.