Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. Although it is distinct in origin from the Cajun music of Louisiana, the two forms influenced each other, forming a complex of genres native to Louisiana.
Like Cajun music, the dominant instrument is the accordion, but unlike Cajun music, zydeco adds electric bass, horns, and sometimes keyboards. In a nutshell, zydeco is Creole (black) dance music of southwest Louisiana, blending Cajun music with rhythm & blues and soul. The word "zydeco" is actually a bastardization of an early zydeco song, "L'Haricots Sont Pas Sals" (The Snap Beans Aren't Salted). The first black-French recordings were made in 1928 by Amad Ardoin, an accordion player who played in the Cajun style. However, zydeco didn't begin to evolve -- at least on record -- until the mid-'50s, when Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis made their initial recordings. Like Cajun music, zydeco didn't achieve national popularity until the 1980s, buoyed somewhat by Rockin' Sidney's surprise hit "My Toot Toot." By the '90s, several zydeco artists were signed to major labels, including Terrance Simien, Boozoo Chavis, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Rockin' Dopsie.
01 - Let's Go - Nathan And The Zydeco Cha Chas [00:05:25]
02 - Thre's No Use Crying - Geno Delafose And French Rockin' Boogie [00:03:26]
03 - Zydeco Boogaloo - Buckwheat Zydeco [00:03:53]
04 - Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo - Boozoo Chavis And The Magic Sounds [00:03:41]
05 - I Woke Up Thuis Morning - Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys [00:03:18]
06 - I'm On The Wonder - Beau Jocque And The Zydeco Hi-Rollers [00:06:19]
07 - We Are The Boys - Chris Ardoin And Double Clutchin' [00:04:43]
08 - I'm A Hog For You - Lynn August And The Hot August Nights [00:04:47]
09 - Madame Etienne - Bruce Daigrepont [00:04:09]
10 - Bad Time Woman - Li'l Brian And The Zydeco Travelers [00:04:28]
11 - What's In That Bayou - Chris Ardoin And Double Clutchin' [00:05:11]
12 - Keep Your Dress Tail Down - Boozoo Chavis And The Magic Sounds [00:04:39]
13 - Give Him Cornbread - Beau Jocque And The Zydeco Hi-Rollers [00:04:55]
14 - Friday Night Waltz - John Delafose And The Eunice Playboys [00:03:13]
15 - Outside People - Nathan And The Zydeco Cha Chas [00:03:44]
16 - 'tite Monde (My Everything) - Geno Delafose And French Rockin' Boogie [00:04:43]
17 - Hot Tamale Baby - Buckwheat Zydeco [00:04:41]
