zydeco
Louisiana accordion music
Zydeco is a style of dance music that originated among Black communities in rural Louisiana, blending blues, rhythm and blues, and Cajun influences.
It features accordion and washboard prominently, with an upbeat, syncopated rhythm: We danced to zydeco at the festival.
The music remains strongly associated with Louisiana's Creole culture.
Louisiana's French descendants
- AcadianaCajun cultural region
- New OrleansLouisiana's largest city
- Baton RougeLouisiana state capital
- swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
bayou · Gulf Coast · prairie · Lafayette · crawfish boil · moss · cypress · wetlands
Bellows-driven reed instrument
- washboardRidged laundry surface
- fiddleAdjust restlessly; folk violin
- scraperTool for removing buildup
- squeezeboxCollapsible bellows instrument
triangle · bass guitar · drums · hi-hat · corrugated metal · thimbles · spoons
Spiced Louisiana stew
- jambalayaSpicy Louisiana rice dish
- etouffeeSmothered Cajun shellfish dish
- boudinRice-stuffed pork casing
- crawfishSmall freshwater lobster relative
andouille · roux · cracklins · tasso · rice and gravy · red beans · dirty rice · smothered
Recreational journey along routes
- church hallCommunity room at worship site
- Mardi GrasPre-Ash Wednesday celebration
- festivalOrganized public celebration
- juke jointInformal Southern music bar
Saturday night · community · celebration · heritage · tradition · French language · oral tradition · generational
Fast paired ballroom dance
- waltzDance in three-quarter time
- jitterbugEnergetic swing-era partner dance
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- footworkSkilled lower-limb movement
dance floor · spinning · trail ride · dance hall · Saturday night · stomping
Stressed unexpected beats
- shuffleRandomize by mixing
- two-stepFast paired ballroom dance
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- backbeatAccent on weak beats
swing · pulse · tempo · polyrhythm · percussive · uptempo · infectious · danceable
Cajun
Louisiana's French descendants
- AcadianaCajun cultural region
- New OrleansLouisiana's largest city
- Baton RougeLouisiana state capital
swamp · bayou · Gulf Coast · prairie · Lafayette · crawfish boil · moss · cypress · wetlands · delta
accordion
Bellows-driven reed instrument
squeezebox · triangle · bass guitar · drums · hi-hat · corrugated metal · thimbles · spoons
gumbo
Spiced Louisiana stew
- jambalayaSpicy Louisiana rice dish
- etouffeeSmothered Cajun shellfish dish
- boudinRice-stuffed pork casing
crawfish · andouille · roux · cracklins · tasso · rice and gravy · red beans · dirty rice · smothered · hot sauce
trail ride
Recreational journey along routes
- church hallCommunity room at worship site
- Mardi GrasPre-Ash Wednesday celebration
- festivalOrganized public celebration
juke joint · Saturday night · community · celebration · heritage · tradition · French language · oral tradition · generational
two-step
Fast paired ballroom dance
- waltzDance in three-quarter time
- jitterbugEnergetic swing-era partner dance
- swingSuspended recreational seat
footwork · dance floor · spinning · trail ride · dance hall · Saturday night · stomping
syncopation
Stressed unexpected beats
backbeat · swing · pulse · tempo · polyrhythm · percussive · uptempo · infectious · danceable · propulsive
rhythm and blues
Postwar Black popular music
Caribbean · rock · soul · la-la · country · funk · roots music · call and response
- cultural artsart, music, dance, theater, opera
- music genresblues, pop, jazz, rock, classical
- American musicjazz, blues, country music, rock, country
- American Singingspirituals, blues, country, gospel, barbershop
- Deep SouthAlabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi River, Mississippi Delta
- LouisianaNew Orleans, Baton Rouge, Bourbon Street, Shreveport, French Quarter
zydecoclassical music
Western orchestral tradition
chamber music · opera · ambient music · minimalism · gregorian chant
zydecodirge
Mournful commemorative music
funeral march · requiem · lament · ambient music · meditation music