What is CAJUN?

The word "cajun" is derived from "acadien". The frenchspeaking inhabitants of Louisiana are imigrated from France to Nuova Scotia in Canada originally, to them a place like paradise, "Arcadia" (means paradise). In the 17th century they've been thrown out by the English, and after a long diaspora (journey, called "le grand derangement") many of them finally settled in the south of Louisiana, at that time a rough swamp area. They called themselves "acadiens", what in the mouth became "cajuns", and they could manage themselves surprisingly well in that uncomfortable region of swamps, bayou's and mosquito's . The cajuns make music based on old french dances like gavotte and minuet; they play it on traditional instruments like fiddle, accordeon and 'tit fer (triangel). For many years the cajun culture is ignored and suppressed by the government (for example it's wasn't allowed to speak french in schools!), but since the years of '70 there has come a revival and from then on the cajun culture is blooming; people speak english and french, also in public. Still there are many english words in the cajun french language. In the Netherlands the cajun culture is mostly known by the cajun kitchen: spicy food with a mix of meat / fish and vegetables, like jambalaya (a ricedish) and gumbo (a ratatouille soup with a.o. chicken) When you like to know more about the cajun culture and history, I advise you to look in the: Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture.

 

What is ZYDECO?
Zydeco music is music by the Creole (black) population of Louisiana. Like cajun music accordeons are used, but the off beat, the accent on the 2nd and 4th count, and syncopic rhytms are more important. Old zydeco music sounds a bit like Rock & Roll and Rhytm & Blues, the newer ones have elements from Funk and Reggae. The rubboard (for washing clothes) is a rhytm instrument, much used in older zydeco music. The word "zydeco" is derived from "haricots" (= kind of beans) There is an traditional song responsible for this name: "les haricots sont pas salees" (= the beans aren't salted). Caused by the local Creole dialect the name "les haricots" became "zarico", and later "zydeco", and that word became synonyme for the kind of music. There are 2 big directions in Zydeco music since the "late 50's": The style related to New Orleans , specially the boogie, , in 1 chord, or following the blues scheme, much played on the conventional piano- or button accordeon, and the more sharp, monotonous zydeco , mostly played on the 1-row cajun accordeon ( a harmonica *) folowing the ground chord and the dominant (f.e. G with dominant D7). The big difference with the sound of the cajun style is, that the zydeco sound is much rougher and more "dirty" , because of the microfone build inside of the instument (with cajun music the microfone is on the outside, what gives a cleaner, smooth sound)


* Note: the difference between an accordeon and a harmonica is in the moving zit of the airbag in combination with the produced tone: With an accordeon the tone is the same pulling or pushing, with a harmonica the tone is different pulling from pushing, comparable with a mouthharmonica (blowing gives another tone as inhaling!)


 

What is TEX-MEX?
This musicstyle is originated in the beginning of the 20th century, when immigrants from eastern Europemoved to the south of Texas en kept on playing the polka's, mazurka's and waltzes from their homeland on their accordeon. The mexican-americans copied these melodies and rhythms and melted them with their own rancheras. In the thirties this was called Musica Norteņa, later it was called Tex-Mex.