The Sound Of Zydeco
Zydeco Music is a form of musical expression that originated in rural South Louisiana. Zydeco which is also known as “La La Music” came about during one of the ugliest eras in American history. A time when African Americans worked in the fields from sun up to sun down as share croppers in hopes of a possibility of their children to one day live a better life and to have a better future. It was seemingly hard times such as these that helped define one of the most vibrant and successful musical traditions in the world. Zydeco is a mix between French, Creole, Caribbean, Cajun, West African, and R&B. During the birth of Zydeco its distinct and complex sound was made up of the accordion, scrub board, spoons, fiddle, and the
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Usually, button accordions are played and the most favorable with the Zydeco bands. The other instruments are guitar, electric bass and drums. One of the greatest misconceptions about Zydeco music is that Cajun music is its origin. In the article written by Jef Folkins stated,
“Zydeco is the music of south Louisiana’s “Creoles of Color,” who borrowed many of Zydeco’s defining elements from Cajun music. (In turn, Cajun music borrowed many of its traits from Creole music.)” (Para 17)
Cajun music derives from the customary music of the French-speaking Acadians who were barred from Nova Scotia by the British in the mid-1700’s and took a journey south to Louisiana. The style of music was a cappella, with only rhythm sticks to keep the tempos. It was later in Louisiana, all of the other instruments were added. The Zydeco sound belonged to the black Creoles whose ancestry is a multifaceted mix of African, American, Caribbean and European. Although the sound in the original state included the fiddle it was later replace and favored by the accordion. Some musical gurus have a differences of opinions on which state actually birth Zydeco. Michael Tisserand the author The Kingdom Zydeco believes that Zydeco originated in, Houston, Texas also known as the Bayou
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Opelousas, Louisiana is known as the Zydeco Capital of the world. There has been some successful bands that has gotten a great start form Opelousas. Bands like Chip and the Zydeco New Breeds and Buckwheat Band.
The infectious sound of Zydeco can be heard all over the United States. It’s is more familiar in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi. It has quickly spread and has become a house hold name Chicago and Memphis. Zydeco is most popular at trail rides and rodeo. The complicated dance style and line dances has drawn people and it has even hit mainstream. Zydeco can be heard on the radio stations in regular rotation. Some of the most famous artist has embraced the Zydeco movement like Little Wayne and Beyoncé just to name a couple. They both have paid homage by incorporating it into concerts and televised
For centuries, music has been defined by history, time, and place. To address this statement, Tom Zè, an influential songwriter during the Tropicália Movement, produced the revolutionary “Fabrication Defect” to challenge oppression as a result from the poor political and social conditions. On the other hand, David Ramsey discusses, in mixtape vignettes, the role of music to survive in New Orleans’ violent setting. Furthermore, “The Land where the Blues Began”, by Alan Lomax, is a film and perfect example to understand under what musical conditions profound ways of communication are made to stand the hard work of cotton plantations. As a result, music plays a crucial role in the sources’ cultures and its creation relies on particular conditions such as the social
...ective." Louisiana History 53.2 (2012): 133-167. America: History and Life with Full Text. 9 Apr. 2014. Web.
The first appearance of jazz was at the turn of the century in New Orleans and is called “Dixieland Jazz,” or “Classic Jazz.” It developed out of music for street parades in the black community. It also had deeper roots in a style of music called “Blues,” which was used to express the daily experiences of the community (History). Other influences include the combination of West African folk music with the popular classical music of Europe, developing into syncopated rhythms and chord variations on classical pieces (Passion).
In New Orleans, where the jazz music started, music was not a luxury, it was a necessity. Ethnicities represented in New Orleans were as follows: French, Spanish, and African, Italian, German, and Irish (Herbert Asbury, 1938). This unique combination provided a unique mix of cultural influences which gave birth to such unique styles of music: ragtime, blues, spirituals, marches, and of course jazz. The workers needed the music as a way of communication, relief, and hope for freedom, during the mind-numbing labor.
Things that you need to know about the city of New Orleans. This is the biggest city in the state of Louisiana. It is also known for jazz music. It has a basketball team called the New Orleans Hornet and a football team called New Orleans Saints. New Orleans has lots of things to see and to do. Like Mardi Gras it is a parade that’s held in New Orleans. I will be talking about New Orleans early settlement, traditions, culture, weather, lifestyle, closing, and works cited.
Although jazz first appeared in New Orleans in the twentieth century, the music it was derived from has been around for much longer. The roots of jazz can be found in both African and European influences that blend together to create a distinctive musical quality and swing character. It encompasses a wide range of music, including that of ragtime and blues, which are two of the most prominent genres that influenced jazz in its early stages. Although there are many differences between the musical styles and instrumentation of ragtime and blues, there are also some similarities in terms of common origin that helped drive the birth of modern-day jazz.
Cajun cuisine is a fusion of food from different regions with very rich histories, such as France, Canada, and the southern U.S. It was originated by peasants of French ancestry. These immigrants settled in the "Acadian" region of the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia from 1604 to 1654. By 1755, the population of these settlers had grown to about 15,000. They survived on cereal crops such as wheat, barley and oats, and garden vegetables including field peas, cabbage, and turnips. This diet was supplemented by domestic livestock, wild game, and fish. (History of the Cajuns. (2001). www.terrebonneparish.com)
Cajun music has a folk-like beat that places the accordion at the center of the rhythm. Cajun music originated from the United States of America but more specifically, the state of Louisiana. This music came to Louisiana through the French-speaking immigrants that settled there. These immigrants once called the Acadians, or Cajuns, found a new home in Louisiana after being expelled from Nova Scotia (Ancelet). Due to their harsh exile from Nova Scotia, much of Cajun music describes death and desperation. Soon after arriving in Louisiana, the Cajuns began incorporating the sounds of the surrounding cultures into their music (Edmondson, 173). Acculturation contributed greatly to the origin and development of Cajun music due to its borrowing of sounds and instruments from a variety of different cultures. They started incorporating the Native American’s singing style as well as the Spanish guitar into their own original music (Ancelet). This created the unique sounds of Cajun music that we know and listen to today. Paired with their music, the Cajun culture also created their own unique Cajun dance style. Their dances incorporated waltzes, and
Jazz is referred as “America’s classical music,” and is one of North America’s and most celebrated genres. The history of Jazz can be traced back to the early era of the 20th century of the U.S. “A History of Jazz” presents From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years. A strong rhythmic under-structure, blue notes, solos, “call-and response” patterns, and
The genre that has been chosen to focus on and examine is much less known than Reggae. It can be assured that a number of people asked on the subject will have no knowledge of the genre and perhaps not even recognition to the name. This particular genre is that of Zydeco music. Zydeco music is Louisiana based and most notably linked to Cajun music. Its roots are deep in the South and although it tends to not venture far from home, those around it have found music to fall in love with.
To understand the genesis of Jazz one must also understand the setting of its origin, New Orleans. The city was founded by the French in 1718, then in 1763 the city ceded to Spain and remained under Spanish control until later being returned to the French in 1803, and then was immediately sold to the United States under the Louisiana Purchase. New Orleans was also heavily populated by African slaves making up 30% of the total population of the city at this time; so New Orleans was experiencing a lot of cultural diversity and was being shaped and molded by the many different fashions of people who lived in the city. These different social groups along with their culture also brought with them their deep rooted musical traditions, the fusion and combination of these traditions would give rise to what we know today as modern day Jazz. Jazz is a genre of music that could only have formed in America; it draws from many different cultures and art forms creating a cocktail of traditional European and African music, mixed with a blend of Spanish tinge, with a strong base of blues filtered through the American experience.
In the 1920s there was a growing interest in country music, and bluegrass was one of the genres in hillbilly music that caught the attention all over the country. Known for the unique guitar sound, religious and gentle ballads, and mountain singing practices, the Carter Family is considered to be one of the great representatives of the bluegrass music in the Appalachian region. Loved by the audience all over the country, they established a “standard” sound that people would expect from bluegrass music. Taking a deeper look into the genre, almost all of the bluegrass groups are formed by solely white people. Why there were no traces of other races in the region being involved in the music? As the listener could imagine on the good old days and pretty scenery depicted in the bluegrass ballads, very little details on the lives of the people living in the present were heard from the songs. Bluegrass music is not a genre that provides listeners a genuine image of the musical and social landscape of the Appalachian region, but the commercialized music genre that is created by the white Appalachian residents for the whites in the whole United State America using newly-developed broadcast and commercial recording technology.
Last Sunday I went to jazz bar in Manhattan and I listened “Latin Jazz?E Latin jazz is “a fusion of African and indigenous rhythms from the entire Latin American Diaspora with the language of jazz?E It was first known as coop, but you are now familiar with it as afro-Cuban. When talking about afro-Cuban jazz, it is difficult to not mention certain turning points in history that made this music possible. The roots of much, of the music might be traced back to African Cuban slaves. In Cuba itself, music and dance are so essential to national character that you can not disentangle them from the country’s history. “The story of Latin jazz music is thus one of religions and revolutions, power and liberation, the collision of civilization?E In the United States we can never completely understand our own music, without referencing it to Cuban music. There are various characteristics that can define Latin jazz ranging from the savant grade to more popular forms. Some forms of popular music that most people are familiar with would have to be the mambo, salsa, cha-cha, and afro-Cuban jazz. These types of music were originated from north America, but to elaborate further, Latin immigrants can to new York and brought with them distinctive rhythms that blended together. Theses types of music and other music are contagious and an evolutionary process. No one person can take the credit for Latin jazz of any form of music that comes into the united s...
New Orleans has always been a big music town, for there has always been brass bands that played in the streets for parades, or for families to give comfort during a funeral.... ... middle of paper ... ... (The Influence of Jazz & Blues on Modern Music.”).
Music in the Caribbean was first developed by the Neo Indians around 1600 the Neo Indians died taken their culture and music. Music then reemerged when the African slaves came to the Caribbean. The type of music the Africans brought was both lively and entertaining. The slaves found a rhythm in everything they did from cutting cane to taking care of the homes of the planter class. They sang to keep their spirits up, because they were taken way from family back in Africa and the harsh working and living conditions affecting them.