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Cajun music, like cajun cooking and cajun culture is a blend of all the multi-cultural
spices that make up southern Louisiana. You cant get much closer to the heart
of Acadiana than when you are listening to the tunes of its music. Times were
hard in the early 1900's for the refugees exiled from nova scotia. Inspiration
provoked song that hoped to elevate the pain by wailing of lost loves and bitter
circumstances. In addition to the hardships these people faced, many different
cultures played a role in what makes up the music of Southern Louisiana. The
acadians picked up some tunes from the french creoles who brought western french
folk songs to the scene. Native American Indians bellowed vocal lines which
jumped progressively in steps. Black Creoles garnered a sense of rhythm and
a taste for percussive techniques, inserting the blues and the improvisational
lyrics. The accordian resulted all the way from Austria, brought about by german-jewish
merchants. Anglo-american musicians added the fiddle. through the combination
off all these diverse backgrounds the melting pot produced cajun and zydeco
music.
Until the end of World War II, there was little difference between cajun music
and its close cousin, zydeco music. The difference is basically that
zydeco comes
from the african-american, french-speaking population of southern Louisiana,
and cajun music is usually associated with that of the Canadian exiles' french-speaking
white descendants. The main instruments that accent the difference between
cajun and zydeco are the fiddle and the accordian. While they both incorporate
the two, cajun music rely's heavily on the fiddle while zydeco spotlights the
accordian. Zydeco usually has a more rhythmic feeling, leading its way through
an accordian by way of bass and drum lines. A washboard is used by both,
but it originated in the creole sense of things due to lack of funds. Sticks
were rubbed together, washboards were turned into instruments and spoons were
played just as if they were created to be included in the musical world. As
you will notice upon one visit to louisiana, cajuns are a people filled with
joy, kindness, and the ability to turn anything or any situation into a good
time. This music
created from resources and times of scarcity create hope and joy- just like
the cajun people are quick to display. This music is a feeling, an atmosphere
that will keep anyone coming back for more!
Here are some suggested recordings that are sure to get your feet stompin'!
   
   
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