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• 1 2019-06-21T22:25:43-07:00 The Acts of Revival for Cajun Music: The Dance Hall Sounds of Zydeco 13 The rise of Zydeco in South Louisiana and its influence to Cajun Music plain 884594 2019-11-17T21:09:51-08:00 Another musical form that had started to become popular even before World War II was la musique Creole, otherwise known as “La La,” which was played at country dances and later dance clubs. The origins of “La La” however were not Cajun but Afro-creole/Creole, which featured a more Caribbean rhythm and blues-like style.[i] Amédé Ardoin was a pioneer in the “La La” style that become popular around South Louisiana and consequently integrated into the Cajun music repertoire. 
   
   
  
  After the war, though, the name of this style changed as it integrated music from the rhythm and blues scene, and it came to called “zydeco.” Zydeco is considered a hybrid music style that incorporates Afro-Caribbean rhythms, blues, and Cajun and Creole folk music.
   Zydeco, held a similar line up of Cajun instruments in its beginning, like the accordion and fiddle in Amédé Ardoin’s music, but this too changed with the replacing of a fiddle by a saxophone and a piano accordion instead of the smaller Cajun diatonic accordion.[ii] Other instruments that made up a Zydeco band were the drums, electric guitars, and the frottoir (rub board). However, the language for Zydeco music depends on the singers as they sang some songs in French and others in Creole-French or English. 
   

   
  
  
  
  
  
  LISTEN: The musician that brought zydeco to the radios’ and record labels’ attention was Clarence Garlow with his hit song “Bon Ton Roula (Let the Good Times Roll)” in 1949.[iii] While the song had themes of the rocking style of rhythm and blues (R&B), Garlow’s style influenced many Zydeco artists such as Boozoo Chavis and Clifton Chenier.

   

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You see me there well I ain't no fool
  I'm one smart Frenchman, never been to school
  Wanna get somewhere in the creole town
  To Start let me show you, your way around
   
  You let your bon ton roulie
  You let the mule-e pull-e
  Now don't you be no bully
  You let the bon ton roulet
   
  I've got a creole gal, she's one fine dish
  But she's got ways like the Opera fish
  She done do nothing but raise sand all night
  But when it come to loving she's a macho right
   
  We let the bon ton roulet
  We let the mule-e pull-e
  Now don't you be no bully
  We let the bon ton roulet
   
  You want to have yourself some real fine time
  Go down in Louisiana and you'll get you one
  You find and cut the cain all down the line
  I've got a cotton picker cause she's really fine
   
  We let your bon ton roulet
  We let the mule-e pull-e
  Now don't you be no bully
  We let the bon ton roulet
   
  At the church bazaar or the baseball game
  At the Frenchtown now, It's all the same
  You wanna have fun now, you got to go
  Way out the country to the Zydeco
   
  We let your bon ton roulet
  We let the mule-e pull-e
  Now don't you be no bully
  You let the bon ton roulet
   
   
  Also check out another version Garlow did, which acts like a sequel or a second part to his "Bon Ton Roulay."
  
  
  Clifton Chenier also did a cover of this famous song.
   
   
  
  
  Influenced by Amédé Ardoin and Garlow, Clifton Chenier, known as the "King of Zydeco," first made his mark in the early 1950s playing R&B mainly in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.[iv] Chenier is credited for bringing the Zydeco style to record companies’ attention as a must-have genre.  
  It was not until 1960 that Chenier appeared on the Zydeco scene through the Arhoolie label, which produced his album Louisiana Blues and Zydeco. The album featured R&B, blues and French two-steps and waltzes.
   
  
  LISTEN: A now favorite Zydeco song from this album is “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés,” that pays ode to the French metaphor that the word zydeco is derived from, “les haricots sont pas sales” (the snap beans are not salty) as well as other French phrases. The song is backed with Chenier on his accordion, a washboard and drums.
   
  FRENCH TRANSLATION:                  ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:
  Eh, maman,                                          Hey, mom
  Eh, maman,                                          Hey, mom
  Les haricots sont pas salés,                 The snap beans are not salty,
  Les haricots sont pas salés.                 The snap beans are not salty.
   
  T'au volé mon traîneau,                     You stole my sled,
  T'au volé mon traîneau,                     You stole my sled,
  Garde hip et taïaut,
  Les haricots sont pas salés.                 The snap beans are not salty.
   
  T'as volé mon gilet,                            You stole my vest,
  T'as volé mon chapeau,                     You stole my hat,
  Garde hip et taïaut,
  Les haricots sont pas salés.                 The snap beans are not salty.