Cajun & Celtic player from Cornwall, UK

[goemonier]

Hi everyone. I've been playing piano accordion for more years than I care to remember, mostly Cornish/Celtic music but recently distracted to playing Cajun & Zydeco!
I'm here to learn and share experience mainly around the practicalities of playing accordion on stage.

 

[Anyanka]

Welcome on board - I'm looking forward to some Cajun input!

 

[Glenn]

Welcome Goemonier.
Nice to have you here.
By the way, what exactly is Zydeco?

 

[george garside]

its completely different from Cajun but only just!

george

 

[jarvo]

its completely different from Cajun but only just!

george

.....and he aint wrong..........it's a bit like religious differences.......and how it's played and danced to.....and what instruments and all gets a bit confusing to those of who like both and don't differentiate to much.....but it's also a culture thing ....

CJ

PS

Zydeco the word is supposed to come from Haricots "Les haricots ne sont pas salés, which, when spoken in the Louisiana Creole French, sounds as "leh-zy-dee-co nay sohn pah salay". This literally translates as "the snap beans aren't salty" but idiomatically as "I have no spicy news for you" So says Wikipedia........






<SIZE size="150">Sorry...Welcome to Accordion Forums.......from a fan , but with no real knowledge, of Cajun and Zydeco (Clifton and his lad, the Cheniers especially)

 

[Tom]

Cajun and Zydeco are assiciated because they are associated with a similar geography - (what's the difference between Celtic and Irish?) and therefore share some common roots. Some Cajun peope play Zydeco music. Some non Cajun people play Zydeco music. Some non Cajun people play Cajun music. Cajun music was invented before the piano accordion became popular in Zydeco music. Many Zydeco musicians use button accordions (melodeons to you!). Classic Cajun music relied on the fiddle as much as the accordion. Fiddles are rare in Zydeco music. Zydeco is often considered a more recent, uptempo, dancehall development.

So you could say that Cajun music developed from days of old when the French people moved to Luisiana and brought thier fiddles and accordions with them (or their fiddles and voices and picked up accordions later). Zydeco developed in the same general area but later in time and is often associated with an African American influence. This is a broad over generalization with an ocean of irregularities and a grain of truth as usual. Another way to look at is the difference between Zydeco and Cajun is the same as the difference between blues and rock and roll - electricity.

Then again, that's just my ideas, I could be wrong, I would not live in Luisiana/Texas if you paid me, it's too hot and humid all the time, plus it floods. Go figure. Just go to youtube and search on one and then the other, you'll get the picture!!! Welcome Geo!!!!!

 

[jarvo]

<HIGHLIGHT highlight="#ff80bf">[highlight=#ff80bf]Another way to look at is the difference between Zydeco and Cajun is the same as the difference between blues and rock and roll - electricity.[/highlight]</HIGHLIGHT>




Tom

.....you just hit the nail on the head for me....I knew about the button box / fiddle thing but it never occurred to me that there is a parallel between say Delta Blues (acoustic) and Chicago blues (electric) ,Bluegrass (Acoustic) and Not Bluegrass (It's got an EEElectric Geeetar innit ! ---that caint be Bluegrass)... :lol:

...no seriously good simple line in the sand.......Cajun fiddles and Acoustic Button Boxes and a bit more structured.....Zydeco...similar tunes but anything goes instrument wise (over simplification)......I also understand that they are danced to quite differently....one (and I am not sure which) has the dancers keeping to a spot on the floor and the other one the dancers perambulate the floor.....both have seriously great music though.......

 

[Tom]

.....both have seriously great music though....... You nailed it Jarvo!

... Basically, when the Hackberry Ramblers play Jolie Blonde with a Cajun (button) accordion it's Cajun, when Buckwheat Zydeco plays it with a piano accordion it's Zydeco..

 

[Glenn]

Got any good youtube vids to demonstrate?

 

[Eannain]

Welcome to the forum

Havent listened to cajun music for a while, but it brings back memories of a road trip from Houston to New Orleans about ten years back. I do like a bit of Beausoleil now and again.

 

[jarvo]

Sorry but we are trampling all over goemonier's intro post ....perhaps we should take this over to the Cajun part ? .......unless you want to pitch in goemonier ?

 

[Daveg4otu]

Welcome goemonier...I am not so far from you over the border in Torquay. Also a fan of Zydeco and Cajun. A novice at playing the accordion - I am a guitarist who has defected. Been struggling for about a year and finally getting the idea. Am a fan on C J Chenier, Doug Kershaw, Jimmy Newman, JoEl Sonnier etc.

 

[jarvo]

Have we scared you away ? oooops