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zydeco

/ˌzaɪdəˈkoʊ/
IPA guide

Zydeco is a type of music you might hear if you spend time in Louisiana — it's fast and lively, primarily played on accordions, and extremely easy to dance to.

Zydeco evolved from a traditional black Creole music sometimes called "la la music," influenced by African and Caribbean traditions as well as blues. It was invented to be dance and party music, incorporating energetic rhythms and portable instruments including fiddles and washboards as well as accordions. One guess about the etymology of zydeco attributes it to the Creole French phrase les haricots ne sont pas salés, literally "the snap beans aren't salty," and figuratively "times are hard."

Definitions of zydeco
  1. noun
    music of southern Louisiana that combines French dance melodies with Caribbean music and blues
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    type of:
    C and W, country and western, country music
    a simple style of folk music heard mostly in the southern United States; usually played on stringed instruments
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