Zydeco - Cajun

A style of dance music, usually called zydeco but also sometimes known as Cajun, arose in the state of Louisiana approximately a hundred years ago. It reached its heyday in New Orleans during the fifties and sixties. The first term is frequently assigned to America's black population, the second to the whites. French and German emigrés brought accordions, washboards, and violins to the Mississippi, mingling their music with African elements, echoes of the blues, and snippets from other immigrant cultures. The accordion had the advantage that it could stand out in noisy bars and carry the bass, melody, and rhythm. It became the leading instrument in this music. To the present day, zydeco brings people together for uninhibited cross-generational music-making, listening, dancing, eating, and drinking. The 15 songs and instrumentals have been arranged for accordion, violin, guitar, bass, and a vocal part where appropriate. Mostly, fully written-out percussion accompaniments are included. The editor, Ralf Schwarzien, is a composer and arranger of many accordion editions, not only in the field of zydeco and Cajun. He is also a conductor, sought-after speaker, as well as a teacher at the German 'Harmonikaverband'.