Originally know as "la-la music," zydeco came out of the homes of Creole communities in southwest Louisiana. Creole refers, in this instance, to the Spanish, Portuguese, African, Caribbean and French descendants who lived in this area. Louisiana was part of the territory that originally was under Spanish and French control before becoming part of the United States.
The word zydeco is an expression derived from the French "les haricots." There is a saying, "les haricots sont pas salé," which means "the snapbeans are not salted." Traditionally, this phrase refers to a time when things were so tough that people could not even afford to season their beans with salt.
What makes zydeco so different from Creole music is the introduction of the accordion. The accordion is one of the most prevelant instruments in zydeco music along with the fiddle, the washboard (frottoir), guitar, drums and bass.
Zydeco music went through several changes in the 20th century. Blues, Cajun music, R&B and Caribbean music all have influenced the sound of zydeco music.
Clifton Chenier is considered the father of zydeco. He recorded his first album in 1954 and brought the music to the mainstream by mixing traditional zydeco with other popular styles of music. In 1984, he won a Grammy Award for his album "I'm Here!" Chenier also is credited with inventing the frottoir, a washboard-type instrument that hangs over the shoulders on the chest, and for first using a piano accordion instead of the diatonic accordion, which was more traditionally used for zydeco.
Zydeco music always has been a social music that was meant to be danced to. According to the King of Zydeco, "If you can't dance to zydeco, you can't dance, period."