Today I learned that ZYDECO is a music genre

Rocker

The word ZYDECO cropped up in a WordScape* puzzle.  I had never come across the word before, so I looked it up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco

And for some idea of what it actually sounds like:





*  I had a few of the letters for the word in the puzzle, by the simple method of trying every possible combination of the remaining available letters, I hit it lucky with ZYDECO.  

Moe_Zambeek

Never heard of Clifton Chenier then? 

Rory G was a big fan.

Rocker

Correct, I never heard of Clifton Chenier.  But there is a lot of music out there that I never heard of either.  Having listened to the video, and there are a few other videos online, I can understand Rory liking it.  I think I can hear influences on some of his recorded tracks.  And Yes, I am a fan of Rory.......

Moominpapa

Paul Simon, "That Was Your Mother" (from the Gracelands album)

"Dance to the music of Clifton Chenier"

not_the_dj

I saw “R Cajun and the Zydeco Brothers” at a Folk Festival a few years back. Sure gets your feet tapping. 

bluechargeboy

Paul Jones used to play a good bit of Cajun & Zydeco music on his blues show back in the day.

I've seen and enjoyed CJ Chenier (Clifton's son) live at some point in the dim and distant. I'd forgotten the whole thing existed TBH. Might have to revisit!

EricTheWeary

You have Cajun and Zydeco which are similar, I think they roughly divide into Cajun is white and Zydeco is black. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of it before as Moe says Rory G even wrote a song about Clifton Chenier and he gets a mention in the Paul Simon song That Was Your Mother. 

Oops, paused and came back and Moominpapa had mentioned the Simon song. 

Sherman Robertson was the guitarist in Chenier’s band in the later stages and played on Simon’s Graceland and is a wonderful solo artist and blues guitarist, sadly too unwell to play since 2012. But there is a big blues element to zydeco. 

Denise LaSalle had a hit with a pop version of Don't Mess With My Toot Toot in the 1980s which is a traditional zydeco song and the only example I can think of the genre crossing over into something more mainstream. 

EricTheWeary

An ageing Clifton Chenier with I think Sherman Robertson on guitar. The announcer at the end says Harry Hypolite who also played with Chenier and was a solo blues artist but I’m fairly sure it’s Sherman; lovely busy bluesy version of a Ray Charles song, the dancer is great.