Cajun and Zydeco Music in Southern Louisiana

Cajun and zydeco music share some similarities, and both trace their lineage to this part of the world. Cajun music originated with the Acadian settlers who populated southwestern Louisiana during the late 18th century, and is almost always sung in French. Zydeco was originated by African-American sharecroppers, slaves and farmers of the area during the mid-19th century. Each form had considerable influence on the other, and some of the same instruments are used in both – especially the mainstay accordion – but Cajun music bears a closer resemblance to French and other European folk music, while zydeco is closer to blues, Afro-Caribbean music and R&B.

Just outside Eunice at the Savoy Music Center, Saturday morning jam sessions have been drawing musicians well known and unknown for decades. The music store’s owner, Mark Savoy, handcrafts Cajun accordions, and every weekend he and his cronies show how they’re meant to be played. Not far away in tiny Mamou, a live music radio program on Saturday mornings packs them in at Fred’s Lounge. The place always fills up with patrons enjoying beer for breakfast and some of the best live foot-stomping Cajun music in Lousiana. In nearby Lafayette, thousands flock each October to Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, a music, food and craft festival.