zydeco

noun

zy·de·co ˈzī-də-ˌkō

often attributive

: popular music of southern Louisiana that combines tunes of French origin with elements of Caribbean music and the blues and that features guitar, washboard, and accordion

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The History of Zydeco

You might say that the lively form of music known as zydeco is full of beans, etymologically speaking. Legend has it that the word zydeco originated in the lyrics of Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés, a popular Cajun dance tune. Loosely translated, the song's title means "the beans are not salty," and when spoken in French Creole, les haricots (French for beans) sounds something like "zydeco." "Zydeco" first appeared in print in 1960 and has been used to describe this kind of music ever since.

Examples of zydeco in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

The deep roster also features the soulful zydeco of Andre Thierry, the commanding blues of Alvon Johnson, and roots reggae from of Kava Jah and the Remedy. —

Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 11 June 2024 Familiar songs from the film will be used to tell the story along with original compositions fusing zydeco music and jazz. —

Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2024 Since its inception in 1997, this festival has also featured African rhythms like soukous and zydeco from New Orleans. —

Melissa Noel, Essence, 28 Nov. 2023 Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Arhoolie Records — an indispensable label for American roots music, from blues and zydeco to gospel and Mexican folk, for nearly seven decades — has died at the age of 91. —

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for zydeco