What is that word, “Zydeco”?

Popular folklore tells the story that the word came from a corruption of the Creole French saying spoken quickly” les haricot son pas sale”, (the snap beans are not salty) could sound like “les zydeco son pas sale.” The academic interpretation and the one we favor finds the word rooted in one of the many African words “zaico, zodico, zari, zarico or zaico laga laga”, all meaning “ dance, to dance, a dance”. The music has evolved a great deal throughout the years and like the DNA of a Louisiana Creole it has become a fusion of many different styles and musical influences. The one constant in the music has been the change. Each generation of zydeco artists helped shape the music into what it is today.