music of southern Louisiana that combines French dance melodies with Caribbean music and blues

Zydeco is a form of folk music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone Creole peoples of south-west Louisiana and influenced by the music of the French-speaking Cajuns. It is heavily syncopated (back-beat), usually fast-tempo, and dominated by the button or piano accordion and a form of a washboard known as a rub-board or vest frottoir. Originating in Africa, the vest frottoir was introduced to Louisiana in the 1930s.

Zydeco as a dance style has its roots in a form of folk dance that corresponds to the heavily syncopated Zydeco music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone Creole peoples of Acadiana (south-west Louisiana). It is a partner dance that has been primarily danced socially and sometimes in performances.