Music has a powerful impact on people by evoking emotions, inspiring creativity, and bringing people together. It is known to influence one’s mood and behavior. Music stems from all over the world and is created from different national identities, races and ethnicities. Zydeco and Cajun music styles are just two of the many music styles that represent a confluence of styles and cultural backgrounds. They share a multitude of similarities and differences when it comes to the style of music. Both zydeco and cajun music styles address a number of issues related to identity, ethnicity, class, race, and gender. The music style associated with Creole identity known as zydeco music, emerged in the mid-twentieth century. This style of music was born in Louisiana from a cultural …show more content…
Similar to Creole identity, Cajun identity also descends from Louisiana with a French speaking background. Cajun identity is shown throughout the song ‘Allons A Lafayette (“Let’s Go To Lafayette,” Cajun Song).’ This song has worldwide popularity because of the importance of the lyrics. According to the book ‘Soundscapes : Exploring Music In a Changing World,’ Shelemay states “Cajun song was one of the few means of preserving the special Cajun French dialect, and, by extension, Cajun identity. Cajun music has recently been at the center of efforts to revive Cajun culture by a generation that has lost the ability to speak the language” (Shelemay.) It is said that Cajun French declined significantly until the late twentieth century. In spite of that, the Cajun Song played an important role in reviving a language rarely spoken. Cajuns and Creoles were often divided along racial lines, however, they were always equal in class, and have lived together as neighbors for a very long time. Despite the tension between the two groups, Cajuns and Creoles often