Zydeco is NOT the same as Cajun. Both kinds of music come from French-speaking Southwest Louisiana. But what is now known as zydeco is a more modern form of the music, and it stems from the African=American French-speaking community (in southwest Louisiana, this is called "Creole"). Here's a simple way to tell the difference (but remember, there are bound to be exceptions!): If a piano accordion is used, or if a 2-row button accordion is used, it's zydeco. If it's a one-row button accordion, it could be either Cajun or zydeco. If there's a rubboard, it's zydeco; if there's a fiddle, it's Cajun. Drums and electric instruments are used in both kinds. IF there's an acoustic guitar, it's probably Cajun. Zydeco came into being during the 1940's. It's sort of analogous to bluegrass coming out of oldtime country music, or R&B emerging from the country blues. It has its roots in the older Cajun-Creole music, but also integrated other forms of music, including rhythm & blues, jazz, and (later on) rock and roll. A few of the early exponents of zydeco include the late, great Clifton Chenier and the wonderful Boozoo Chavis, still actively playing great music. Clifton's music was quite sophisticated; he played piano accordion as well as button accordion (in fact I think he played mainly piano accordion) and drew from a wide variety of sources. Boozoo's music is closer to the oldtime Creole styles; he plays 2 row button accordion. Cajun music has its roots in the French music that came to Louisiana with the Acadians, but those roots are pretty hard to discern now. In the 1920's recordings of French music from southwest Louisiana, there's not that much difference between the music being played by white and black musicians and in fact, one of the most influential accordion players, Amede Ardoin (a black man) recorded with Dennis McGee (a white fiddler). One confusing thing about Cajun music is that it has historically taken on aspects of whatever kind of music was popular at the time. Thus, you have Cleoma Falcon (who played with her husband Joe on the very first Cajun recording to be issued) recording "Lulu Revient Au Village" in the 1920's, the Hackberry Ramblers and other string bands doing Western Swing in the 1930's, Harry Choates recording "Dragging the Bow" in the 40's, Nathan Abshire trying his hand at Cajunesque swamp pop in the 50's, etc. This results in Beausoleil doing "Louie Louie" which, while it may not be the kind of folky Cajun music that I myself prefer, is completely "correct" when you consider the historical hybrid aspects of the music. I could go on about this topic forever but this is probably more than enough. I hope I answered your question. I would have thought Tracy Schwarz would have jumped in here too but he's probably at Augusta or something.