Louisiana Zydeco/Soul Dance Party with Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience

For over 40 years, two-time GRAMMY award winning, 8th generation Louisiana Creole, Terrance Simien (born September 3, 1965), has been shattering the myths and often misinformation, about what his traditional Zydeco roots music is – and is not. It most certainly is American roots music and it is music born of the black and mixed race French speaking Creoles of South Louisiana. It’s exhilarating and as complex and diverse as the Creoles. It’s also more than just one rhythm and one tempo.  Sure it’s about dancing; “less dancing please”, said no-one ever! But, it’s also about grooving in place and dancing freely. It’s definitely about the vocal performance as well. Terrance’s lead vocals and the stunning three part harmonies of he, Danny and Stan – are proof positive that vocal performances matter – a lot! Zydeco is dynamic and evolving – remaining relevant to allow its artists to express themselves within their genre without constraints.

The late, Dr. John and Terrance’s friend/hero, once told him “if the music ain’t changin, it’s dyin.” We couldn’t agree with you more, Mac!

Simien leads a highly skilled Zydeco Experience band with long time member and creative collaborator Danny Williams (30+ years, two-GRAMMY award winning), keyboards, vocals; Stan Chambers (10+ years, GRAMMY award winning), bass, vocals; Ian Molinaro – Thompson, drums; Revon Andrews, trombone and Orlando Gilbert, saxophone. Both Ian and Orlando are Berklee College graduates. Another Berklee College grad, Ethan Santos, trombone, also joins us on tour. Three Berklee grads in one zydeco band is definitely a first for this genre and we could not be more honored they chose this music, and our group. Not only is the group multicultural and multi racial, it is now intergenerational! Three OG’s and three Gen Z’s.  We like to also think of them as Generation Zydeco.

Simien is as knowledgeable about this music genre as anyone alive today, because he’s now been touring and recording professionally, as a band leader almost as long as any zydeco artist in history! Fact not fiction. With one exception -the Queen, Ida Guillory! In fact he’s only one of a handful from a generation with a direct link to the pioneers of contemporary zydeco who with the exception of the Queen, Ida Guillory (born in 1929) have all passed on. When Simien started his band in high school in 1981, he was one of only 3 young zydeco artists performing the music as all the others were 20+ years older than he was. Another little known fact for those not as knowledgeable about the history of zydeco, Simien is one of those young emerging artists who was responsible for the 1990’s renaissance of zydeco music, and was mentored by John Delafose and encouraged by Clifton Chenier “to do his own thing” like Chenier did and was hugely successful.