Terrance Simien

Terrance Simien is a cajun zydeco artist who first rose out of the swampland near Eunice Louisiana into prominence as a teenage accordian wunderkind when noted style pirate Paul Simon hijacked him for a recorded cover of Clifton Chenier's "You Used to Call Me" in 1984. Not long after, Simien appeared with his band Terrance Simien & The Mallet Playboys in the New Orleans based feature film "The Big Easy", seen performing with star Dennis Quaid on a song that he wrote and featured on the successful soundtrack album. When the first Grammy award for Cajun/Zydeco music was finally awarded in 2007 Simien nabbed the initial trophy in the genre. Simien now fronts the Zydeco Experience Band and has taken his unique danceable sound around the globe from Cuba to Canada, Mississippi to Mali, Paraguay to Paris.

In 1990 his debut album with his band the Mallet Playboys "Zydeco on the Bayou" appeared followed in 1993 by There's Room For Us All. The Mardi Gras party anthem vibe continued on Positively Beadhead. In 2001 Simien released Tribute Sessions, on the Aim Records, label which included folklore narratives by Simien between music tracks paying tribute to some of his regional influences. Newer albums include "Across The Parish Line"appeared in 2006 and his energetic barefoot, bead-shaking bayou bad boy concert sound is captured on Live World Wide.