For more than 2 decades Grammy award winning artist Terrance Simien, 8th generation Louisiana Creole has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Creole Zydeco music is and is not. Leading his Zydeco Experience Band, Simien has become a highly respected, internationally recognized touring and recording artist and Cultural Ambassador for his state. He has presented thousands of performances, toured millions of miles to over 40 countries and reached at least a million people during his eventful 25 year career.

Born (appropriately!) in 1965 into the hippie folk and soul music era, Simien grew artistically being influenced by all of the great music that has defined our country’s musical legacy, including music from that era. He was as influenced by Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel as he was by Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke and the Meters. And of course hailing from one of the first Creole families documented to have settled St. Landry Parish he was deeply affected by the great Zydeco music pioneers like Chenier, Delafose, Chavis, Ardoin and Fontenot to name a few. He counts himself one of the fortunate, as he is the last generation with a direct link to these pioneers, some of whom mentored him as an emerging artist. In turn he has assumed that same role to a new generation of young Zydeco talents as he understands how critical mentoring is to the survival of the music that is so critical to the cultural identity of Louisiana.

At the young age of 18 Simien began touring professionally full time and by 20 he was sharing the stage with Fats Domino and Sarah Vaughn at the Bern Jazz Festival. It just exploded from there and Terrance remains a pivotal part of Zydeco music history because when he began his professional career in the early 1980's there were only 2 emerging bands touring nationally. It was quite simply the young Terrance and the Sam Brothers who were continuing the traditions of this unique indigenous roots music. He became a critical part of the "renaissance" of a music genre that was in jeopardy of dying off. Clifton Chenier died in 1987 and by the end of the 1990’s all of the Zydeco pioneers had passed away leaving Terrance as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable to carry the Zydeco music torch.

Simien is blessed with an extraordinary talent that expresses the deepest human emotions through the original instrument: The Voice. His eclectic fusion of Zydeco takes you on a multicultural musical tour of the world. Incorporating diverse music styles he creates a hypnotic blend of Zydeco-roots- New Orleans funk-reggae flavored- Afro-Caribbean-world music that will force you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. He has found a way to express himself as a relevant and evolving artist who remains reverent to his roots and musical legacy. His live performances have garnered him a level of international success and his fully engaged audiences around the globe have become more Zydeco Experienced than ever before!

During the past 25 years Simien has shared studio and stage with Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Keith Richards, Art Neville, the Meters, Alan Toussaint, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. He has been featured in dozens of films, including the blockbuster hit “The Big Easy”, TV movies and advertising. His music has been heard on public radio and featured on FM syndicated radio shows that have been heard by millions worldwide. His recordings have been praised by Rolling Stone, Billboard, other notable music industry publications and major daily newspapers.