MUSIC Photo courtesy of Jake Springfield
Learning to sit still
AFTER 35 YEARS OF CONSTANT MOTION, TERRANCE SIMIEN LEARNS HE CAN STAY HOME — AND LIVE
T
BY DWAYNE FATHERREE
here’s a lot to be said for perspective. And, for Terrance Simien, the last year has offered it in spades. The Mallet native has plied his trade for decades, playing his particular flavor of zydeco to fans across the globe. The band was the first to showcase zydeco in a major motion picture, 1986’s “The Big Easy.” Simien even made an appearance on a Disney soundtrack, 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog,” playing accordion, rubboard and triangle on “Gonna Take You There,” his collaboration with Randy Newman. “I’ve been very fortunate to have certain things happen,” Simien said. “We got the first zydeco song in a Disney film. Then the Grammy in the zydeco music category, and then a second Grammy in a different category. In the last year, I had time to look back at all that we were able to accomplish. It’s very humbling.” At this point in his career, Simien performs internationally, mostly at performing arts centers and festivals, and also at schools, where he introduces students to zydeco music and Louisiana’s Creole culture through his Creole For Kids educational program.
ROUX
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 2021
51
