[wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2001[/wolf_highlight_text] Featured on CNN Worldbeat as well as House of Blues Radio Hour w/ Dan Aykroyd. Featured on Mountain Stage w/BR549 and E-town, (radio shows) Boulder CO. w/ Joe Ely. Opened shows for Robert Cray in Australia. Recorded a song for a compilation of John Hiatt songs, “Rollin into Memphis” Released “The Tribute Sessions”. Toured with Dave Matthews Band. E-town radio guest. (3rd visit) w/ Del McCoury Band. [wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2002 [/wolf_highlight_text]Continued to tour exclusively at select festivals, art centers and outdoor concert events throughout the country. Released Creole for Kidz& The History of Zydeco. The first zydeco artist to play the nationally syndicated “Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour”, Louisville, KY. He remains at the forefront of a national initiative to have a new Zydeco and Cajun Music Grammy voting category established. Elected Board of Governor to the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy. [wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2003 [/wolf_highlight_text] Headlined a rare four island tour of Hawaii including the remote village of Hana. Toured Australia for a 3rd time. Recognized by the Board of Education of Lafayette, LA, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and The LA Division of the Arts with grants to support his work to elevate the Creole culture and his indigenous zydeco music with the only multicultural arts in education program of its type “Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco”. National promotion with House of Blues, Bruce Foods and the Louisiana State Office of Tourism. Official Louisiana Purchase national ad & cruise. [wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2004-2005 [/wolf_highlight_text] Simien continues his mission to elevate his indigenous music and raise the bar as a highly respected Cultural Ambassador of LA. The first Zydeco artist to perform in Cuba with the US State Dept. Performed in Brazil. Presented educational outreach residencies around the country. [wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2006-2007[/wolf_highlight_text] Extensive national and international touring. Jan 2006 Simien and his bandmates headlined the Sydneyfestival.com (Australia) with Dirty Dozen Brass Band for an audience of 100,000 people, a record for the event. Traveled to South America, Paraguay and a 5th trip to Brazil. Released “Across the Parish Line”, featuring Paul Simon, David Hidalgo and Marcia Ball. Appears in the HBO documentary film, “The Music in Me: Children’s Recitals from Classical to Latin, Jazz to Zydeco” Nominated for a prestigious United States Artists $50,000 Fellowship Award for artistic achievement. Featured on a Sylvania E-Logic Light Bulb Commercial singing “This Little Light of Mine” playing accordion. 2 week 5 city tour of Australia. Appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show with Aaron Neville. Was victorious in his effort to establish a new dedicated Grammy voting category for “Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album”. Tour of Mail with Carnegie Hall/Weill Institute Distance Learning Program-Global Encounters: integrating multicultural music traditions with high school social studies. Stimmen Voice Festival in Germany. A unique 2 week Cultural Exchange with The US State Dept to connect Louisiana Creole culture with the indigenous Creole/Kreol populations in Mauritius, Rodrigues and Seychelles, 3 island countries in the Indian Ocean. 2007 “Creole People’s Award” from Northwestern State University Creole Heritage Center. Simien receives his first Grammy nomination. Offbeat Best of the Beat Award. [wolf_highlight_text color=”red”]2008[/wolf_highlight_text] Simien and his band mates win Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album, “Live! Worldwide”. Opens Grammy pretelecast awards with a 10 minute performance. Featured in a national television commercial and print ad campaign for Louisiana State Tourism. Guest vocalist on Marcia Ball Grammy nominated and Dr. John’s Grammy winning CD’s. Presented Creole for Kidz& The History of Zydeco for more than 20,000 students at 5 major International Children’s Festivals in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton in Canada. Big Easy Entertainment Award .
