Terrance Simien :: Zydeco-Cajun Grammy Effort

zydeco/cajun grammy story...

NEW “BEST ZYDECO OR CAJUN MUSIC ALBUM” GRAMMY VOTING CATEGORY ESTABLISHED BY THE RECORDING ACADEMY CAPPING A 6 _ YEAR EFFORT LED BY TERRANCE AND CYNTHIA SIMIEN AND THE LOUISIANA ZYDECO AND CAJUN MUSIC COMMUNITIES

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (June 9, 2007) A new Grammy voting category has been established by the Trustees and the Awards and Nominations Committee of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The Zydeco and Cajun Music community of Louisiana wishes to thank the Academy for accepting our proposal for a dedicated category under the current Folk Field. We will now join the Traditional and Contemporary Folk/Americana, Native American and Hawaiian Music categories. With this new category The Recording Academy has recognized the critical contributions these “evolving genres” have made to the diverse musical landscape of this country.

Previously Louisiana Zydeco and Cajun Music recordings were entered in the general Contemporary and Traditional Folk categories. Contemporary Folk is the category that houses entries from Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash and Lucinda Williams to John Hiatt and was recently renamed Contemporary Folk/Americana, with up to 200 recordings being entered each year. Other Zydeco and Cajun Music recordings were entered in the Traditional Folk categories, which is a smaller category yielding some Cajun Music nominations. The last Cajun album to win a Grammy was in 1997 from the band BeauSoilel. The last Zydeco Grammy win was in 1985 with Rockin Sidney Simien from Lake Charles, LA after Queen Ida Guillory and Clifton Chenier each won a Grammy in 1982 and 1983.

Now every year there will be 5 Zydeco and Cajun Music albums nominated for a Grammy. From now on there will be one Zydeco or Cajun Music album that will win a Grammy award every single year instead of once every 10-20 years.

This is a great testament to how important the indigenous Zydeco and Cajun Music recordings are to the cultural and musical identity of Louisiana, the south and this country. For decades these internationally known music genres have contributed significantly to cultural tourism, the cultural economy and the cultural identity of Louisiana. Finally, the source musicians; the creators of these indigenous genres will be recognized next to their recording industry peers in the 109 other categories.

Terrance Simien of Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, is an internationally known 25 year touring and recording artist and respected Cultural Ambassador of Louisiana. Cynthia Simien, 965 Music Group is artist management and booking for Terrance Simien. She is a National Trustee of The Recording Academy and on the Louisiana Music Commission. Their non profit MusicMatters, Inc. is committed to artist advocacy and education. We thank all of our community and state partners, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, Chuck Morse and the Office of Culture Recreation and Tourism, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, Michelle Leder and Ray Landry, The Cajun French Music Association, Don and Charles Cravins, Cecil Doyle at KRVS, Jon Hornyak, Executive Director of the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and Herman Fusilier of The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, LA.

Visit grammy.com for information on membership, advocacy and artist assistance programs.

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Cynthia and Terrence:
My heartfelt congratulations to the two of you for reaching the finish line – and for never giving up on your mission. You two are proof that a single person or small group of people can change the world. You’ve certainly changed the world for Acadiana and Louisiana musicians from this day forth. You’ve got a standing ovation from the staff of the Acadiana Arts Council! b
Buddy Palmer
Executive Director
Acadiana Center for the Arts

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Great news about the new Grammy category!
CONGRATULATIONS on all the hard work. Glad it paid off. Robert Wiley, ULL
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Wow, Guys! Congratulations!
You've done a wonderful thing for our state and for our culture. Cynthia--Wow!!!
Lynn
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Cynthia,
Congratulations on the big Grammy announcement! I know that I don't have to tell you what you have done, but you have tirelessly worked toward this and it has all come to fruition...I know you feel great. What an amazing accomplishment! You're to be congratulated and honored.

Lynn
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Email - jay@blues.org The National Blues Foundation

Congratulations. You did it. The Recording Academy agrees to a zydeco/cajun category. I know that is two kinds of music, but is still better than before!!!
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Email - steve@nolamotion.com

CONGRATULATIONS! And thank you for your tenacity and hard work. This accomplishment is a permanent symbol of your lives and efforts. I know that my feelings, and those of so many others, are beyond words. You have honored Louisiana and enshrined your love and dedication. This is a truly beautiful and awesome moment that now will annually uplift us all. I am moved by joy and by my appreciation for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.CONGRATS! This is not only validation of the genre but will ultimately expose exponentially more people to our music. I've made sure our news dept got this and hopefully they follow-up asap...they may already done something.... I'm in El Paso catching some tex/mex musica...lots of similarities... but will look forward to spreading the good news when I'm back next week.

Congratulations again...you have something to be very proud of!

Regards,
Rob Perillo
KATC Channel 3 News, Lafayette
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Cynthia,
Great accomplishments follow great work! Congratulations to you and Terrance on securing the Grammy category. I know how hard you worked and how frustrating it was to deal with the skeptics. While your accomplishment is already huge, I think history will show that the designation of this category had a tremendous impact on the overall economy of Acadiana.
Keep up the good work.
Geoff
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Geoffrey T. Stewart, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing & Hospitality
The University of Louisiana
337-482-5915
June 8, 2007
Cajun/Zydeco Grammy® Category!
Filed under: Blogroll, Music — nolamotion @ 12:29 pm

A hard fought, more than 6 year battle, singularly led by a determined Cynthia Simien, is finally won. There is now a Grammy® category for Cajun & Zydeco music. The effort was perceived by Louisiana music advocates as an obvious gap in the awards; but, the process of adding a category was overwhelming to most. Cynthia Simien, whose husband Terrance Simien is a major zydeco star and advocate, spent countless hours working the system to achieve this milestone. She not only joined the Recording Academy (NARAS), which gives the awards, but rose through the organization to become a member of its regional Board of Governors, Vice President and now Trustee where she worked tirelessly to make this happen.

Though many people lent their names and time to this effort, it is and was the work of Cynthia Simien that deserves the most credit. She rightfully deserves accolades far beyond what I can give via this blog. Those of us who know Cynthia and shared her energy and her sometimes much-deserved wrath, are proud beyond words for her, Terrance and for Louisiana. We now have a validation long sought; and, every year, Cajun and Zydeco music will have a bright spotlight as the Grammys® honor our best.

Thank you Cynthia & Terrance Simien. You have honored Louisiana with this remarkable and permanent achievement.