Marcella Simien and the Zydeco Blues
Epitomizing a marriage between zydeco and blues that embodies generations of an authentic musical tradition, Marcella Simien proudly takes her place as a standard bearer of the Creole sound through spiritual reinvention and modern innovation. Daughter of zydeco legend Terrance Simien, Marcella’s recent performances at the Jazz Fest, alongside the release of her first solo album “To Bend to the Will of a Dream That’s Being Fulfilled,” are a culmination of a lifetime spent seeking, dreaming and singing the soul of her heritage.
“The first song on the album, ‘Bloodline,’ is directly tapped into the wavelength of the past, ancestral trust and an inner wisdom,” says Marcella. “From an early age, I was witnessing my dad captivate audiences, and although I was maybe too young to know exactly what was going on, I knew what was going on. A profound inner knowing.”
“To Bend to the Will of a Dream That’s Being Fulfilled” is atmospheric and introspective, as much about Marcella as her family history. The third track on the album, ‘Leila’, celebrates Marcella’s Creole roots through the spirit of her great-grandmother, a hardworking woman who raised 15 children, made her own soap and lived entirely off the land. Though she had never met her, Marcella is able to conjure the feeling of her ancestor through a musical meditation that transcends the bounds of time and space. There is magic in the passing of love through generations, and perhaps no form is better suited for spiritual transference than the interweaving of blues and zydeco, of music born from the spirits of hardworking people with callouses on their hands and love in their hearts. It is this legacy, above all others, to which Marcella is most indebted.
“Amédé Ardoin was sent from God to give us early Creole music. In my opinion, the seeds he planted are where zydeco sprouted from — same goes for Canray Fontenot and Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin,” says Marcella. “The soul of zydeco to me is Louisiana’s Creole people, Creole culture, the smell of a sauce piquant in papaw’s kitchen, the spirit of people who want to feel free and have a good time in community with one another.”
With performance dates running through fall 2025, Marcella is ready to connect to new audiences. There is something ethereal in Marcella’s voice, harmonizing alongside the traditional whine of the accordion and the soft percussions that remind the ear of simple acoustics played upon the bark of ancient cypress trees and lit by the flicker of fireflies. If the sound of Louisiana is the wail of zydeco, Marcella Simien is doing her part to spread its good word through a voice that is uniquely her own yet carries with it the profound weight of legacy.
