The 26^th Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will fill Memorial Day weekend with an outstanding lineup of Cajun, Zydeco, Creole, Blues and Roots music with simultaneous performances on two stages both Saturday and Sunday, May 23^rd and 24^th. The Blues stage is featuring headliners from classic groups such as The Yardbirds and Canned Heat, to 82 year old Leo “Bud” Welch whose second album is being released this spring to the ever popular Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Candye Kane and Reverend Tall Tree. And the Cajun & Zydeco stage is presenting a unique all Louisiana line up on Sunday.

For the first time in the history of the festival, one band will cross over from the Cajun-Zydeco stage and also play the Blues stage. Dwayne Dopsie and his group the Zydeco Hellraisers will be the first performers to play both stages. They first appeared at the festival in 2014 and were such a hit that they were booked immediately to perform again, this time playing both stages on Saturday and again as part of the all Louisiana presentation on the Cajun-Zydeco stage on Sunday.

Dwayne Dopsie and The Zydeco Hellraisers are so popular in their home state of Louisiana that LouisianaTravel.com ranks them #29 in their list of the “Top 100 Reasons To Visit Louisiana.”

They have been named Best Zydeco Artist multiple times and in 2012 their album “Been Good to You” was named Best Zydeco Album at the Best of The Beat Awards. www.dwaynedopsie.com

For over 30 years, 2 time GRAMMY award winning artist Terrance Simien, 8^th generation Louisiana Creole, has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Zydeco roots music is and is not. Leading his Zydeco Experience band, Simien has become one of the most respected and accomplished artists in American roots music today. He and his band mates have performed over 7000 concerts, toured millions of miles to over 45 countries during their eventful career.

2014 marked another milestone when Simien and his collaborators from the Zydeco Experience band were honored with their second GRAMMY award in Los Angeles on January 26, 2014 at the Nokia Theatre. 2014 was their 28^th consecutive New Orleans Jazz Festival performance: an event that has become the gold standard for showcasing and celebrating all Louisiana music traditions.

We are thrilled to have Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience performing on our Cajun/Zydeco stage for the first time. They will be appearing on the Cajun & Zydeco stage Saturday, May 23^rd and again as part of our all Louisiana day on Sunday, May 24^th. www.terrancesimien.com

The Magnolia Sisters is a band of women who can play the whole gamut of musical styles from southwest Louisiana: Cajun, Creole, dancehall favorites, and front porch ballads. Because of their many rhythmic styles they are loved by dancers, who marvel at the variety of fun grooves they play.

They each switch from one instrument to another during their shows. They are also an ideal band for seated concerts because, in addition to their vast dancehall repertoire, they tell stories, sing rich harmonies on a cappella ballads, and play string band numbers from the 1930’s. Much of the Magnolia Sisters music has been gleaned from long-buried Cajun music jewels found their extensive archives.

While these older songs are the more unusual aspect of their sound, they also love to play energetic Cajun dancehall and Creole numbers that bring the audience to their feet. Whatever style they approach, they bring a freshness and vitality to the music. A musical evening with Magnolia Sisters is a fun and enriching experience as they explain the meanings of the songs, move between accordion two-steps, twin fiddle tunes, heavy bass Creole hits, dancehall standards and a cappella ballads. Their most recent CD “Stripped Down”(Arhoolie Records) was nominated for a Grammy in 2010.

We welcome the Magnolia Sisters to the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival for the first time. The Magnolia Sisters are appearing on the Cajun & Zydeco stage Saturday, May 23^rd and as part of the all Louisiana day on Sunday, May 24^th. www.magnoliasisters.com

In addition to 8 hours of music, simultaneously on two stages, for two days, the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival features a huge array of food choices from traditional barbecue, funnel cakes and kettle corn to Cajun-Creole food such as jambalaya, crawfish and alligator. And there are over 100 craft and merchandise booths to browse through.

Tickets are $ 25 per day at the gate for adults ages 13 and above (kids 12 and younger are free). Discount single day tickets are available on line for $ 20 and a two day pass for $ 35 is available only on line. www.simicajun.org