Marcella Simien is often in a trance when she performs her trademark “swamp soul,” a lilting, musical gumbo of accordion, spirituality, Louisiana Creole roots, Memphis soul and a voice that’s been described as silky and seductive. Simien really feels the spirit when she sings “Lelia,” an ode to her great, great-grandmother.
Back in the 1700s in St. Landry Parish, Lelia had 15 children. The family members made their own clothes and soap and lived off the land.
Simien calls that legacy a gift of knowledge and survival…