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Known as The Musical Ambassador of New Orleans, for the past 30 years Lillian has been capturing the hearts and ears of listeners from the
Mississppi Delta to Bondi Beach performing her special brand of R&B, Jazz, and Gospel and hosting singing workshops for adults and kids of all ages.
She can be seen in Stevenson Pallifi's award winning documentary "Piano Players rarely play together" featuring Professor Longhair, Toots Washington and her friend and mentor Allen Toussaint. She can also be seen in her cameo appearance in Allen Parker's film "Angel Heart" and is featured on the soundtrack with the Blues great Brownie McGee.
Her life long friend Mr. Vernell Bagneris molded her acting skills. When he cast her in his black Vaudeville music ONE MO' TIME, where he kept her busy with the show for 4 years in New Orleans, Sweden and Brazil.
She has performed and can be heard on recordings with legendary music greats as Edward Frank, Lloyd Lambert, Joseph ‘Smokey’ Johnson, Jay Mc Shane, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Milt Hinton, Gus Johnson, Sammy Price, Doc Cheatham, Arnett Cobb, Al Casey, Dr. John, Benny Waters, Danny Barker, Professor Longhair, Clark Terry and with England's trumpet great Humphrey Lyttleton and more.
With success in 1992 she spearheaded 45 of her New Orleans Music Friends and brought the sounds of Cajun, Soul, R & B, Gospel, Traditional N.O. Brass band and as well the New Orleans cuisine to 22 cities in Germany under the title SPIRIT OF LOUISIANA.
In 1993 she originated the project GOSPEL UNITED in co-operation with 2 Danish organizers, where she was able to show her musical and social influences.
This project in 1994 brought LILLIAN and her New Orleans Gospel group together with 1000 voices of students from all over Denmark - including a Live-CD and TV-coverage with great success, which went into another project in 1995 with a choir this time of 3000 voices on stage with her.
Lillian still continues to share her music throughout the world thru concerts, festivals special Music projects and her passion for workshops with kids and Adults have taken her around the world.
Her newest show and CD That Don't Keep Me From Cookin In A 'Gumbo Pot ' is a tribute to New Orleans music with the sounds of Sassafras, Mardi Gras, funky creole blues, smoky bars and jumpin' jazz featuring 'new' New Orleans songs by Phil Parnell.
She has been working extensively to help Katrina victims, making benefits and organizing relief funds for musicians, many of whom have lost everything. The unconditional love of her beloved city New Orleans was magnified on the 29th of August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Musically Rich city.
She was contacted on that morning by good friend and college Elmar Hoff of Gronau Germany, whom together started a Musicians Fund “Help New Orleans” to help her city in whatever means they could.
An account was open and over the last years the fund has been successful in sponsoring a New Orleans Elementary School, the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, Transportation Support for fellow musicians to travel over in order to tour and earn money in the midst of the disaster.
She is dedicated to continue until the city and it’s people are back on their feet. It’s not over yet!
A Presentation ceremony on Saturday July 2, 2006 “The Ascona Jazz Award 2006” was bestowed upon New Orleans singer Lillian Boutté for her profuse efforts in support of Katrina victims in her role as World Ambassadress of New Orleans music and Godmother of the SOS New Orleans Jazz Heritage Fund launched last September by JazzAscona.
From the very first hours following the Katrina tragedy, Lillian Boutté firmly committed to sustaining her fellow New Orleans inhabitants in difficulty, loaning her name to the various solidarity initiatives; maintaining a high level of attention from the media about conditions in her city; giving numerous fundraising concerts in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Holland and other countries in Europe and the world; and not last, at the hour of reconstruction, going all out to make the authorities of her city and of her country aware of the rights and interests of musicians and of the Music culture that was born in New Orleans “Jazz”!
Today we are kept alive by Musicians, Jazz Clubs, Festivals and listeners from all over the world in the name of New Orleans Music. We Thank You!
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