Louisiana singer-songwriter, poet, writer, environmental and cultural activist Zachary Richard will be named a “Commandeur” of l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres de la République Française. Richard, a bilingual Cajun and Zydeco artist whose music incorporates a variety of French dialects, will join the ranks of an order that includes legends like Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and Quincy Jones.

The Consul General of France, Gregor Trumel, will present the award during a ceremony at Lafayette, LA’s Festival International de Louisiane on Thursday, April 27. Slated for 7:45pm, the presentation will take place following a performance from Rich and students from local French immersion programs.

Richard has put out 20 albums over the course of his nearly 40-year career, with his 21st album coming in October 2017. He has received a number of accolades during that time, including a variety of honorary PhDs., admission to the Order of Canada (2009) and the Louisiana Humanist of the Year Award (2016). He has also appeared on the cover of OffBeat on two occasions: once in 1993 and again in 1999.