Rhiannon Giddens Talks Back

In 2007, Rhiannon Giddens performed at the Folk Alliance International conference with the aspiring black string band Carolina Chocolate Drops.

- JOHN WIRT

On January 25, 2020, following one Grammy Award, six Grammy nominations, and her MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, Giddens is delivering the keynote speech at the FAI conference in New Orleans.

A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Greensboro, North Carolina, Giddens frequently injects social consciousness into her music. That dovetails with the social justice themes at this year’s FAI conference. And the songs on her latest album, there is no Other, champion inclusion. One of them, “I’m On My Way,” has a Grammy nomination for best American roots performance.

Sonically, there is no Other links Africa and the Middle East to Europe and America. Giddens, a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, sings in her classically trained voice and plays minstrel banjo, octave violin and viola. Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi plays Arabic frame drums, lute and its long-necked cousin, the colascione, tamburello (an Italian tambourine), cello banjo (tuned an octave below standard banjo) accordion and piano.

Prior to there is no Other, Giddens and Turrisi collaborated in 2019 for Lucy Negro Redux, a ballet staged in Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee by OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey’s brother Paul Vasterling. Also in 2019, Giddens also released Songs of Our Native Daughters, her acclaimed collaboration with Amythyst Kiah, Allison Russell and the New Orleans-based former Carolina Chocolate Drop, Leyla McCalla.