How Rhiannon Giddens Reconstructs Black Pain With The Banjo
Rhiannon Giddens isn't afraid to carry the weight of history in her music. The North Carolina singer-songwriter and banjoist is a founding member of the Grammy-winning group the Carolina Chocolate Drops which won both critical acclaim and loyal fans for their revival of the African-American string band tradition.
2017 was a big year for Giddens. She released Freedom Highway, a solo album of haunting songs inspired by slave narratives. She also received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, colloquially known as a "genius" grant, awarded to individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work.
She's on tour now, and stopped by NPR's headquarters in Washington D.C. to talk to NPR's Michel Martin about her work and perform two songs from Freedom Highway. Hear their conversation at the audio link, read an edited transcript below and listen to two a live performance of two songs from Freedom Highway.
Michel Martin: Well, first of all, congratulations on the MacArthur grant. I have to ask: Where were you and what were you doing when you found out?
Rhiannon Giddens: I was on tour, as usual. I think. Or maybe I wasn't. I don't know [laughs]. I don't even know anymore what my life is. But I was out somewhere; I wasn't home. I was working and I got a phone call. I was at a cafe and this woman I didn't know said, 'Are you somewhere we could have a private conversation?' It's like, 'I guess, I'm in a cafe...' And you know, the bomb dropped and I was just completely floored.
Do you remember what went through your mind when you heard?
You know, I was super shocked. Of course, every year and every year you think, 'God, what I wouldn't do for one of those.' But you never think you would actually get one. And to get that phone call — I was kind of
