Resistance Revival Chorus, Rhiannon Giddens

Biography

Rhiannon Giddens, born February 21, 1977, in Greensboro, North Carolina, grew up immersed in diverse musical influences, including R&B and activist poetry, before training as an opera singer at Oberlin Conservatory, earning a B.M. in 2000. Returning to her home state, she immersed herself in traditional American roots music through contra dancing, Scottish song, and mentorship from fiddler Joe Thompson, leading her to co-found the Carolina Chocolate Drops in 2005 with Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson as a postmodern string band reviving African American string band traditions with banjo, fiddle, and old-time styles.[1][5][6]

Giddens' solo career launched in 2015 with Tomorrow Is My Turn on Nonesuch Records, produced by T Bone Burnett, featuring covers of icons like Patsy Cline and Nina Simone, earning acclaim for her powerful voice and historical depth. She has released further solo albums including Freedom Highway (2017), collaborations with Francesco Turrisi like There Is No Other (2019) and They're Calling Me Home (2021), and You're the One (2023), blending folk, Americana, bluegrass, and southern gothic. A two-time Grammy winner, MacArthur 'Genius' grant recipient (2017), and Pulitzer Prize winner for the 2023 opera Omar co-written with Michael Abels, she serves as artistic director of Silkroad since 2020 and advocates for overlooked Black contributions to American music.[1][2][3]

Her legacy includes challenging racial narratives in music history as an 'armchair historian,' composing for film like Red Dead Redemption 2, appearing in PBS series, and leading projects like the all-female banjo group Our Native Daughters, cementing her as a curator and innovator across opera, ballet, and folk traditions.[1][2][4]

Fun Facts

• Giddens was the first woman and first person of color to receive the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2016.[1]
• She received an honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University in 2023 and sang at a virtual commencement for UNC Greensboro after earning an honorary Doctor of Letters in 2020.[1]
• Giddens composed the song 'Mountain Hymn' for the video game Red Dead Redemption 2 and guest-hosted BBC Radio 2's Blues Show in 2020.[1]
• In her twenties, she discovered the African origins of the banjo, sparking her lifelong scholarship on racial history in American music.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Joe Thompson - Mentor in traditional American roots music, teaching fiddle and banjo in the African American string band tradition (Influenced formation and style of Carolina Chocolate Drops) [early 2000s]

Key Collaborators

• Dom Flemons - Co-founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops (Albums Genuine Negro Jig (2010, Grammy winner), Leaving Eden (2012)) [2005-2012]
• Justin Robinson - Co-founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops (Albums Genuine Negro Jig (2010), Leaving Eden (2012)) [2005-2012]
• Francesco Turrisi - Frequent collaborator on solo albums (There Is No Other (2019), They're Calling Me Home (2021)) [2019-present]
• T Bone Burnett - Producer for solo debut (Tomorrow Is My Turn (2015), contributed to Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes) [2014-2015]
• Michael Abels - Co-composer of Pulitzer-winning opera (Omar (2023)) [2023]

Artists Influenced

• Our Native Daughters members (e.g., Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell) - Inspired through all-female banjo supergroup reclaiming Black banjo heritage (Group album projects) [2018-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia