February 21 …

Rhiannon Giddens is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and scholar whose work recovering and reinterpreting Black roots music has reshaped understandings of American folk, country, and classical traditions while advancing conversations about race, ancestry, and cultural memory.

Born on February 21, 1977 in Greensboro, NC, Giddens was raised in a musical family and received formal music education at the North Carolina School of the Arts, eventually earning a Bachelor of Music from Boston’s program. She has also delved into historical music practices, combining conservatory training with ethnomusicological research and hands-on fieldwork focused on African American, Appalachian, and Creole musical traditions.

Giddens’ achievements include founding and leading the string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, which revitalized Black string band traditions, as well as releasing acclaimed solo albums that blend folk, blues, and classical music. She has composed and performed for theater and film, co-writing the score and songs for the Broadway production of “Appropriate” and contributing to Ken Burns’ documentary series.

Collaborating with orchestras to highlight Black composers, her work has expanded audiences for traditional music and reshaped the cultural canon. Giddens has also engaged in teaching, public scholarship, and curatorial projects aimed at recognizing the often-overlooked contributions of Black musicians to American music history.

Giddens draws inspiration from the Black string band musicians she studied, traditional blues and folk singers, and classical vocal techniques. Her mentors and collaborators include members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, such as Dom Flemons, roots musicians from Joe Thompson’s circle, and contemporary figures like T Bone Burnett and Yo-Yo Ma. Among her contemporaries and fellow revivalists are musicians like Sarah Jarosz and those within the Americana genre.

Giddens’ numerous accolades include a Grammy Award with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 2017. She also has garnered various honors from the Americana Music Association and other critics’ organizations acknowledging her scholarship and artistic contributions.

The cultural impact of Rhiannon Giddens is significant, notably in reclaiming African American narratives in folk and country music, broadening the recognition and platforms for Black musicians, and using her performances and research to challenge and enrich America’s musical heritage.