Rhiannon Giddens' uses music to connect to her ancestors : NPR
NPR • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Musician Rhiannon Giddens identifies deeply with folk music, feeling a spiritual connection to her ancestors when playing the banjo.
- She specializes in music from the Black string band tradition, which dates back to the era of slavery, and contributed banjo to Beyoncé's song "Texas Hold 'Em."
- Giddens serves as the artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble, a group founded by Yo-Yo Ma that collaborates with musicians worldwide to blend diverse musical traditions.
- Her latest album, *Hope Is the Thing with Feathers*, inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem, reflects themes of hope rooted in her ancestors' experiences of poverty in the American South.
- While cautious about humanity, Giddens maintains a personal faith in humans and a hopeful outlook, grounded in the progress she has witnessed compared to her ancestors' struggles.
