Roots musician Rhiannon Giddens was recently featured in The New Yorker. Diving deep into the history and icons of black folk music, the article addresses the lost appreciation for North Carolina fiddler Frank Johnson. Giddens draws much of her musical and cultural influence from Johnson, whose genius has been swept under the rug for 200 years. Johnson’s reputation became associated with folk music of the white South, with styles in string bands, square dancing and hoedown.
Nearly two centuries later, a half-black and half-white Giddens marvels at the history of a man who conceived such significant folk styles, practically right in her backyard of North Carolina. Giddens continues to live out Johnson’s influence through her significance in the folk scene today.
Check out The New Yorker’s article here.
For more information and tour dates, visit Rhiannon Giddens’ artist page.