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PEOPLE/ARTS Friday 3 November 2017
Singer, fiddler Rhiannon Giddens: Crossing musical divides

By MARTHA WAGGONER way to power is seen as an
Associated Press incendiary moment in the
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — As dawning of the Jim Crow
a singer, songwriter and era of segregation.
instrumentalist, Rhiannon “I think there’s an opportu-
Giddens crosses musical nity to tell a story through
divides. this historical event which
Trained as an opera sing- politically was very impor-
er, she also plays a mean tant,” Giddens said in a
country fiddle. Folk, blue- phone interview about
grass, gospel and Irish the revolt, which some his-
ballads are all within her torians likened to a coup
reach and she’s even d’etat. She recalled a pat-
won a Grammy with the tern of violence directed
black string band Caro- against African-Americans
lina Chocolate Drops. Now for decades after the war
she’s eager to begin work and slavery’s end. Among
on her first musical, about a those moments: Colfax,
white revolt against a part Louisiana, when about 150
African-American govern- black men were killed by
ment in one North Carolina white Democrats in 1873,
city three decades after and Tulsa, Oklahoma, in
the Civil War. 1921, when as many as 300
A native of North Caro- may have died.
lina, Giddens is the child of Whatever she writes about In this Sept. 13, 2017 file photo, Rhiannon Giddens performs during the Americana Honors and
a white father and black the overthrow of 1898, Rhi- Awards show in Nashville, Tenn.
mother who married three annon Giddens is adamant “Art has the power to do $50,000 Steve Martin Prize professor at Appalachian
years after the Supreme there will be no similarities more than just give peo- for excellence in banjo and State University who di-
Court struck down all bans to “Hamilton,” the wildly ple the facts of what hap- bluegrass. And in a widely rects the black and global
on interracial marriage in popular Broadway show pened,” he said. “Histori- praised keynote speech to banjo roots concerts at the
1967. Today the versatile written around another his- ans have been trying to the International Bluegrass school, said that Thomp-
40-year-old performer is toric event. This won’t be sledgehammer people into Music Association business son’s mentoring “anchors
winning accolades while “Hamilton” she said, be- remembering these events. conference in Raleigh, she her music in a significant
casting a fresh spotlight on cause — a) — she doesn’t Maybe music offers a spoke this year about the way.”
African-American contri- write hip hop and — b) — broader possibility of find- African influence on banjo “Her ability and perspec-
butions to early American the Wilmington history isn’t ing some kind of way to use and bluegrass, long domi- tive to be able to look at
music. She even drew from as well-known as that of the that history to find some nated by white performers the historical aspects of the
slave narratives for her lat- former U.S. Treasury Secre- peace in the past and deal and white audiences. music is a tremendous con-
est album “Freedom High- tary Alexander Hamilton, with our current dilemmas.” “So the question becomes: tribution that she’s begin-
way.” And for her accom- who was killed in a duel This year Giddens made are we going to let blue- ning to explore more and
plishments, she recently with Aaron Burr in 1804. her acting debut on the grass, as an art form, rec- more.
picked up a $625,000 “ge- “I think there’s something in CMT show “Nashville.” ognize the fullness of its And her plan to take on this
nius grant” from the Ma- between that (‘Hamilton’) And she was lauded by history?” she asked in her musical about this intense
cArthur Foundation. and something like ‘Okla- the MacArthur Foundation impassioned speech. historical event is very chal-
Helped by the award, Gid- homa!’ something narra- for powerful stage perfor- “Are we going to acknowl- lenging,” he noted of her
dens plans to take time off tively speaking that I want mances, impressive vocals edge that the question is plans to explore the 1898
from touring to work on a do with that piece,” Gid- and for bringing African- not, how do we get diver- white revolt.
musical about the 1898 dens explained. “I don’t American contributions to sity into bluegrass, but how Developing a musical
overthrow of a so-called know what it is yet because folk music out front. Ac- do we get diversity back about the racial and po-
fusion government of legiti- I haven’t made it.” cording to the foundation, into bluegrass?” litical upheaval of 19th
mately elected blacks and Historian David Cecel- she’s “introducing new au- The great African-Ameri- century North Carolina is
white Republicans in Wilm- ski, who co-wrote a book diences to the black ban- can fiddler Joe Thompson, a challenge Giddens feels
ington, North Carolina. about 1898 Wilmington joists and fiddlers whose in- who died in 2012 at age 93, ready to embrace.
Though a footnote in many titled “Democracy Be- fluences have been left out was a mentor to Giddens, “It’s all in my head at the
history books, the insurrec- trayed,” is excited that Gid- of the popular narratives of who also plays the five- moment,” she said. “But
tion by white Democrats dens would bring the story folk and country’s history.” string banjo. it’s got time now to come
who burned and killed their to the stage. In 2016, Giddens won the Cece Conway, an English out.”q
Review: ‘Parting Shot’ will have readers turning the pages

By JEFF AYERS days. He firmly believes he hopped into a car, and set in the same town with be the ideal place to live,
Associated Press was abducted by aliens, ran over a girl, killing her. the same characters after the stories there do pro-
Linwood Barclay’s “Parting but when Duckworth looks He wants answers, even if it the events of his Promise vide wonderful reading
Shot” showcases the dev- at the man’s back, he’s means he’s guilty. Weaver Falls trilogy will have fans entertainment.q
astated town of Promise horrified to see a message reluctantly takes the case. excited. Newcomers might
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Falls a year after the hor- tattooed there that claims The two cases will collide want to start at the begin- Like
rific events that almost de- responsibility for a murder. in unexpected ways, and ning to get the full flavor
us on
stroyed the community. Private Detective Cal watching over the entire of the narrative. One also us on
Detective Barry Duckworth Weaver is asked to investi- town is someone bent on has to wonder if another
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thinks he’s seen it all when gate another young man retribution and revenge. story set in the town is forth- Facebook
a young man walks into the who also has an issue with Barclay knows how to keep coming due to the story’s
station claiming to have no memory loss. Evidence readers turning the page, ambiguous ending. While Bon Dia 24 Aruba
memory of the past two shows that he got drunk, and this stand-alone novel the community might not facebook.com/bondianoticia