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The coastal remoteness of the Gullah Geechee people allowed their music to develop with less white interference than that of many other Southern Black communities, making for a fascinating showcase of its power at a 1965 concert in New York City.
The Shovel Dance Collective member, banjo player and instrument maker draws rich histories from deep in the wood
The new single from Kaia Kater's upcoming full-length album Strange Medicine is out now! "The Witch" is a piercing look at how men have labeled women over the centuries. Here's Kaia's own words about it: "I specifically wanted to write about the way men historically have branded women as temptresses, harlots, sirens and shrews, and then sought to reflect this visually – the letter A for adulteress, the burning of flesh to symbolize evil. The first woman labeled a witch in Salem was a Black woman by the name of Tituba.
A live recording of a concert can preserve one powerful moment indelibly in time. Coming June 14, 2024, Smithsonian Folkways will release The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert by Bessie Jones, John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers with Mississippi Fred McDowell and Ed Young, presenting a riveting, historic look at the intersection of Black folk traditions and civil rights activism.
In "Texas Hold 'Em," the singer is accompanied by a banjo. It's often thought of as a quintessential Americana instrument. But the history of the banjo tells a different story.