Rhiannon Giddens

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens became a major force in 21st-century Americana both on her own and as a member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. Born in Greensboro, NC, in 1977, Giddens became fascinated with multiple strands of American roots music after college and learned banjo and fiddle. In 2005, she cofounded the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an all-acoustic African American band that put a fresh spin on folk, blues, string-band, and old-timey music and became a hot property in the Americana realm for several years. After the band’s 2012 album, Leaving Eden, Giddens focused her attention on starting a solo career. She released an EP on her own in 2014 and her first full-length solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, the following year. Covering classic blues, folk, and country tunes and more, she created a new sound by recontextualizing her rootsy sources in a more modern but still organic musical framework. While still interpreting some roots-oriented tunes, she increasingly distinguished herself on subsequent albums as a songwriter with something fresh to bring to the Americana scene. After multiple solo Grammy nominations, she won the award for Best Folk Album for 2021’s They’re Calling Me Home.