Rhiannon Giddenshas been talking for quite some time when she stops to apologize.
There are so many of us struggling to maintain our humanity in this industry,Giddenssays.
My biggest talent is collaboration.
Rhiannon Giddens talks about reuniting the Carolina Chocolate Drops and why she’ll never immerse herself in the mainstream.Ebru Yildiz*
Theres a project she cant yet discuss, which recently brought her to a convent in Vietnam.
And theres the highly anticipated reunion of theCarolina Chocolate Dropsat the aforementioned festival.
Why did she put this out?
Other people might go, Ive been waiting for this my whole life.
Its not going to get any radio play, but thats not why we did it.
More than anything, she seems eager to get back onstage and start singing.
The whole project descended into my brain: We should do this as a kind ofanti-AI.
This idea of more and more layers of computers coming into music.
I gave the label and fans something different.
They talk about the slow food movement.
This is like the slow music movement.
The birdsong, I love it.
Does that attitude resonate with you?A little bit.
I have to say, I have a great label at Nonesuch.
They really follow my vision and have been wonderful.
But that was what I needed to make at the time.
My label has really followed me through working with Francesco [Turrisi] and doing completely different things.
SoYoure the One, its all original material, which people love.
And we went with a really cool producer.
So maybe there was a little bit of that: Youve been so good to me.
Heres one that maybe will get some radio play.
I loved making it, and I was like, Lets do a traditional album campaign.
My face was huge on the cover.
And I found that all really uncomfortable.
I really didnt like being the focus.
I didnt like people asking me personal questions.
I always feel like Im the least interesting thing about the thing that I do.
If I use my personal stories, its always so that illustrate a historical point.
So yeah, I found it really not tenable.
My team did a fabulous job.
They did what I asked them to do.
But it told me a lot.
Its not the kind of artist I am.
I do sometimes feel the pressure of the industry.
I also want to be a team player.
I would never show up to award shows, or half the stuff I have to do.
I would never put on makeup.
But I do those things so that that doesnt become athing.
I dont want people talking about the fact that Im not wearing makeup.
I want them to talk about the fact that I was nominated for a song about somebody who waslynched.
Can we not askthemto say something, to go on the record?
To put their money where their mouth is?
Im thinking about all of that.
Is your upcoming record with Justin related to your reunion with the Carolina Chocolate Drops at Biscuits & Banjos?
Or were those two parallel paths?They were parallel.
Justin and I have always been in touch.
He left music for a while and I left him alone, but we stayed in touch.
When he started playing again, I was like, Hello!
I know Ive been asked, Dom [Flemons] been asked, Justins been asked.
It just seemed like the right time.
Look, I dont know whats going to happen in the future.
Im just focusing on this one event, to have this celebration.
This is also cultural music.
Thats what I wanted to do withBlackbird, is remind people that this music came fromcultural music.
Its around ceremony and community, and thats something we need to continue to remind people.
Were actually part of a continuum.
Thats why its important Taj Mahal is going to be there.
Its about where you are in the continuum.New Dangerfieldis taking it into the future.
Were between Taj and New Dangerfield.
Thats what Biscuits and Banjos has really been about.
Its, whats the word,sacredwork.
We have to do that sacred work within a capitalistic framework, which is draining.
Everyone is getting paid.
Can I pay them as much as Coachella?
You want to find money from sources that are not going to put limits on it or expect something.
You dont want shareholders.
You feel it as a musician.
Im not interested in making money from this, as long as everybody gets paid.
What was that process like?
Was it a hard decision?It was really hard.
I respect that decision everybody is making.
I was like, Why would it bethisyear that I have a show there?
[Laughs] I wanted to stay and stick it out.
Who am I going to be playing for?
Who is actually going to come?
The money is whatever.
I could have just cut the show and lost the money.
For me, money is never an issue in these kinds of things.
Its really, What am I trying tosay?
How am I serving my fans?
How am I serving my message?
I didnt want to just fold up my tent and go home.
But I love when people are thinking Im protecting my bottom line.
This is not playing it safe.
People who wont feel comfortable going to the Kennedy Center can still come to my show.
I was struck by what you said about playing banjo on Beyonces Texas Hold Em in a recentNo Depressioninterview.
Can you elaborate?Theres not much I can say, legally, about specific things.
I havent seen thatNo Depressionpiece yet, so hopefully it is roundabout enough that I dont get sued.
It really highlighted the difference between what I do and what the heights of the industry is doing.
Its a larger example of what I was talking about withYoure the One, right?
Every time I pull my banjo out, Im thinking of that.
If ever I do something that seems counter to that, theres a very good reason.
This was one of those times.
I knew it was going to be difficult.
I knew I was releasing my banjo out into this huge world.
It also gave me an entree into the Black community that Ive never had, to be honest.
But for the first time, I felt acceptance from the mainstream Black community, which made me weep.
Ive come to terms with it, its fine.
So that was really beautiful.
My eyes are telling you lots of things.
I did it for the mission.
Theres a reason why Im not a multi-millionaire.
If you are a multi-millionaire, there are reasons why.
No shade, whatever.
It means you do things in a certain way.
I dont know how he does it, but he did it.
Most people arent like him.
So I cant expect everybody to be like him, and thats fine.
Like I said, I really try not to yuck somebody elses yum.
I am a weirdo.
Im so focused on this stuff and it is my calling.
