Oberlin Opera Graduate Finds Relevance In Folk Music

Giddens went from Fiordiligi to fiddling in Folk music 

"The Carolina Chocolate Drops has been so busy touring, the members didn't even stop to celebrate their first Grammy nomination. 'We were on the road,' says Rhiannon Giddens, who sings and rocks the fiddle, banjo and other instruments for her string band trio, up for Best Traditional Folk Album. Despite the title of their Grammy category, the Drops aren't purely traditional. Rolling Stone has described the group's style as 'dirt-floor-dance electricity.' Yes, the banjos and
fiddles of black string bands date back to the days of slave ships, but the group's rousing live cover of Blu Cantrell's 2001 R&B hit, "Hit 'Em Up Style," exhibits the beat box and familiar swagger of modern hip-hop influences. Raised in Greensboro, N.C., Giddens started vocal training at 16, the earliest her classically trained father would let her. She'd go onto study opera at Oberlin College, but soon found refuge in the laid-back nature of folk music. 'With folk music, a lot of the music — at least the stuff that we do — talks about things that are really important to people,' she says. 'And a lot of the songs have really stood the test of time, so they're really good songs. ... The music is really relevant to every age.'" [Source]

For the operatic website for Rhiannon Giddens, go here and the official website for The Carolina Chocolate Drops is here.