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December 10, 2024 – GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens announces the next wave of artists participating in her first-ever festival, Biscuits & Banjos, a celebration of Black music, art, and culture taking place April 25-27, 2025, in downtown Durham, North Carolina. The festival’s Saturday programming will take center stage with Rhiannon’s Old Time Revue – a showcase of the Black string band tradition and the much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops Reunion, their first performance together in over a decade.
The new lineup additions include singer/songwriter Adia Victoria, the Creole jazz stylings of Don Vappie & Jazz Creole, the harmonious family ensemble Infinity Song, and the genre-defying brilliance of Toshi Reagon. Additionally, speakers will include Alice Randall, Caroline Randall Williams, Dr. Dena Ross Jennings and Mychal Threets. These artists join a roster that celebrates the diversity and depth of Black music and culture.
Tickets are currently sold out. More information on the festival and waitlist can be found here: http://biscuitsandbanjos.com/
Biscuits & Banjos, curated by Giddens, offers a unique experience across three days at multiple indoor and outdoor venues in downtown Durham. Attendees can immerse themselves in a blend of music, literature, food, and visual arts that celebrates the diversity and vitality of Black culture. Rhiannon selected Durham as the festival's home due to her deep personal connection to the city and its thriving contemporary culture, rooted in a rich Black heritage. "Durham is the perfect place to launch Biscuits & Banjos," Giddens explains. "It has a vibrant community, an incredible artistic scene, and a history that aligns with the festival’s mission to uplift and honor Black culture."
Saturday’s programming will feature Rhiannon’s Old Time Revue, a multi-generational performance highlighting the evolution of the Black string band tradition over the past 20 years. This special showcase will reflect how the genre has grown and transformed, featuring Rhiannon alongside special guests and the debut of her new old-time band.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops Reunion will bring together original members and collaborators from across the band’s history, offering a landmark performance that celebrates their legacy while looking toward the future. Its lineup will include Dom Flemons, Justin Robinson, Hubby Jenkins, Leyla McCalla and Rowan Corbett, alongside Giddens.
Throughout the weekend, the festival will include an eclectic mix of musical performances, workshops, and interactive programming, such as square dances, a celebrity chef biscuit bake-off, and free banjo lessons. Giddens will perform in multiple formats, collaborating with friends and fellow artists to create unforgettable experiences for attendees.
Biscuits & Banjos is a non-profit, community responsive festival. Funding for Biscuits & Banjos is made possible in part by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, North Carolina Humanities, the Danielle Rose Paikin Foundation, the Harper House Foundation, Warner Music Group & Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (a sponsored project of Moore Impact), Biscuitville, Duke University, the City of Durham, Durham County, Discover Durham, and other generous individual donors, sponsors, civic, and community partners. On the state’s partnership, Secretary Reid Wilson said, “The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is excited to help sponsor Rhiannon Giddens’ new Biscuits & Banjos festival in 2025. The festival will give North Carolinians an opportunity to immerse themselves in our state’s vibrant music and arts, rich history, and diverse culture. Music provides common ground for all of us, and we’re proud to be a part of this innovative event.”
Unmanageable, a 501(c)3 organization, is Biscuits & Banjo's non-profit partner. Donations to support Biscuits & Banjos are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Unmanageable's EIN is 85-1193914.
About Rhiannon Giddens:
Rhiannon Giddens has made a singular, iconic career out of stretching her brand of folk music, with its miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, into just about every field imaginable. A two-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer and instrumentalist, 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and composer of opera, ballet, and film, Giddens has centered her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased, and advocating for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. Her most recent release is 2023’s You’re the One, Giddens’ first album of all original songs, her banjo can be heard on the history-making song “Texas Hold ‘Em” and she is the Artistic Director of Silkroad Ensemble. In addition to her musical pursuits, Giddens has published two children’s books featuring her lyrics, hosts the Aria Code podcast on WQXR, has composed music for ballet and film, and one of her songs is featured in the hit video game Red Dead Redemption 2. Her musical versatility has led her to collaborations with Questlove, Yo-Yo Ma, and Samuel L. Jackson; she also has fans in Elvis Costello, John Turturro, and Lucy Liu.
https://shorefire.com/roster/rhiannon-giddens
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