Folk singer Rhiannon Giddens brings together musical traditions from her mixed race heritage in the southern States of the USA (her parents married only 3 years after the unconstitutional ban was overturned), along with Gaelic and wider sources. She is a phenomenal and versatile performer with ballet and opera composing credits to her name and recently appointed the artistic director of the Silk Road ensemble founded by cellist Yo Yo Ma. She is also a music historian. She traces the history of the banjo from its African roots through the travelling bands of enslaved then indentured musicians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the appropriation of this genre into black-face minstrelsy continuing well into the twentieth century, and the general abandonment of this tainted culture by its originating people such that the banjo associates today with white folk music.
The preface to David Olosuga’s book Black and British describes how Enoch “Rivers of Blood” Powell fantasised a history in which empire is excised, returning to an imagined time of Britons untainted by rule, misdeed and othered people. This is indeed the history served up by our schools. However, we cannot understand ourselves without history, and there is no history save that it contains Black and colonial history, out and inward migration, the rich mix of cultures and ideas that shapes our everyday heritage. Stripped down history to pretend a white narrative is thin gruel indeed.
On Sunday I chanced upon a live concert by Rhiannon Giddens and her partner, Francesco Turrisi, from her home in Ireland, relayed from Santa Barbara. These are the sketches I did live and playing back the show. You can see I was really challenged trying to capture the shape of her face and features while singing, and I put the gallery of attempts below as a record. By contrast Turrisi was quite easy to capture but he sat still and faced away from the camera looking at Giddens. In the sketch above, she is playing the viola and her face is full of shifting expressions as she looks back at him.
kestrelart 
Very difficult doing portraits off the TV. I’ve tried it myself. Not only having to contend with moving subjects and changing expressions, but also having cameras swopping and their angles shifting or moving to a different subject. I suppose playing it back helps, but you’ve done well.
Thanks I was pleased with the last two. The others … she came out looking male in some
I was extremely fortunate to hear Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turris perform live in Toronto last year. She is one of the greatest musicians I’ve ever heard.
Oh I so envy you that experience
We were totally exhilarated. I hope someday you get the chance to hear her in person.
We need an end to this pandemic to get there. But yes lots more live music then.
Very true about the pandemic.
You’ve captured a lively spirit in the sketch of Rhiannon playing viola
Thanks
I was a bit dubious about that one and it took a lot of correcting
What a wonderful musician she is. I like the variations in her face that you’ve captured. We do not always look the same, even minute to minute. I did not realize she lived in Ireland. (K)
Yes I was surprised as I was watching a show from California. But yes she’s got two children at school there. Aldo she studied Gaelic and Scottish music as well as opera AE steeped in parallel traditions. It was a great show. There’s more this weekend.
Lovely drawings, it’s not easy to draw from the tv
I’d like to develop skills like yours with drawing faces, Rosie. 🙂
Reblogged this on sketchuniverse and commented:
🎻🧡 SO TRUE, SISTERS. A TENOR BLOGGER ALWAYS LOVE ANY SKETCHES ABOUT MUSICIANS LIKE THESE.