Build a House

Submitted by nonesuch on
Release Date
DescriptionExcerpt

Rhiannon Giddens wrote “Build a House” for the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth in 2020; she performs it here with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi. The song, which then inspired Giddens’ children’s book of the same name (out on Candlewick Press), tells of African Americans who were forcibly enslaved and brought to the US to build houses they were not allowed to live in, tend to families who were not their own, and sow the seeds that fed a nation—while being left with only scraps themselves. It depicts a family’s resilience in the face of violence and sorrow.

Description

Rhiannon Giddens wrote “Build a House” for the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth in 2020; she performs it with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi in this recording, released October 11, 2022. The song, which then inspired Giddens’ children’s book of the same name (out on Candlewick Press), tells of African Americans who were forcibly enslaved and brought to the US to build houses they were not allowed to live in, tend to families who were not their own, and sow the seeds that fed a nation—while being left with only scraps themselves. It depicts a family’s resilience in the face of violence and sorrow.

Album Status
Artist Name
Rhiannon Giddens
reissues?
new-release
Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
96/24 HD FLAC
Price
1.39
UPC
075597906059
Label
MP3
Price
1.29
UPC
075597906035

Track Listing

News & Reviews

  • "Her new album is a true love letter to her North Carolina roots," Jenn White, host of NPR's 1A, says of her guest Rhiannon Giddens and her new album, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, with Justin Robinson, who also joins the conversation and performs with Giddens on the show. Giddens was also on BBC Radio 4's Front Row to discuss the album. You can hear both here.

  • Rhiannon Giddens reunites with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, out now. Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, playing 18 of their favorite North Carolina tunes. Many were learned from their late mentor, legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House, accompanied by the sounds of nature. You can watch eight performance videos from the album here. Giddens leads her first-ever festival, Biscuits & Banjos, in Durham, NC, next weekend, then goes on tour with Robinson.

  • About This Album

    Rhiannon Giddens wrote “Build a House” for the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth in 2020; she performs it with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi in this recording, released October 11, 2022. The song, which then inspired Giddens’ children’s book of the same name (out on Candlewick Press), tells of African Americans who were forcibly enslaved and brought to the US to build houses they were not allowed to live in, tend to families who were not their own, and sow the seeds that fed a nation—while being left with only scraps themselves. It depicts a family’s resilience in the face of violence and sorrow.