Rhiannon Giddens released her most recent album You’re The One last August, and she’s been on tour this year in support of the project. Most recently, she stopped in to Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform the rollicking song “You Louisiana Man” from the album.
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Joined by her live band, Giddens took the stage with a banjo in hand, picking away at the instrumental opening of the song. “You Louisiana Man” opens with rousing fiddle and banjo before Giddens launched into the first verse.
You’re The One was Giddens’ first solo album in six years, and her first all-original offering. When the album was announced, Giddens made a statement that urged listeners to pay attention to the rich, blended, and fun genres featured on the project. “I hope that people just hear American music,” she said. “Blues, jazz, Cajun, country, gospel, and rock — it’s all there. I like to be where it meets organically. They’re fun songs, and I wanted them to have as much of a chance as they could to reach people who might dig them but don’t know anything about what I do.”
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Rhiannon Giddens on Tour—Headlining, Festivals, and Silkroad Ensemble
Currently, Giddens is on tour in support of the album, playing numerous festivals and headlining shows. On May 2 she’ll be in Austin, Texas, then she’ll be in New Orleans on May 4 for the Jazz & Heritage Festival. She’ll then head to Europe and the U.K., playing the Worm Up Festival in Milan, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and Gate to Southwell in the U.K. Giddens will come back to the U.S. for another round of festivals, like the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island and Skaneatles Festival in New York.
Further down the road, starting in November, Giddens will join the Silkroad Ensemble—of which she is the artistic director—for a run of shows and conversations called American Railroad. The shows will feature site-specific visual installments, as well as a documentary series about the guest performers in the Silkroad Ensemble.
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens is a PBS series of half-hour performances and conversations with the musicians performing with Silkroad Ensemble, hosted by Giddens. The series will launch its second season this Summer, where Giddens will perform with and interview guest musicians who have been on the American Railroad tour.
Featured Image by Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
