Rhiannon Giddens traces the banjo from her ancestors to Beyoncé

Rhiannon Giddens, a multi-instrumentalist and artistic director of the Silk Road Ensemble, examines the intersection of music, history, and cultural identity. Her work challenges the white-centric mythology surrounding country music by highlighting the banjo’s African diasporic origins and the historical significance of black string bands. Through her new album, *Hope Is the Thing with Feathers*, she explores the necessity of maintaining hope amidst difficult historical and contemporary realities. Giddens reflects on her experiences performing for diverse audiences, including her contribution to Beyoncé’s *Cowboy Carter*, which served as a strategic effort to reclaim black musical heritage in the mainstream. By blending her classical opera training with traditional folk styles and her personal journey living in Ireland, she emphasizes the importance of preserving ancestral musical traditions to foster cross-cultural understanding and resilience.