Rhiannon Giddens is bringing a full day of free programming to Durham on April 26 before capping the weekend with a concert at DPAC. The events mark the first anniversary of Biscuits & Banjos, the festival she created to honor Black string-band, folk, gospel, and blues traditions. Giddens co-founded the Carolina Chocolate Drops out of jam sessions at the old Durham Armory in 2005 and has since won a MacArthur fellowship, a Grammy, and a Pulitzer for the opera Omar.
The free day runs at The Fruit on South Dillard Street and includes conversations, readings, performances, and an evening square dance.
- A talk between Giddens and author Kristina R. Gaddy covers their co-written book "Go Back and Fetch It," which traces the African roots of the banjo.
- A songversation pairs Rissi Palmer with Durham musician Kamara Thomas. Palmer became the first Black woman to chart on Billboard's country chart in 2007.
- A celebration of the 50th anniversary of Edna Lewis's "The Taste of Country Cooking" is also on the program. A Durham County Public Library Bookmobile with curated titles will be on-site.
The following night, April 27, Giddens headlines "Beloved Community" at DPAC with Mavis Staples, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Palmer, and Toshi Reagon.
- Staples is the R&B legend behind "I'll Take You There." The Blind Boys of Alabama, whose original members debuted in 1939, have won five Grammys.
Tickets for the DPAC concert are available through the venue. The April 26 programs at The Fruit are free.