4.4 • 5.3K Ratings
🗓️ 17 July 2024
⏱️ 25 minutes
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Today’s episode has a lot of pluck! It’s all about the banjo. For over 100 years, the banjo has been associated with country and bluegrass music, two genres that over-index with white musicians. But, with the help of Rhiannon Giddens, we find out that this uniquely American instrument traveled from Africa. The banjo’s story is so rich, it can’t be contained in just one episode, so we decided to make two! We’re also going to string you along for an extra week to think about your answers to First Things First. The question comes in this episode, and the answer comes out in the next. No peeking!
Featured expert: Rhiannon Giddens is a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist. You can check out her website here!
Resources: REDLINING IN COUNTRY MUSIC: Representation in the Country Music Industry (2000-2020)
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0:00.0 | Hey Joy, Joy! Joy! Joy! |
0:08.0 | Xavier! Perfect timing! I was just about to rehearse my moves for my next soon-to-be viral music video. |
0:15.0 | It's called Blue Grass. |
0:18.0 | Okay, I guess that explains why you painted all of the grass in your backyard blue. |
0:23.4 | Yep, also I may have accidentally ordered 100 cans of blue spray paint |
0:26.7 | when I meant to order one can of blue spray paint, but I say when life gives you |
0:30.6 | you a hundred cans of blue spray paint, why not paint your grass? |
0:33.7 | And then get inspired to write a whole song about it. |
0:36.5 | And film a music video of said song in front of said bluegrass. |
0:39.2 | Okay? |
0:41.6 | This song is going to be such a boop. It's going to launch a whole new genre of music. I call it |
0:48.4 | Bluegrass. |
0:49.7 | Uh, Joy, you know Bluegrass is already a type of music, right? |
0:56.0 | You know, there's usually a banjo, fiddle, and bass guitar player singing about country life. |
1:02.0 | Huh, but does it sound like this? |
1:05.0 | I'm gonna paint the ground blue, then I'm gonna paint the tree blue, |
1:11.0 | then I'm gonna paint the leaves blue, blue, blue bler bler bler bler bler bler bler bler |
1:16.1 | bler it well what do you think it is different, right? |
1:24.0 | I still think you might want to come up with a new name. |
1:29.0 | You know, just so people don't confuse your bluegrass with the one that everybody else knows. |
1:34.3 | Sure, sure, good point. Um, let me think. Oh, got it. I'll keep it nice and simple. |
1:41.2 | This new never heard before music shall henceforth be called the Blues. |
... |
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