Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens’ new single is “Swannanoa Tunnel / Steel-Driving Man.” This is the first single from the upcoming album, American Railroad.
The song is inspired by the experiences of wrongfully imprisoned black men and women who unwillingly risked their lives building the Swannanoa Tunnel in North Carolina. Hundreds of them died, and many of them were buried along the very tracks they built. It serves as a tribute to them, along with “Steel-Driving Man,” a version of the popular traditional tune “John Henry,” the folk hero who beat the steam drill with his hammer until his untimely death of a burst heart. The version here is by Rhiannon Giddens’ mentor, Joe Thompson, a black traditional fiddler from her home in North Carolina.
Silkroad Ensemble said: “We share this song at a time when North Carolina, where the Swannanoa Tunnel is located, is facing devastating loss and destruction from Hurricane Helene. Our hearts are heavy as we hear the news of what is happening there, so please join us in supporting those who have lost so much and those who are at the front lines providing support.”
- Appalachia Funders Network
- World Central Kitchen
- Operation Airdrop
- Beloved Asheville
- Manna Food Bank
For more donations to local organizations, Blue Ridge Public Radio has put together a list:
Ways to Donate and Help Flood Victims
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central