Tanasi — Tanasi (Self-Released, 2026)
Tanasi’s self-titled debut album presents a flavorful musical exchange led by dobro player Billy Cardine, guitarist Anya Hinkle, and banjo player Mary Lucey. Their music is deeply rooted in Appalachian, West African, South Asian, and Southern African traditions. Notably, the three artists bring curiosity, discipline, virtuosity and uncommon warmth. Their approach, dubbed “worldgrass,” is the result of years of collaboration, teaching, travel, and direct study with musicians whose ideas have become part of the group’s shared experience.
The album’s opening track, “Mahalla / Let’s Hold On,” emerged from Cardine and Lucey’s time with South African slide guitarist Hannes Coetzee at a music camp in Washington. Coetzee, celebrated for playing slide guitar with a spoon held in his mouth, shared traditional melodies during late-night sessions alongside South African songwriter, playwright, and director David Kramer. With Coetzee’s blessing, Lucey later added English lyrics and a complementary vocal line, turning the melody into a stirring reflection on travel, intimacy, and premature farewells.
“Get Up / Ore Mi Kini Se” was inspired by a traditional Yoruba chant. The piece recasts the interlocking polyrhythms of a West African drum ensemble through an Appalachian string-band framework.
Elsewhere, “Sweetest Breeze,” written by North Carolina songwriter Steve McMurry, looks toward the history surrounding the construction of Fontana Dam, where displacement, labor, and resilience remain inseparable.
“The Fif” is a dazzling instrumental with deep Indian roots that highlight Billy’s expertise as a multifaceted guitarist
The trio’s rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” carries the album’s heaviest emotional weight. After Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to western North Carolina, the song acquired an immediate local connection.
Cardine’s instrumental “Pickin’ in the Pines” returns to bluegrass roots with crisp attack and road-tested spontaneity.
Some time ago, the musicians encountered the beloved Nepali folk song “Bajho Khetma” during tours that included school performances and collaborations with local artists. During a long layover, they wrote English lyrics together and imagined young love against the vastness of high mountain plateaus. The adaptation was titled “Lightning Flashing.” It feels affectionate, with its spacious melody left intact enough to retain a sense of distance and wonder.
“Rock the Cradle Joe” and “Ducks on the Millpond” is a lively instrumental medley composed of two traditional Appalachian old-time fiddle tunes.
“Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)” mixes delightful timeless old time music with Indian music. Absolutely. Billy plays an Indian guitar calle chaturangui that sounds remarkably similar to a dobro.
Tanasi is an extraordinary worldgrass string band trio that resides in Asheville, North Carolina. They combine old time and bluegrass traditions with influences from India, South Africa and beyond. In 2025, Tanasi received a National Endowment for the Arts USArtists International Grant.
Cardine is a renowned voice in modern slide guitar work. He has collaborated with artists such as John Paul Jones, Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas, and Debashish Bhattacharya. Lucey is a leading player in contemporary string band music through The Biscuit Burners and Uncle Earl. Meanwhile, Hinkle is an award-winning songwriter with internationally celebrated solo releases.
Buy Tanasi. CD and vinyl available from anyahinkle.com/store
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.