Rhiannon Giddens is a phenomenon in contemporary bluegrass and American roots music. A Belgian newspaper has already expressed this as: 'A on banjo'. It is especially special how she searches for combative perspectives (such as with the women's group who performs traditional female slave songs) and dares to experiment with traditional music. For example, on There Is No Other she collaborates with
… the Arabic / Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi. He is a jazz musician but assists Giddens on traditional Arabic percussion and string instruments. How easy and organic bluegrass and whimsical Arabic scales and rhythms meet here, in original and modern pieces and traditionals, must be every xenophobic American's nightmare. With her expressive, classically trained voice and driven presentation, Giddens also dares to take on an Italian folk song (Pizzica Di San Vito). A groundbreaking album that radiates power and magic. (MR)more
