Amanpour and Company

WE TURN NOW TO THE AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL ARTIST RHIANN HO N GIDON WHO GREW UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND SHE ALSO A KRASIC CLAY TRIED ON WITH A RACE KNOW. SHE'S ON A HISTORY TO REMAIN AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE. SHE SAT DOWN WITH OUR WALTER ISAACSON THIS SAY THERE IS NO OTHER AND TO PALAU WITH SOME BANJO. >> YOU HAVE AN AMAZING ALBUM CALLED "THERE IS NO OTHER" ABOUT ADVERSITY AND DIFFERENT STRAINS COME TOGETHER. FIRST LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL ANCESTRY. >> MY PARENTS GOT MAYOR I'D IN NORTH CAROLINA, INTERRACIAL COUPLE, GOT MARRIED, YOU KNOW, NOT -- MAYBE THREE YEARS AFTER THE LOVING TO SIGNIFICANCE. >> THAT ALLOWED INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE IN NORTH CAROLINA. >> I GREW UP KIND OF GOING BACK BETWEEN MY WHITE SIDES AND BLACK SIDE AND THEN AS THE YEARS WOULD PASS YOU'LL HERE HANTS OF STORIES ABOUT INDIAN BLOOD AND THIS AS THAT AND I STARTED TO GET INTEREST IN THAT SORT OF KIN. >> YEAH, SO I GOT INTERESTED IN THAT SIDE OF THINGS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL I WENT TO. THERE'S A NATIVE AMERICAN DRUM GROUP THERE AND A POWWOW THAT HAPPENS THERE EVERY YEAR SO I LEARNED NOW TO SING THE SONGS AND REALLY KIND OF EXPLORE THAT JUST FOR MY OWN SELF. >> WHERE IS THERE. THIS IS IN DUR HAMM, NORTH CAROLINA. >> YOU HAVE GREENSBORO AND DURHAM, QUITE A FEW NORTH CAROLINA ROOTS IN YOU. HOW DOES IT ALL COME TOGETHER AND WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO BY BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH THIS ALBUM? >> I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I REPRESENT A LOT OF THE SOUTH WHICH IS A MIXTURE OF BLACK AND WHITE NATIVE ELEMENTS YOU KNOW. WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE EXACTLY WHAT COMES FROM WHAT. SOMETIMES WE ARE AND SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT HAND THAT'S KIND OF HOW MY ROOTS ARE. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR ANY VALIDATION OR CLAIMING ANY KIND OF A THIS OR THAT. THAT'S LIKE I'M A MIX, AND I THINK THE BEST OF AMERICAN MUSIC COMES FROM THAT ASPECT OF IT, THE MIXTURE, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING WITH MY MUSIC IN AMERICA, LIKE LOOKING PARTICULARLY AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PART OF THINGS BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC I'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN, IT'S BEEN SUPPRESSED, THE TRUE ROLE OF BLACK AMERICANS IN THE CREATION OF SOMETHING LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC, OLD TIME MUSIC AND BLUEGRASS AND I'VE BEENING TO THAT FOR SOME YEARS. >> AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE TIES THAT PIPED US AS WELL. WHEN I WET -- I MET FRANCISCO AND HE DOES THE RECORD WITH ME. HE'S IN ITALY. VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. I WENT TO CLASSICAL AND LEARNED HOW TO SING AND HE HAVE STARTED ON HIS BACK. HIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN TRYING, TO YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT HOW MIXED THAT AREA IS AND HOW YOU WOULDN'T SAY HAVE THE RENAISSANCE WITHOUT THE YEARS OF ARABIC DOMINATION, OF SPAIN AND ALL THESE AREAS. YOU HAVE THE INCREDIBLE AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING RRM AND I FIND OUT THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES AND PARALLELS IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE IS PUT THE MUSIC TOGETHER. >> I SAW YOU IN THE KEN BURNS DOCUMENTARY AND WE THINK OF COUNTRY MUSIC AS BEING A WHITE GENRE YOU'VE AND HELPED RESURRECT THE ROOTS OF COUNTRY MUSIC FROM MANY DIVERSE BACKGROUND INCLUDING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ONE. I'M IN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OR RESTORE THE NARRATIVE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY BEEN A CRAFTED THING, AND I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING, THERE'S THIS NOTION THAT THE COUNTRY IS SOLD AS PURE FEET KELL TOUR. WHEN I FOUND THE BAND MEMBERS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND THEN I STARTEDING TO WHAT CADDY ME DURING -- KIND OF LIKE EVERYTHING I DO IS MEANINGFUL AND WHAT I DO WITH MUSIC AND SEAS IT JUST A REAL JULY RALL ISSUE AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS PEOPLE ARE MIKE US, WE'RE -- WE ALL TO IMTAGGETT AND CREATED A. >> THEY DID, AND THEY ARE ALSO ONE OF THE MAIN PILLARS OF THIS, AND THAT CAN'T BE STATED STRONGLY, WITHOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND WITHOUT THE THIS REQUESTS BACK TO THE 1850s WERE. YOU'VE GOT -- UP UNTIL THE LATE 1930 WAS DID AND IT BECOMES AN INEXTRICABLE SHORT OF THE. IT'S THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF. ENCE SEPTEMBER WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE IN UP. IT'S OVEN IN OURFUL. WE JUST HAVE TO KIND OF COME TO GROUPS WITH IN. THERE'S A LOT OF KNOW FFRMT THAT'S THE BUCIK THAT KIND OF KOOGS IN. ALL OF THESE KIND OF THINGS GO INTO WHAT GYM. COUNTRY MUSIC. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH. >> WHEN YOU FIRST GOT DRD IN SQUARE DANCING, DID YOU KNOW IT WAS CREATED BY A WHITE GENE REOF HENRY FORD AND WERE YOU TRYING TO RESCUE THE ROOTS OF SQUARE DANCING? >> I HAD NO IDEA. YOU KNOW, SQUARE DANCING, I LEARNED IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. THIS WAS PART OF THE WHOLE THING. THIS IS AMERICA'S DANCE, AND BY AMERICA WE MEAN WHITE AMERICA, SO I NEVER THOUGHT I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME, YOU KNOW, AND -- AND SO WHEN I STARTED CALLING CONDRA DANCES, I KIND OF LIKE I WAS THE RASIN IN THE OLD MEAL. >> AND YOU THINK THE YOU WERE BLACK THEN. THIS IS THE -- BEING BI-RACIAL IN AMERICA, IT'S THE -- WHEN I OTHER I FILL THIS WAY AND I'VE FLEETLYth THAT ARE. BACK THEN IT'S REALLY HARD, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF TRY TO -- SO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S -- IT'S A LEGACY THAT IS FAKE IT. THERE'S JUST THE REALITIES THERE, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE HISTORY IT WAS LIKE BLACK. WE HAD A HUGE PIECE OF CREATING WHAT HAS BEEN SET ASIDE AS THIS ETHNICALLY YUF WHITE THING. THE ACTUALLY IS WAY ALREADY NOT INTERESTING AND IT'S THEIR IDEA OF WHAT WE ARE. THEY WON'T WANT US TO MOVE IT AND THEN WAIT A MINUTE, YOU KNOW. THIS HAS BEEN THE CONFLICT OF THE SOUTH SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING IS KEEPING ALL THE POOR CLIMATE EACH OTHER'S THROAT AND THAT'S BEEN. >> THE ONLY WAY I ABOUTY WILL LEE IT AND. >> DO YOU HAVE AN 1850s REPLICA BANJO. SHOW US AND SOME OF THE ROOTS OF THE MUSIC THAT YOU CAN DO WITH MA BANJO. >> SO FOR ME THIS IS A LOT CLOSER I SPEED SUMD SO MANY PRE-GAMER MOVEMENT THAN ALEKS NET. >> WHEN I PICKED THIS UP, I FELT AN AMAIN. >> THIS IS THE SOUND OF IT. >> SHOW MOW SOME HILLBILLY NOTES THAT YOU WOULD DO. >> IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THERE ARE -- THE MINSTREL STYLE OF PLAYING WITH CULT STROKE STYLE IS CALLED CLAW HAMMER TODAY. >> OH, YEAH, PERCUSSIVE. >> TAKE OFF THE STICK YOU HAVE A DRUM, RIGHT? >> AND THEY THINK, KNOW, THERE'S AN IDEA THE WAY THAT THEY DID THIS CAME FROM THE DRUMMER, THE TAMBOURINE, IT'S UNSUBSTAN SAYSES, TELL US ABOUT THAT -- THAT ISN'T REALLY A TERM THAT BECAME USED AS A WAY TO YOU. THERE WERE PEOPLE LIVING ALL OVER AND THERE'S UP TO 20% AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND THE IDEA OF THE MUSIC BEING, YOU KNOW, UNTOUCHED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS IN THE MOUNTAINS, IT'S NOT A THING. NOBODY IS ISOLATED. PEOPLE ARE MORE ISOLATED THAN OTHERS, AND PEOPLE SURVIVE LONGER IN THE MOUNTAINS THAN OTHER PLACES BUT IT'S KIND OF BEEN TAKEN AS A THING AND THIS MYTHOLOGY HAS GROWN AROUND, IT SO, KNOW, WHO GOES IN THIS AND AFTERNOON TUNES AND -- SHOW MOW A LITTLE AFTER CAN INFLUENCE. >> THERE'S JUST FEEL- THERE'S AHILL I THAT ARE INLED OLD HAN TRAIL IT'S ALL FEES, YOU KNOW. >> THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. >> IT FEELS LIKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I APPROACH THINGS, YOU KNOW, IN THAT WAY, IT'S LIKE I CAN REALLY HEAR THIS EACH STROKE AND OFFBEAT AND SO MANY COMES OUT OF THIS EARLY MINSTREL MUSIC AND SO MUCH NEEDS TO BE STUDIED AND I'M KIND OF AN AN. FINDING THAT FROM AN OLDER. NOW WE NOW KNOW THAT HE HAS AN INDIRECT LINE FROM A FAMOUS BLACK STRING MUB YANCH NAMED FRANK JOHNSON AND A DIRECT LINEAGE FROM FRANK JOHNSON TO ME. AND SO INTERESTING THAT KIND OF VIBE AND THEN APPROACHING THESE THAN. I'M A CO-POUNDER WITH OF THAT POINT AND IT ALL STARTED WITH ITS. I PLAYED THE BAKO COGENTLEMEN WOULD NEVER PLAY WITHOUT A BANJO PLAYER AND WE JUST KIND OF AN SOUTHERN AS MUST AS WE COULD BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF. >> I WOULDN'T HAVE PLAYED THIS BANJO. >> SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE RESURRECT HAVE BEEN REALLY PAINFUL AND ESPECIALLY THE WILMINGTON MASSACRE WHICH SORT OF, ALMOST, HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN IN DESERT A LITTLE BIT. >> I'M FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND WE DID NOT -- IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO BE CAUGHT. TET MOW ABOUT IT GHSH IS 1892 YOU HAD A FAIRLY PROGRESSIVE IDEA OF BLACK MIDDLE CLASS WEALTH, YOU HAD BLOKS AND WHITES WORKING TOGETHER AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU HAVE A POLITICAL PARTY AND WHITES AND BLACKS WORKING TOGETHER AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE. SO THE RULING SORT OF I GUESS THEY HAD BEEN RULE, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE SUPREMACIST BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, DID NOT LIKE THIS, AND THEY DID A CAMPAIGN. THEY USED THE KKK -- CAMPAIGNCH INTIMIDATION, THE KIND OF USUAL THING, THE YEAR LEADING UP INTO THE ELECTIONS, PEOPLE GOT A BUNCH OF GUNS AND SHOT PEOPLE AND THEY RAN PROMINENT BLACK AND WHITE CITIZENS OUT OF RETURN AND SHOT A LOT OF -- AND THEN IT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED UP LIKE TO NEVER HAPPENED. >> RIGHT. >> SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING DO WITH THE MUSIC? >> I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PIECE OF ART OUT OF -- IT'S NOT EVEN JUST SO MUCH -- THE MASSACRE IS A HORRIBLE THING, THE ACT OF CLEANSE, BUT WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IS, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF WHAT WHICH WILL, IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD CBS IN HARMONY IN. THE FACT THAT THE I FEEL OF HIGHLIGHTSING THE -- YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THE ACT OF DESTRUCTION? >> I'M NOT SURE YES. I THINK A PAY PROJECTION. MANY. HE LIVES IN WILMINGTON AND SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE WORKING ON WHATEVER IT IS TOGETHER BECAUSE HE -- I MEAN, HE'S -- HIS HELP OF HAS JUST BEEN UNBELIEVABLE AND HE'S FINDING OUT A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT IT, SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT THING TO DISCUSS. A LOT OF 6019 PROJECT. A LOT OF PEOPLE GRAPPLING WITH WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'VE COME FROM AND THINGS FROM THE PAST THAT ARE NOT LONG AGO WHEN YOU DEAL WITH IT IT. WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY INVESTED YOU CAN REALLY MAKE HAD A DIFFERENCE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN SEE MORE CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, THE TRACES. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.