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Charlotte Post: Rich, Thick Chocolate Drops
by Cheris F. HodgesFiddles and banjos may not be what you think about when it comes to black music, but maybe you should.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are keeping the tradition of African-American string band music alive. The Drops are a trio of young African-Americans that came together to play the rich tradition of fiddle and banjo music in the Carolinas. The group members are Rhiannon Giddens, Justin Robinson and Dom Flemons.
On Sunday, the Drops bring the string band tradition to the McGlohon Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $17.
“We all had been playing the music,” said Robinson, “and we didn’t know each other until 2005.”
The Chocolate Drops first met at a banjo event in Boone. After that meeting, Robinson said they decided to form the group.
Robinson said that after their shows, fans come up and say “thank you for preserving my music.”
“Usually we find people who say they never knew this music was a part of (black) history,” he said.
Robinson said he knew it was meant for him to play this kind of music and keep the tradition going because he found out that he lived less than 25 miles from Joe Thompson, one of North Carolina’s few traditional string band players. Thompson helped guide Robinson and the Chocolate Drops.
“We like the music and it’s something that needs to be in the general population as well,” Robinson said.
Want their CD? The Carolina Chocolate Drops recorded their first studio CD, “Dona Got A Ramblin’ Mind.” It can be ordered online at www.sankofasrings.com/ccd or by mail at Music Maker Relief Foundation, Eno Valley Station, PO Box 72222, Durham, NC 27722. The CD is $17, which includes shipping and handling.
On the web:
www.carolinachocolatedrops.com
www.myspace.com/carolinachocolatedrops