| Black Fiddlers | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Eduardo Montes-Bradley |
| Produced by | Soledad Liendo |
| Starring | Rhiannon Giddens Marshal Wyatt Kip Lornell Earl White David Roberts |
| Cinematography | Eduardo Montes-Bradley |
| Production company | Heritage Film Project |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 60 minutes |
Black Fiddlers is an American documentary film released in 2022 exploring the legacy of violin players of African descent in shaping American folk music and culture. Directed by Eduardo Montes-Bradley and produced by the Heritage Film Project, the film traces Black violinists' personal and family stories, in search of common themes that help to illuminate American musical history.
The documentary features African American fiddlers such as David Roberts, Earl White, and Rhiannon Giddens, who share their individual journeys as well as their music, and commentary from local historians and academics.
Synopsis
"Black Fiddlers" begins by tracing the history of enslaved violin players in Virginia, focusing on Eston Hemings, the son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. Eston, like his brother Madison, left his Virginia home in Charlottesville and settled in Ohio in the early 1840s, where he passed as white and led a band. Later in life, Eston was recognized as the Black son of Thomas Jefferson and moved further north, adopting his father's last name, Jefferson. The film reveals Eston's grave near Madison, Wisconsin, where he is buried as Eston H. Jefferson. Other personal accounts of Black fiddlers include the story of Southworth, born a slave in Kentucky. Southworth was taken to Missouri and thence to Oregon in 1851. He purchased his freedom with gold which he dug out of the Yreka and Jacksonville mines and with money he earned by playing his violin. He fought in the Rogue River Indian War, in which he was wounded. Black Fiddlers is also anchored in the legacy of Joe Thompson and his first cousin Odell, two of the last known musicians to carry on this rich tradition and who served as mentors and inspiration to present day performers like Rhiannon Giddens and The Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Black Fiddlers also delves into the debate over the origins of the violin, exploring whether it is a product of the Italian Baroque or in African roots and traditions. In the process, the film examines how the music played by African American fiddlers evolved in different parts of the United States, from Harlem, New York, to Oregon, and highlights the influence of Creole and Cajun culture on Black musicians such as Cedric Watson in New Orleans.
The narratives in "Black Fiddlers" are enriched by testimonials from several experts and performers, including Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, academic folklorist Kip Lornell, Iris Chapman Thompson, Henrique Prince, Marshall Wyatt, David Roberts, Earl White, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Howard L. Sacks and Jody Rose Sacks, Beverly Grey, and Terry Jenoure. Black Fiddlers premiered at the 35th edition of the Virginia Film Festival in November 2022.
Filming locations
Principal photography took place in Mebane; Harlem; Floyd, Northfield, Stockbridge, Mount Vernon, Portland, and Chillicothe.
References
- YouTube
- "PVCC to screen doc on history of Black violinists this Friday". The Daily Progress. Charlottesville, Virginia. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- NPR Radio IQ
- Kanopy Streaming
- Virginia Film Festival