ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Silk Road Ensemble - Musical explorers
With a repertoire spanning classical, improvisational and folk traditions from around the globe, the Silk Road Ensemble spins sounds that celebrate cultural solidarity.

Why you should listen

Inspired by the exchange of ideas and traditions along the historical Silk Road, cellist Yo-Yo Ma established Silkroad in 1998 to explore how the arts can advance global understanding. Since 2000, the Silk Road Ensemble has been at the core of Silkroad's work. Representing a global array of cultures, the Ensemble models new forms of cultural exchange through performances, workshops and residencies. The artists of the Ensemble draw on the rich tapestry of traditions from around the world that make up our many-layered contemporary identities, weaving together the foreign and familiar to create a new musical language.

The Ensemble tours throughout the world and has recorded six albums. "St. James Infirmary Blues," which the Ensemble performed at TED2016, appears on Sing Me Home, its new, Grammy Award-winning album. Sing Me Home was recorded alongside the new documentary feature The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble from Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville.

For its TED2016 appearance, Silk Road Ensemble is:

Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass)
Johnny Gandelsman (violin)
Joseph Gramley (percussion)
Karen Ouzounian (cello)
Kojiro Umezaki (shakuhachi)
Michael Ward-Bergeman (accordion)
Reylon Yount (yangqin)
Evan Ziporyn (clarinet)

More profile about the speaker
Silk Road Ensemble | Speaker | TED.com
Rhiannon Giddens - Musician
With a rich voice and an equally rich sense of history, Rhiannon Giddens animates American folk tradition with her electrifying song interpretations.

Why you should listen

Singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the Grammy-winning string band, Carolina Chocolate Drops, playing banjo and fiddle. Giddens's 201 Grammy-nominated solo debut, Tomorrow Is My Turn, blends gospel, jazz, blues and country, showcasing her dazzling vocal prowess. Her follow-up album, Freedom Highway, largely comprised of original songs, was released to widespread critical acclaim in February 2017.

Giddens performed at the Obama White House and duets with country star Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism hit "Kill a Word." In 2016, she received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo. Giddens also has a recurring role on the recently revived television drama Nashville.

More profile about the speaker
Rhiannon Giddens | Speaker | TED.com
TED2016

Silk Road Ensemble + Rhiannon Giddens: "St. James Infirmary Blues"

Filmed:
947,415 views

La cantante Rhiannon Giddens si unisce al collettivo musicale della Silk Road Ensemble per eseguire il brano "St. James Infirmary Blues", raggiungendo l'apogeo della canzone folk americana, che Louis Armstrong rese popolare negli anni Venti, con influenze gitane e un'intrigante energia.
- Musical explorers
With a repertoire spanning classical, improvisational and folk traditions from around the globe, the Silk Road Ensemble spins sounds that celebrate cultural solidarity. Full bio - Musician
With a rich voice and an equally rich sense of history, Rhiannon Giddens animates American folk tradition with her electrifying song interpretations. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
(MusicMusica)
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(Musica)
01:28
I wentandato down
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Sono andato
01:30
to StSt. JamesJames InfirmaryInfermeria
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all'Ospedale St. James
01:36
To see my babybambino there
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per vedere la mia piccola là.
01:42
She was lyingdire bugie on a long woodenin legno tabletavolo
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Era stesa su un lungo tavolo di legno
01:49
So coldfreddo, so still, so fairgiusto
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Così fredda, così immobile, così bella.
01:57
I wentandato up to see the doctormedico
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Sono andato dal dottore
02:05
"She's very lowBasso," he said
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"Sta molto male", mi ha detto.
02:10
I wentandato back to see my babybambino
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Sono tornato dalla mia piccola.
02:18
Good God
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Buon Dio
02:20
she's lyingdire bugie there deadmorto
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era stesa lì, morta.
03:07
I wentandato down to oldvecchio Joe'sDi Joe barbar roomcamera
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Sono andato al bar del vecchio Joe
03:14
On the cornerangolo of the squarepiazza
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all'angolo della piazza
03:20
They were servingservendo drinksbevande as perper usualsolito
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Servivano da bere, come al solito
03:26
And the usualsolito crowdfolla was there
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E c'era la solita gente.
03:31
To my left stoodsorgeva OldVecchio JoeJoe McKennedyMcKennedy
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Alla mia destra c'era
il vecchio Joe McKennedy
03:37
His eyesocchi were bloodshotiniettati di sangue redrosso
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Coi suoi occhi inniettati di sangue
03:42
He turnedtrasformato to the crowdfolla around him
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Si è rivolto a quelli intorno a lui
03:47
And these are the wordsparole he said
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E ha detto queste parole:
03:53
"Let her go, let her go, God blessbenedire her
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"Lasciala andare, lasciala andare,
Dio benedicila
03:59
WhereverOvunque she maypuò be
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Ovunque lei sia
04:03
She can searchricerca
this wholetotale widelargo worldmondo all over
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Può cercare questo vasto mondo
in lungo e in largo
04:08
But she'llconchiglia never find anotherun altro man like me
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Ma non troverà mai un uomo come me.
04:14
She can searchricerca
this wholetotale widelargo worldmondo all over
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4856
Può cercare questo vasto mondo
in lungo e in largo
04:19
And she'llconchiglia never find
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E non troverà mai
04:24
anotherun altro man
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un altro uomo
04:32
like me
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come me.
04:46
When I diemorire, please God, buryseppellire me
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Quando morirò, ti prego Dio, seppelliscimi
04:51
In my ten-dollardieci dollari StetsonStetson hatcappello
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col mio cappello Stetson da dieci dollari.
04:57
Put a twenty-dollarventi dollari goldoro piecepezzo
on my watch chaincatena
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Metti una moneta d'oro da venti dollari
sulla catena del mio orologio
05:02
So my friendsamici know I diedmorto standingin piedi patcolpetto
30
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Così che i miei amici sappiano
che sono morto senza cambiare.
05:08
Get sixsei gamblersgiocatori d'azzardo to carrytrasportare my coffinbara
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Voglio sei giocatori d'azzardo
a portare la mia bara
05:14
And sixsei choircoro girlsragazze to singcantare me a songcanzone
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E sei coriste che mi cantino una canzone
05:20
StickBastone a jazzjazz bandgruppo musicale on my hearsecarro funebre wagoncarro
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Un gruppo jazz sul mio carro funebre
05:25
To raiseaumentare hellinferno as I go alonglungo
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A scatenare l'inferno, mentre me ne vado.
07:33
Now that's the endfine of my storystoria
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Questa è la fine della mia storia
07:42
Let's have anotherun altro roundil giro of boozebevande alcoliche
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Facciamoci un altro giro
07:49
And if anyonechiunque should askChiedere you
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E se qualcuno ve lo chiedesse
07:56
Just tell them I got
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Ditegli solo che ho preso
08:01
the StSt. JamesJames InfirmaryInfermeria
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il blues
08:15
bluesBlues
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dell'Ospedale St. James.
08:30
(ApplauseApplausi)
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(Applausi)
Translated by Giulia Claudi
Reviewed by Nadia Ahmed

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Silk Road Ensemble - Musical explorers
With a repertoire spanning classical, improvisational and folk traditions from around the globe, the Silk Road Ensemble spins sounds that celebrate cultural solidarity.

Why you should listen

Inspired by the exchange of ideas and traditions along the historical Silk Road, cellist Yo-Yo Ma established Silkroad in 1998 to explore how the arts can advance global understanding. Since 2000, the Silk Road Ensemble has been at the core of Silkroad's work. Representing a global array of cultures, the Ensemble models new forms of cultural exchange through performances, workshops and residencies. The artists of the Ensemble draw on the rich tapestry of traditions from around the world that make up our many-layered contemporary identities, weaving together the foreign and familiar to create a new musical language.

The Ensemble tours throughout the world and has recorded six albums. "St. James Infirmary Blues," which the Ensemble performed at TED2016, appears on Sing Me Home, its new, Grammy Award-winning album. Sing Me Home was recorded alongside the new documentary feature The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble from Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville.

For its TED2016 appearance, Silk Road Ensemble is:

Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass)
Johnny Gandelsman (violin)
Joseph Gramley (percussion)
Karen Ouzounian (cello)
Kojiro Umezaki (shakuhachi)
Michael Ward-Bergeman (accordion)
Reylon Yount (yangqin)
Evan Ziporyn (clarinet)

More profile about the speaker
Silk Road Ensemble | Speaker | TED.com
Rhiannon Giddens - Musician
With a rich voice and an equally rich sense of history, Rhiannon Giddens animates American folk tradition with her electrifying song interpretations.

Why you should listen

Singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the Grammy-winning string band, Carolina Chocolate Drops, playing banjo and fiddle. Giddens's 201 Grammy-nominated solo debut, Tomorrow Is My Turn, blends gospel, jazz, blues and country, showcasing her dazzling vocal prowess. Her follow-up album, Freedom Highway, largely comprised of original songs, was released to widespread critical acclaim in February 2017.

Giddens performed at the Obama White House and duets with country star Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism hit "Kill a Word." In 2016, she received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo. Giddens also has a recurring role on the recently revived television drama Nashville.

More profile about the speaker
Rhiannon Giddens | Speaker | TED.com