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

Zangeres Rhiannon Giddens zingt onder begeleiding van het internationaal muziekcollectief Silk Road Ensemble "St. James Infirmary Blues". Het Amerikaanse folknummer, in de jaren 20 populair geworden door Louis Armstrong, is voor de gelegenheid geïnjecteerd met zigeunerinvloeden en een ondeugende energie.
- 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
(MusicMuziek)
0
960
3760
(Muziek)
01:28
I wentgegaan down
1
76200
2576
Ik ben naar
01:30
to StSt. JamesJames InfirmaryZiekenboeg
2
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3320
St. James Infirmerie geweest
01:36
To see my babybaby there
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4600
Om mijn baby op te zoeken
01:42
She was lyingaan het liegen on a long woodenhouten tabletafel
4
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5880
Ze lag op een lange houten tafel
01:49
So coldkoude, so still, so faireerlijk
5
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Zo koud, zo stil, zo mooi
01:57
I wentgegaan up to see the doctordoctor
6
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Ik praatte er met de dokter
02:05
"She's very lowlaag," he said
7
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"Het gaat niet goed", zei hij
02:10
I wentgegaan back to see my babybaby
8
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Ik ging terug naar mijn baby
02:18
Good God
9
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1975
Mijn God
02:20
she's lyingaan het liegen there deaddood
10
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ze ligt daar, dood
03:07
I wentgegaan down to oldoud Joe'sJoe's barbar roomkamer
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Ik ging naar ouwe Jan's café
03:14
On the cornerhoek of the squareplein
12
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Op de hoek van het plein
03:20
They were servingportie drinksdrankjes as perper usualgebruikelijk
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Ze schonken drankjes als gewoonlijk
03:26
And the usualgebruikelijk crowdmenigte was there
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Aan de gebruikelijke gasten
03:31
To my left stoodstond OldOude JoeJoe McKennedyMcKennedy
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Links van me stond ouwe Jan Jacobi
03:37
His eyesogen were bloodshotBloeddoorlopen redrood
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Met bloeddoorlopen ogen
03:42
He turnedgedraaid to the crowdmenigte around him
17
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Hij richtte zich tot de gasten
03:47
And these are the wordstekst he said
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En dit is wat hij zei
03:53
"Let her go, let her go, God blesszegenen her
19
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"Laat haar gaan, laat haar gaan,
mijn zegen heeft ze
03:59
WhereverWaar she maymei be
20
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Waar ze ook mag zijn
04:03
She can searchzoeken
this wholegeheel widebreed worldwereld- all over
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Ze kan hem op de hele wereld zoeken
04:08
But she'llze zal never find anothereen ander man like me
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Maar een man als mij vindt ze niet meer
04:14
She can searchzoeken
this wholegeheel widebreed worldwereld- all over
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4856
Ze kan hem op de hele wereld zoeken
04:19
And she'llze zal never find
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Maar een man als mij
04:24
anothereen ander man
25
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vindt ze
04:32
like me
26
260000
3320
niet meer
04:46
When I diedood gaan, please God, burybegraven me
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Als ik doodga, begraaf me dan in godsnaam
04:51
In my ten-dollartien dollar StetsonStetson hathoed
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4960
In mijn oude Seeberger hoedje
04:57
Put a twenty-dollartwintig-dollar goldgoud piecestuk
on my watch chainketen
29
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5176
Doe een gouden dukaat
aan mijn horlogeketting
05:02
So my friendsvrienden know I diedging dood standingstaand pattikje
30
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5320
Ik ben tenslotte
met opgeheven hoofd gegaan
05:08
Get sixzes gamblersgokkers to carrydragen my coffinkist
31
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4240
Laat zes gokkers mijn kist dragen
05:14
And sixzes choirkoor girlsmeisjes to singzingen me a songlied
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En haal zes koormeisjes om te zingen
05:20
StickStok a jazzjazz- bandband on my hearselijkwagen wagonwagon
33
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5336
Zet een jazz-band op mijn lijkwagen
05:25
To raiseverhogen hellhel as I go alonglangs
34
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Om onderweg leven te maken
07:33
Now that's the endeinde of my storyverhaal
35
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Hier eindigt mijn verhaal
07:42
Let's have anothereen ander roundronde of boozedrank
36
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En schenk nu nog maar eens in
07:49
And if anyoneiedereen should askvragen you
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En als iemand ernaar vraagt
07:56
Just tell them I got
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Vertel ze gerust wat ik heb
08:01
the StSt. JamesJames InfirmaryZiekenboeg
39
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4120
De St. James Infirmerie
08:15
bluesBlues
40
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blues
08:30
(ApplauseApplaus)
41
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3760
(Applaus)
Translated by Peter Van de Ven
Reviewed by Axel Saffran

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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