Contact: Melissa Reifert
January 26, 2007

Carolina Chocolate Drops Set to Perform at MECC

On February 13, the Carolina Chocolate Drops will bring their unique antebellum combination of banjo and fiddle music to Mountain Empire Community College.  The band is composed of Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson, three young and talented musicians who have been recognized for leading the revival of old-time string music.  Their performance at MECC will take place at 12:15 in the Goodloe Center on campus.  It is free and open to the public.

The group has performed at a number of different venues across the southeast including participation in the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Bristol, Tennessee.  They honed their skills under the tutelage of fiddler Joe Thompson, a North Carolinian said to be the last black traditional string band player.

In addition to the band’s public performance at MECC, they will also visit English Instructor Rita Quillen’s Appalachian Literature class on the morning of February 13.  Quillen, a fan of the group, says that she is excited about the opportunity for her students to see the “oral history” they talk about in class brought to life by the Chocolate Drops.

“The Carolina Chocolate Drops just electrified the audience at last year’s Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol,” states Quillen.  “They got a huge standing ovation.  They went to one of the best of the old-time fiddlers, Joe Thompson, and learned all they could.  Now they are carrying his music on to another generation.  That’s a truly special thing.”

The group’s appearance at MECC is in cooperation with Appalshop’s Old Time Music Program.  Appalshop is a multi-disciplinary arts and education center in the heart of Appalachia, producing original films, video, theater, music and spoken-word recordings, radio, photography, multimedia, and books.  It is located in Whitesburg, Kentucky.

For more information about the Carolina Chocolate Drops, visit their website at www.carolinachocolatedrops.com.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, made up of Justin Robinson, Rhiannon Giddens, and Dom Flemons, will perform at MECC on February 13 at 12:15 in the Goodloe Center.  The band specializes in old-time string band music.

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