Rising Appalachia is an American Appalachian folk music group, led by multi-instrumentalist sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith. Their music is deeply rooted in the landscapes of Atlanta, New Orleans, and the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia. What distinguishes Rising Appalachia is their ability to blend a diverse range of instruments and styles. Their musical palette spans from banjos and fiddles to djembe, balafon, congas, tablas, kalimbas, beatbox, and even didgeridoo. This distinctive combination gives rise to a musical mosaic that seamlessly interweaves elements of world, folk, and soul music.
Chloe and Leah Smith of Rising Appalachia in May 2008
Chloe and Leah Smith at FloydFest 2010
Rising Appalachia at The Ogden, New Orleans on November 11, 2011
Sisters Chloe and Leah Smith in New Orleans, 2010
Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Traditional Appalachian music is derived from various influences, including the ballads, hymns and fiddle music of the British Isles, and to a lesser extent the music of Continental Europe.
Appalachian music
"A lamentable ballad of the little Musgrove", 17th century antecedent of "Matty Groves"
Scottish Fiddler Niel Gow
The Old Plantation, c.1790, shows African American slaves playing a banjo-like instrument, probably in Beaufort County, South Carolina