Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens teams with sister for album

Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens teams up with sister Lalenja on I Know I've Been Changed For Immediate Release Contact:   Corinne Everett Belch corinne@musicmaker.org 919-643-2456 HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (April 18, 2013) - Music Maker Relief Foundation, an organization dedicated to assisting elderly Roots musicians and preserving American Traditional music, is excited to announce the upcoming release of I Know I've Been Changed by the Giddens Sisters on April 30th. The duo will also perform across North Carolina and in Tennessee on six dates in March. On the 15-track album, Rhiannon Giddens, of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and her sister Lalenja Harrington team up to perform both traditional and original tunes. Rhiannon plays banjo and fiddle on the album, in addition to singing. Lalenja lends her vocals, along with her skillful poem and songwriting. Tim Duffy, Founder of Music Maker Relief Foundation and co-manager of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, says, "Rhiannon Giddens showcases her lifelong musical partnership with sister Lalenja, through gospel duets, old-time music and original poetry. Mixing these three genres has never been done before on one album, especially by artists of this magnitude. We are so lucky that these brilliant and virtuosic sisters have teamed up to bring this art to the world." The songs and poems on I Know I've Been Changed were inspired by a range of styles and musicians, from gospel to banjo finger picking-from Billie Holliday to Ola Belle Reed. I Know I've Been Changed will be officially released on April 30, 2013, and is currently available for special pre-release at shop.musicmaker.org. The album was recorded in April 2010 at Music Maker Studios by Tim Duffy and produced by Ardie Dean.    For more information about the album, including a downloadable version available for media, click here.  ### About Music Maker Relief Foundation: Music Maker Relief Foundation is a 501c3 dedicated to preserving the musical traditions of the American South. Since 1994 they have partnered with traditional artists over 55 years old who survive on a yearly income of less than $18,000, sustaining their day-to-day needs while building their careers.