Carolina Chocolate Drops

Lore & Background

The Carolina Chocolate Drops formed in November 2005 after members attended the first Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina, in April 2005. The group grew out of Sankofa Strings, an ensemble featuring Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Súle Greg Wilson, with Justin Robinson as an occasional guest. The original three members—Giddens, Flemons, and Robinson—were all in their twenties when the group formed after Flemons moved from Phoenix to North Carolina. Wilson, nearly a generation older, was occasionally featured into 2010, contributing to recordings including Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind, CCD and Joe Thompson, Heritage, and a few tracks on Genuine Negro Jig. All musicians sang and traded instruments including banjo, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, snare drum, bones, jug, and kazoo. The group learned much of their repertoire from African American old-time fiddler Joe Thompson, focusing on traditional music from the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, though they also performed old-time versions of modern songs like Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)."

Reader's Guide

The Carolina Chocolate Drops released five CDs and one EP, opened for Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan, and performed on Mountain Stage, MerleFest, the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention, A Prairie Home Companion, Fresh Air, BBC Radio, the Bonnaroo Music Festival, the Romp, BBC Radio 3, the Grand Ole Opry, and Later... with Jools Holland. In February 2011, beatboxer Adam Matta and multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins joined, while Justin Robinson departed. In early 2012, cellist Leyla McCalla joined. The group contributed a track to the Bob Dylan tribute compilation Chimes of Freedom and released Leaving Eden in February 2012. In 2012, they were nominated for awards by the Chicago Black Theater Alliance for Keep a Song in Your Soul: The Roots of Black Vaudeville, and contributed 'Daughter's Lament' to The Hunger Games soundtrack. In 2013, they were nominated for a Blues Music Award for Acoustic Artist and contributed 'Day of Liberty' to Divided & United. Dom Flemons left in November 2013, replaced by cellist Malcolm Parson and multi-instrumentalist Rowan Corbett. In 2014, they worked with choreographer Twyla Tharp on Cornbread Duet. The group stopped regularly performing together in 2014, and members pursued solo work. Hubby Jenkins left in 2016. The original members reunited for the inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival in Durham, North Carolina on April 26, 2025.

Did You Know?

• The Carolina Chocolate Drops' 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
• The group learned much of their repertoire from the eminent African American old-time fiddler Joe Thompson.
• They performed old-time versions of modern songs such as Blu Cantrell's R&B hit 'Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!).'
• The original members reunited for the inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival in Durham, North Carolina on April 26, 2025.

Origins in the Piedmont Tradition

The Carolina Chocolate Drops trace their roots to a pivotal moment in April 2005, when members attended the first Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, North Carolina. That experience catalyzed the group's formation in November 2005, growing naturally out of Sankofa Strings, an ensemble dedicated to showcasing the full breadth of African American musical heritage, from classic blues and early jazz to string band numbers, African and Caribbean songs, and spoken word. The original trio of Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, and Justin Robinson were all in their twenties when they came together after Flemons relocated from Phoenix to North Carolina. Their musical foundation was deeply rooted in the old-time traditions of the Piedmont region, with much of their repertoire learned directly from the celebrated African American fiddler Joe Thompson. Yet the group was never confined to the past; they brought contemporary sensibilities to their craft, even performing old-time arrangements of modern R&B hits. Every member sang and traded across a wide array of instruments, from banjo and fiddle to kazoo, bones, jug, and snare drum, creating a sound that was both deeply traditional and vibrantly alive.

Rise to National and International Recognition

The group's breakthrough arrived with their 2010 album Genuine Negro Jig, which claimed the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards and landed at number nine on fRoots magazine's top ten albums of that year. That recognition propelled them onto some of the most prestigious stages in American and British music. They performed multiple times on the Grand Ole Opry, appeared on Mountain Stage, MerleFest, and the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention, and opened for both Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan in 2011. Their international reach extended to BBC Radio, BBC Television's Later... with Jools Holland, and A Prairie Home Companion. They headlined the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and the 2011 Romp in Owensboro, Kentucky. Beyond live performance, they contributed tracks to major projects, including "Political World" on the Bob Dylan tribute compilation Chimes of Freedom and "Daughter's Lament" on The Hunger Games soundtrack. Their 2012 album Leaving Eden, recorded with producer Buddy Miller, further cemented their place in the contemporary folk landscape.

A Band in Constant Motion

The Carolina Chocolate Drops were never a static ensemble; their membership shifted repeatedly over the course of their existence. Súle Greg Wilson, nearly a generation older than the original trio, remained a featured presence into 2010, contributing to recordings that included nearly half of Genuine Negro Jig. In February 2011, beatboxer Adam Matta and multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins joined while Justin Robinson departed. Early in 2012, New Orleans cellist Leyla McCalla came aboard for touring. Then in November 2013, Dom Flemons announced his departure to pursue a solo career, and cellist Malcolm Parson and multi-instrumentalist Rowan Corbett stepped in. Jenkins himself left in 2016. Each transition brought new textures, including beatbox, cello, cajon, djembe, and melodica, reshaping the group's sonic palette. Jenkins described the period around Leaving Eden as a "trial-by-fire" for incoming members, as the band was already locked into recording plans with producer Buddy Miller. By 2014, the group stopped performing regularly together, and members scattered into solo work and other collaborations, marking the quiet end of an era.

Echoes Beyond the Band

Even after the Carolina Chocolate Drops ceased regular performances, their cultural footprint continued to expand. In 2019, director John Whitehead released the documentary Don't Get Trouble In You Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Story, capturing the group's narrative for a wider audience. Rhiannon Giddens went on to release solo recordings and, in 2020, was named the artistic director of the Silk Road Project. The group's influence also extended into theater and dance: in 2012, they contributed to Keep a Song in Your Soul: The Roots of Black Vaudeville, a program examining the hopes, realities, music, and dances of the Great Migration, and in 2014 they collaborated with choreographer Twyla Tharp and dancers Robert Fairchild and Tiler Peck on Cornbread Duet. Their 2013 Blues Music Award nomination for Acoustic Artist and their contribution "Day of Liberty" to the Divided & United album further demonstrated their reach. Finally, on April 26, 2025, the original members reunited for the inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival in Durham, North Carolina, bringing together the people who had built the band's identity from its very first days.

Gallery