Sunday Sessions: We Could Fly

What inspires you to dream? To question? To risk? To act?

Many different things in differing situations, I am sure. I expect, though, that story has something to do with it, whatever the circumstance.

For the song We Could Fly, Rhiannon Giddens was thinking about an old story, one that was known in the folklore of several countries in Africa, about people being able to fly.

This story made its way across the ocean in slavery times to the United States.

At times, the story was told that at death, people could fly back to their homelands in Africa.

At other times, there was a story of flying away from present troubles.

A lament on the one hand, a reminder of hope on the other.

Working on songs for her album Freedom Highway. Rhiannon and producer Dirk Powell chose to frame the story as a conversation between mother and daughter -- a daughter coming into her power and her own hope, and a mother telling and teaching of older ways and of stories and wisdom handed down.

I had occasion to see Giddens and Powell in concert recently.

Rhiannon framed the song We Could Fly as one of hope. Briefly but distinctly, she pointed to the ideas of of seeing someone stepping up to a choice and taking inspiration from that.

Whatever you take from the song, may it be of help in the stories you tell and the choices you make.

Rhiannon Giddens has also made We Could Fly into a picture book, which works as well for adults as it does for children. I wrote about that book alongside three other books which, in varied ways, include and inspire hope: recipes and stories from World Central Kitchen, a reflective journey in Scotland’s Cairngorms Mountains, and a gentle tale of two children learning to explore what’s nearby. That last was also written by a musician, Jenna Reid.

Rhiannon Giddens has also turned another of her songs, Build a House, into a picture book.

You may also wish to learn about activist and musician Bernice Johnson Reagon

and about a song from slavery times

and hear two other songs about hope

Photograph of Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell at Celtic Connections in Glasgow by Kerry Dexter.

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