“Swimming in Dark Waters”

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens ’00, founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, will lead a series of concerts that kicks off in Oberlin on February 20.

Joined by singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman and cellist Leyla McCalla, the concert, titled Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience, will examine the history of protest, subversion, and cultural resistance from musicians of color throughout the history of the United States, from the original inhabitants to recent immigrants, exploring the songs of resistance of the South, both old and new; the deep history of protest songs from McCalla's Haiti and Louisiana; and the modern outsider-looking-in observations of first generation American Bhiman.

The performance will take place 8 p.m. Saturday, February 20, in Finney Chapel.