Cerys ac Afon Mississippi
Singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews follows the trail of 'Ol' Man River' in the first programme in the series, Cerys ac Afon Mississippi.
"The Mississippi is very special," says Cerys, who lived in Nashville, Tennessee for nearly six years, becoming familiar with the river's lower reaches. "The Mississippi has a certain kind of magic that's enchanted me for years, since I started playing the blues on the guitar when I was about nine years old."
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Not surprisingly, music plays an important part in Cerys' journey. She begins her travels in Cairo, Illinois, before making her way down through the southern states towards the famous Louisiana delta, where the sounds of the blues, jazz, rock 'n roll and gospel music ring.
In what amounts to a musical pilgrimage, Cerys visits David Honeyboy Edwards, who, aged 92, is the only Delta Bluesman still alive. Raised on the cotton plantations, he claims that the blues tradition derives from the holler songs, sung by the slaves as they worked long hours in the cotton fields under the scorching sun.
In Memphis, music also takes Cerys on the trail of artists such as B.B. King, Otis Redding, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and of course, Elvis Presley. However, there is a darker side to this city as it was once the world trading centre for the slave industry.
"On the one hand, the contemporary culture of the United States is so familiar to us here in Britain," says Cerys. "But under the murky depths of the Mississippi there lies a more exotic culture which is rich, colourful and of historic importance."
Ending her journey in New Orleans, in a joint session with the New Wave jazz band, she adds, "The great thing about making a programme is that you get the chance to do things that you wouldn't otherwise think of doing if you were travelling independently. I got to fly over the river to see the levees; I went shrimp fishing in the bayous and partied with the Cajuns, and I was meeting some amazing characters every day. I had some fantastic experiences."
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Sgrîn article Autumn 2008
"Miss Matthews a'r Mississippi"
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