American Railroad

Episode 2 of the American Railroad podcast brings us to Hell’s Kitchen, a New York City neighborhood that historian Miriam Nyhan describes as transformed by immigration and expansion of the state’s railroad boom. Despite tensions between Black and Irish railroad workers, living and laboring side-by-side created a distinctly American sound. We hear from Kestrel Wolgemuth from New York’s Irish Arts Center (IAC), as well as from artist and catalytic agent Lenwood “Leni” Sloan and Silkroad Ensemble member Maeve Gilchrist, as they use music to capture the energy and urgency of the time during their workshop at the IAC. 

Episode 1 takes us to North Carolina, where host and Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens reveals the origins of the popular Appalachian folk song, “Swannanoa Tunnel” and how professors Jeffrey A. Keith and Kevin Kehrberg’s research sparked important conversations about erasure and ownership in Appalachian music. We’ll also hear from Banjo player Tray Wellington about his experience as a Black band leader making a way in a genre not well known for performers who look like him.

Embark on "American Railroad," a five-episode podcast that seeks to right historical wrongs by highlighting the untold stories and unheard voices from the diverse communities that built America’s railway systems. Hosted by Grammy Award-winner and Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens, American Railroad is produced in partnership with PRX.