Oral History of Ann Cadwell, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 27 January, 2017

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Title

Oral History of Ann Cadwell, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 27 January, 2017

Description

Singer and storyteller Ann Caldwell was born in Denmark, South Carolina in 1952. Her family moved to Charleston when she was three years old. Her early musical memories relate to church music and the long hours she spent listening to gospel and R&B on the radio. However, her interest in pursuing a professional musical career would develop much later. She was an adult when she had her first solo concert at St. Paul AME Church in the City of North Charleston in 1982. In the interview, Caldwell recalls the challenges of being a working mother and a party band singer as well as her experiences singing with the David Archer Band. She also talks about the Magnolia Singers, a Charleston-based vocal group she founded, which gained national recognition. Caldwell reflects about what it means for her to perform Gullah Spirituals, the music of her ancestors to different audiences. She discusses her participation in programs and events with musicians of different styles and traditions such as the Women & Series at the Music Hall and talks about what it takes to be a working musician in Charleston. Finally, she reflects about the Charleston music community response to the Mother Emanuel tragedy and affirms, “I don’t believe the music has changed. It’s the medicine we lean on. “

Source

Working Charleston

Publisher

The Citadel Archives & Museum

Date

Rights

Materials in The Citadel Archives & Museum Digital Collections are intended for educational and research use. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright. For more information contact The Citadel Archives & Museum, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29409.

Format

application/pdf

Language

English

Type

Text

Identifier

https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/611

Coverage

Charleston (S.C.)

Duration

1 hour, 12 minutes

Interviewer

Kieran Walsh Taylor

Interviewee

Ann Cadwell

Location

Charleston, South Carolina

Collection

Citation

The Charleston Oral History Program at the Citadel, “Oral History of Ann Cadwell, interviewed by Kieran Walsh Taylor, 27 January, 2017,” The Citadel Archives Digital Collections, accessed March 29, 2024, https://citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/611.