BONUS TRACKS: Roots Music News from Yasmin Williams, Amadou & Mariam, Rhiannon Giddens, and Turnpike Troubadours

Innovative picker and songwriter Yasmin Williams made some headlines on Wednesday after she received “absolutely insane” email responses from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. Earlier this week, she wrote to Interim Executive Director Richard Grenell (appointed by Donald Trump during his complete gutting of one of the Capital’s most prestigious performing arts centers in February) with two main questions. Primarily, she wanted to know if Trump cares about the number of artists who have canceled their gigs at the venue in response to his changes. And secondly, she asked if the Kennedy Center has changed anything about their “hiring practices, performance bookings, and staffing.”

The responses, shared below via Williams’ own Instagram, are accusatory, brusque, and diversionary. Click through to read the entire email thread.

 

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A post shared by Yasmin Williams (@guitar.yaz)

Williams, who is originally from Northern Virginia and whose 2024 album Acadia writer Henry Carrigan described as, “intricate…expansive, and intimate,” has performed at the Kennedy Center multiple times. As she wrote to Grenell, “I’ve always had a great time playing there and I do hope to again in the near future. Along with performing in the Center, I’ve also attended many wonderful shows throughout the years and plan on continuing to be a patron.”

At the time of writing, the Kennedy Center has not responded to requests from Rolling Stone or The Washingtonian.

Elsewhere, the global roots music community was saddened to hear of the passing of Amadou Bagayoko, singer and guitarist in the Grammy-nominated, husband-and-wife Malian duo Amadou & Mariam. According to Mamou Daffé, Mali’s Minister of Culture, Bagayoko died at his home in Bamako at the age of 70. Although no cause of death was given, the family confirmed that he “had been ill for a while.”

The duo, known around the world for blending West African culture and traditions with the sounds of the Western classic rock records from their youth, met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind when Amadou was 21 and Mariam 18. They went on to record the official song for the 2006 World Cup, perform at some of the famous US rock festivals like Coachella and Lollapaloza at the 2009 Nobel Prize Ceremony, and play with and alongside bands like Manu Chao, TV on the Radio, and U2.

The BBC reported that thousands of people attended Bagayoko’s funeral last Sunday, including Mali’s most famous musicians and even former Prime Minister Moussa Mara.

Rhiannon Giddens (who is also the honorary Guest Editor for the Spring 2025 issue) has announced that the long-awaited Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, which is scheduled to take place at her first-annual Biscuits & Banjos festival later this month, will be available to stream online. Learn more and watch here.

In case you didn’t get enough Red Dirt music this week with writer Alli Patton’s in-depth oral history of the style and region, Turnpike Troubadours surprise-released a new album today. The Price of Admission arrives right in time for their gigs during the sold-out, four-night, five-band Red Dirt revival event simply called The Boys from Oklahoma.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO:

Rachel Goodrich – Once Before
Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tīwekaweka
The Budos Band – “Overlander” (from their album VII, due out May 30, 2025 via Diamond West)
Hayden Pedigo –“ Long Pond Lily” (from his album I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away, due out June 6, 2025 via Mexican Summer)
Susto Stringband – “Double Crown”
Patton Magee – “Be On Time”
Katie Pruitt – “Worst Case Scenario”
Lukas Nelson – “Ain’t Done”