"Gullah" comes from West African language and means "a people blessed by God." "Ranky Tanky" translates loosely as "Work It," or "Get Funky!" In this spirit, this Charleston, SC-based quintet performs timeless music of Gullah culture born in the southeastern Sea Island region of the U.S. From playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies, the musical roots are "rank" and fertile ground from which these contemporary artists are grateful to have grown.
South Carolina natives Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, Charlton Singleton, and Clay Ross come together, joined by one of the low country's most celebrated volcatists Quiana Parler, to revive a "Heartland of American Music."