Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
American Railroad
American Railroad is one of those recordings that only come along once in a while. Recorded and conceived over a series of concerts made by The Silkroad Ensemble and Rhiannon Giddens, the album overturns the romantic myths we’ve created about the railroad and its creation.
In the United States and Canada there is the wonderful story of how the railroads unified the country – connecting the east and west coasts through its iron road. However, what’s usually ignored is the cost. Not very many of our history books talk about the exploitation of the workers, especially the Asian and African American laborers who were basically slave labour.
American Railroad isn’t your typical album of train songs. The tunes, some original pieces and others new interpretations of older ones, look at the real history of trains and the people whose lives were affected by them. Great swathes of land were destroyed and stolen from Indigenous people in order to make this “dream” come true. Not just the land the tracks were built on but all the territory surrounding it.
For those unfamiliar with the ensemble, Silkroad brings together musicians from all over the world to create music and find common ground. The instruments range from banjo and lap steel guitar from North America to the plucked string sounds of the pipa from China and the throb of India’s tabla. We also hear cello, violin, guitar, bass and an incredible variety of percussion instruments from around the world.
The music they create is nothing short of spectacular. We hear the stories of people walking the rail tracks because they’re not allowed to ride on the trains even though their families built them (“Have You Seen My Man”). We hear the voices of Chinese women missing their husbands and sons working on the railroads in the haunting “Rainy Day.” “The Tamping Song” tells us of the contributions Japanese immigrants made to the railroads’ construction.
Two songs, “Wilhanblapi Mazachanku” and “Mahk Jchi,” are about the Indigenous experience with rail lines from two different perspectives. The first is from the Lakota of the plains while the second is from a Tuscarora view in the Appalachians. In spite of their different locales both songs give voice to cultures pushed to the edge of extinction by the railroad’s hastening of European expansion.
Under the direction of Rhiannon Giddens the Silkroad Ensemble has created a stirring and authentic piece of orchestrated Americana music. Powerful lyrics sung by passionate voices to the accompaniment of a talented and diverse group of musicians make this a great recording.
American Railroad from the Silkroad Ensemble not only gives us a new perspective on the railroads, but is an incredible collection of songs and music. Mixing European, Asian, South East Asian, Indigenous and African American music it disproves the old adages of Eastern and Western trains never meeting: for here they meet in a glorious collision of sounds and ideals.
