Heritage Film Project Partners with NETA to Broadcast Films Nationwide
Three films by Montes-Bradley with national exposure through NETA
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BLACK FIDDLERS
AN AMERICAN TRADITION
Joe Thompson
On Location. Meban, NC
Archival
Joe Thompson
1/13
Black Fiddlers explores the profound legacy of African Americans who have indelibly shaped the cultural landscape of American folklore. Director Eduardo Montes-Bradley delves into the personal and family stories of violin players of African descent across the United States, uncovering common threads and rich through lines that weave their histories together. Over a period of two years, the film was shot on location in diverse settings, including Harlem, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, and Ohio.
Notable performers such as David Roberts, Earl White, and Rhiannon Giddens share their individual journeys and music, providing a powerful and personal touch. Local historians and academics contribute scholarly perspectives that deepen and enrich the understanding and appreciation of American Folk music and culture. This compelling documentary aims to offer the first comprehensive account of America’s rich musical history as told by Black fiddlers today.
Montes-Bradley’s perspective on the history of Black fiddlers in North America is part of his lifelong interest in the cultural traditions of the African diaspora throughout the Americas. His exploration spans from the introduction of the violin by Jesuit missionaries in the missions of Argentina and Paraguay to the origins of Samba and Carnival in the northeastern region of Brazil. "Black Fiddlers" looks beyond the repertoire and music to examine social interactions, particularly during the colonial period and before Emancipation.
The film presents the idea that the violin was not merely an instrument of music but also a means of economic and social advancement for the enslaved men and women. In multiple instances, it served as a lifeline for those who escaped captivity, enabling them to survive and even thrive in free states such as Ohio, and beyond in Wisconsin and Canada. One compelling example is Easton H. Jefferson, the son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, who after gaining his freedom, built a life for himself and his family and established a reputation as a distinguished musician.
Black Fiddlers aspires to illuminate these powerful stories, showcasing how the violin has been both a symbol and a tool of resilience, creativity, and cultural continuity for African Americans throughout history. HD | 60 minutes.
HERITAGE FILM PROJECT + EARLY MUSIC ACCESS PROJECT present BLACK FIDDLERS
a documentary film by EDUARDO MONTES-BRADLEY
Development was made possible with financial support from
The Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation
Early Music Access Project and Individual Contributions
executive producers
David McCORMICK + Soledad LIENDO
written, narrated, edited, and directed by
Eduardo MONTES-BRADLEY
principal consultants
Marshall WYATT Jeffrey PLANK Guille MEALLA
Jacqueline C. DJEDJE Kip LORNELL Loren LUDWIG David McCORMICK
in order of appearance
Kip LORNELL Iris CHAPMAN THOMPSON Travis “BOON” THOMPSON
Henrique PRINCE Marshall WYATT David ROBERTS
Justin ROBINSON Rhiannon GIDDENS Earl WHITE
John SULLIVAN Howard L. SACKS and Jody ROSE SACKS
Beverly GREY Terry JENOURE Mary Catton LINGOLD
archival footage and photographs
The Life of Joe Thomson (2004) Directed by Iris Chapman Thompson
Way Out West (1978) Virginia Commission for the Arts and Humanities
Marshall Wyatt, Old Hat Records
Talensi Fiddle. Gongay Music From the Upper Region of Ghana, The Dinizulu Archives
Cedric Watson - Pa Janvier (Live on KEXP)
America (1924) D. W. Griffith, USA
Portrait of Joe and Odel Thompson (1987) by Nancy KALOW
Virginia Folklife
The Library of Congress
The Battle of Rogue River (1954), Theatrical Trailer
12 Years a Slave (2013) Theatrical Trailer. Regency Films
The New York Times
first assistants
William MONTES-LIENDO
Michael JORDAN (North Carolina) Mikel GRAY (Ohio) Jason EVERSOLE (Virginia)
music + sounds
Negro Jig, by Carolina Chocolate Drops
attributed to The Snowdens
special thanks to
Jacqueline C. DJEDJE and Benjamin HUNTER
Lucia “Cinder” STANTON Joe and Rosemary ERDMAN
Melissa YOUNG Cynthia REUSCHE
Dom FLEMONS Eugene STOLTZFUS and Janet TRETTER
Iris THOMSON CHAPMAN Ruth CHODROW Janet KALTENBACH
Elsie W. THOMPSON Dana MARSH Sandra TIMMONS
the producer also wishes to thank
Travis “Boon” THOMPSON Adrianne NELSON Dan FOSTER
Michael MALLORY Elsie THOMSON Luck CHURCH Jody KIELBASA
Pat JARRET ab WALKER Eliza CANTY-JONES Megan FRESTEDT Nicole CHERRY
Sandy HAUSMAN Zachary STOCKS Kristina GADDY
Bridgit and Jason EVERSOLE Dylan LOCKE from The Floyd Country Store
filmed on location
Maryland: Sylver Springs
Massachusetts: Northfield, Stockbridge
New York: Harlem
North Carolina: Mebane, Raleigh, Durham
Ohio: Mount Vernon, Chillicothe
Pennsylvania: Cumberland
Virginia: Charlottesville, Floyd
insurance by
Pacific Way Insurance Services | Adam Fast
Beverly Hills, CA
accounting by
Vitale & Miller, PA | Greg Vitale
postproduction provided by
Heritage Film Project | Charlottesville, Virginia
Edited on FINAL CUT PRO X James McLaughlin
Mountainside Studio, Charlottesville, Virginia
Images Enhanced with Topaz ® Gigapixel Artificial Intelligence
Cameras NIKON Z6, Sony PDK-150, and iPhone13
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