‘I feel very connected to it’: Fort Worth festival honors the Black origins of roots music

At Southside Preservation Hall on Saturday, the melodies of roots, folk and blues music rang out all afternoon during the Fort Worth African American Roots Festival.

Singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist Lizzie No headlined the event. Other musical acts included the Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo Valerie and Benedict Turner and North Texas-based EJ Mathews.

While music played in the ballroom, panels on subjects ranging from the legacy of Black activism in folk music to the popular banjo before World War I were held in the chapel.

Brandi Waller-Pace, who founded and organized the festival, said it’s an opportunity to celebrate the rich Black history behind roots music, which is often overlooked. Roots music is tied to early American music that uses instruments such as the fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass.

“We are centering black culture, history and presence in American roots music,” she said. “We are also creating a space where we can show the diversity within the musical styles, history, background, that Blackness is not a monolith.”

That resonated with audience member Lisa Rawlings, 59, who came all the way from Maryland for the festival. Rawlings said she loves Black folk and banjo music.

“It’s something as an African American woman who learned rather later in life that banjo music came from West African heritage,” she said. “In one way, I just like the music. But, in another way, I feel very connected to it.”

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