Resurfacing - Episode IV: Elizabeth Cotten & the Heartbeat of American Folk

Resurfacing

This episode centres around the life and music of legendary folk guitarist Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotten. Born in North Carolina before the turn of the century, Cotten was self-taught on her brother's upside down banjo, and wrote her most famous song, 'Freight Train', as a child. Decades later, chance led her into the home of the iconic Seeger family as a maid, and from there –after shyly displaying her immense talents on the guitar one fateful evening– she was launched into a career that led her well into her old age, and the hearts and minds of the American people. Through a critical lens we explore Cotten's legacy as an emblem of 'authenticity' in the American folk music tradition, within the context of Jim Crow. Doing so, we touch on the history of music technology, as well as the cultural development from songsters and medicine shows during the reconstruction era to the emergence of youth culture and '60s folk revival.

Featuring music by Elizabeth Cotten. Intro theme song, credits music and narration by Avalon Rossignol-Tassonyi. Music copyright © the respective artists.