Maako Shiratori (Duke University)
Cecil spent years with fiddler Ora Watson, a NC Folk Heritage recipient, who played cakewalks at the senior center and sometimes duets with Doc Watson. Cecil remains integral to the mountain music community and has taught local fiddle styles to young people at the Jones House Cultural Center. Meade Richter, a fiddle virtuoso from Boone, NC, learned from Cecil before mastering bluegrass at ETSU and jazz at the Norwegian Academy of Music. Richter's ASA 2015 presentation, as well as Anissa Burnett's video interview, exhibit Cecil's powerhouse contributions keeping local traditions alive. Cecil praises Maako’s playing liberated and inspired by listening.
Part of 06-13 Re-Centering the Periphery in the South: A Japanese Violinist, Black Fiddlers, and Frontier Poets Enlivening an International Festival, Friday, October 14, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm