Blog

The Oxford American: The Twang of Black Resilience - Blackbirding by Queen Esther

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:58:27 GMT

“Blackbirding” is a term dating back to the antebellum era in the United States, for the practice of capturing free and escaped Black people to use them as labor, sanctioned by Fugitive Slave Laws. (The term has since been used to describe kidnapping and forced labor in the South Pacific.)…

The latest interview: The Bluegrass Situation

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:48:44 GMT

"The central point of the album is made over and over again across the 12 tracks and throughout our lengthy and in-depth BGS conversation. “Blackbirding,” the 19th-century practice of kidnapping free Black folks and selling them into slavery or back into slavery, never really went away. The Civil War was…

All Cats Are Beautiful at Dizzy's/Lincoln Center, April 7th

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:08:29 GMT

From dizzys.org:

All Cats Are Beautiful arrives at Dizzy’s Club as a bold, immersive song cycle led by Queen Esther, whose voice moves effortlessly between country soul, jazz, and raw storytelling. Performed with Wayne Tucker and The Bad Mothas, the work blends original music, spoken word, movement, and moments of…

Blackbirding Album Review: The Big Takeover

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:01:25 GMT

Queen Esther’s ‘Blackbirding’ emerges as an audacious and profoundly meditative work, a sonic excavation of Gettysburg that channels both the literal battlefield and the spiritual legacies it left in its wake. From the opening strains of “Are You Thirsty? (Les Vivandieres Theme Song),” her voice asserts a command over history…

Blackbirding -- Radio Adds, Week 10!

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:50:06 GMT

EUROAMERICANA CHARTS TOP 20 DEBUT - MONTH OF MARCH #16

Single Chart - Hold Steady:

10th WEEK - #31
9th WEEK - #24
8th WEEK - #25
7th WEEK - #20
6th WEEK - #22
5th WEEK - #27
4th WEEK - #25
3rd WEEK -…

Blackbirding -- Radio Adds, Week Nine!

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:29:22 GMT

Peak of the Week - WNCW

Single Chart - Hold Steady:

THIS WEEK - #24
8th WEEK - #25
7th WEEK - #20
6th WEEK - #22
5th WEEK - #27
4th WEEK - #25
3rd WEEK - #36
2nd WEEK…

The Best Country Music on Bandcamp, February 2026

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:36:50 GMT

From the article: Queen Esther is a singer, songwriter, actor, producer, playwright, and librettist. But on her new album, she’s a historian, too. Blackbirding is an impressive and impassioned plunge into the events and circumstances surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg, conceived and composed substantially during an artist’s residency at…

Blackbirding Album Review: The Alternate Root

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:55:14 GMT

"The term ‘blackbirding’ was coined as a result of the 19th Century practice of kidnapping free black men and women, and selling them into slavery. The album examines the practice, exploring its reasons, such as the Civil War and slavery, and connects the past with a 2026 America to show how,…

Blackbirding -- Radio Adds, Week Eight!

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:18:39 GMT

EUROAMERICANA CHARTS TOP 20 DEBUT - #15

Single Chart :

THIS WEEK - #25
7th WEEK - #20
6th WEEK - #22
5th WEEK - #27
4th WEEK - #25
3rd WEEK - #36
2nd WEEK - TOP 50 DEBUT! #43
1st WEEK - #80

Blackbirding -- Radio Adds, Week Seven!

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:12:53 GMT

Single Chart :
THIS WEEK - #20
6th WEEK - #22
5th WEEK - #27
4th WEEK - #25
3rd WEEK - #36
2nd WEEK - TOP 50 DEBUT! #43
1st WEEK - #80

Album Chart :
THIS WEEK - #24
6th WEEK - #16
5th WEEK…