“RANKY TANKY PROVED THAT EXOTIC MUSIC CAN BE BOTH UNFAMILIAR ENOUGH TO BE SURPRISING, AND YET FAMILIAR ENOUGH TO PROVOKE SWINGING HIPS AND NODDING HEADS.” – PASTE MAGAZINE
“Gullah” comes from West African language and means “a people blessed by God.” “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “work it,” or “get funky”! In this spirit, the Charleston-based quintet performs timeless music of Gullah culture born in the southeastern Sea Island region of the United States. Ranky Tanky released their eponymous debut on October 20, 2017. By December 2017, the group had been profiled on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and their album soared to #1 on Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon jazz charts. From playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies, the musical roots of Charleston are fertile ground from which these artists are grateful to have grown.
