Delta Blues
Blues Portrait Project
I’ve always had a fondness for the Mississippi-Louisiana corridor, the Delta in particular. As a child, I was fortunate to travel there during summers trips with my parents – we explored the area a number of times. And luckily for the adult in me, both work and personal trips have taken me back on multiple occasions. It’s a place rich in food, textures and characters from all walks of life – farmers, artists, writers and musicians. This region has captivated me, especially the blues – the Delta blues – where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at the Crossroads. The Mississippi Delta has produced more blues musicians than any other region (and it’s really not even close.) I had heard about the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi for a number of years and was interested in creating portraits there. Clarksdale is said to be the original birthplace of the blues and people come from all over the world to this music festival.