Two Grammy Award-winning artists showcase the rich heritage of African American roots music in a unique double bill, Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the UGA Performing Arts Center’s Hodgson Concert Hall. Southern Journey: An Afro-Americana Celebration! Featuring Ranky Tanky and special guest Dom Flemons is a festive tribute to soulful strains in American music.

Ranky Tanky, a band of native South Carolinians, mixes Gullah culture and Lowcountry traditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. Multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons was a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops; he won a Grammy with that group and earned additional nominations for solo albums.

Ranky Tanky (a Gullah phrase for “get funky”) is five lifelong friends from Charleston, South Carolina, who have established themselves as passionate global ambassadors for their local culture and community. They strive to help preserve the traditions, originated by African Americans in the coastal South during the period of slavery, that are kept alive through the present day. The band has been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, The Today Show, PBS NewsHour and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Ranky Tanky was honored to be featured artists in President Biden’s pre-inaugural event, We the People.

Grammy Award winner, two-time Emmy nominee, and 2020 U.S. Artists Fellow Dom Flemons is known as The American Songster® because his repertoire of music covers more than 100 years of early American popular music. Flemons is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, actor, slam poet, music scholar, historian, and record collector. He is considered an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife, and rhythm bones.

Southern Journey: An Afro-Americana Celebration! Featuring Ranky Tanky and special guest Dom Flemons is the first in a series of UGA Presents performances celebrating Black excellence this season. Others include the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in Big Band Holidays (Dec. 7 and 8) and the Performing Arts Center’s 25th anniversary gala with Broadway, TV and film star Audra McDonald (Apr. 24).

For a complete list of UGA Presents performances, click here.

Three Ways to Order Tickets

1. Purchase tickets online 24/7 here.
2. Call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at (706) 542-4400, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
3. Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center Box Office, Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (5 minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)

COVID protocols

For information about the Performing Arts Center’s COVID-19 protocols, click here.  Flexible ticketing will be in place for all performances occurring through December 2021. Patrons may exchange tickets for another performance (including those in spring 2022) or receive a full refund until 12:00 pm on the day of the performance, if occurring on a weekday, or by Friday at 5:00 pm if occurring on a weekend.