2020-10-06

Monte Briggs

Monte Briggs (Marty, South Dakota)

Guitar player Monte Briggs lives in Marty, South Dakota. His mother is from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, and his father is from the Standing Rock Reservation. He grew up in a musical family and learned to play music from his uncle, who also taught many musicians in the Black Hill area. Monte was passionate about playing music since he was a child. With his brother, Robert Briggs, he plays and tours extensively with their group Still River, which in 2016 regrouped as Stones of Red, a high-energy group with haunting, soulful vocals and musicianship. With the release of their album Arianna Rain, Stones of Red showcase their ability to meld various genres and create vintage sounds with a whole lot of soul. The album was released and immediately gained traction within the blues and blues rock communities. To this day, the track “Arianna Rain” plays on major radio stations across America. 

Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

Raquel Paraíso

Music; United States; Covid-19 Pandemic

Marty, South Dakota

Musicians in America during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Society for Ethnomusicology