CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston's Ranky Tanky won a Grammy on Sunday for its 2019 album, Good Time.
The group has been on the rise for the past year. Ranky Tanky performed on television for the first time in March 2019 on The Today Show. Its album Good Time was then released in July 2019, and its Grammy nomination followed in November.
Ranky Tanky is a Gullah term without a direct translation, but it may be interpreted as "Work It" or "Get Funky"—mantras that the band embodies. According to the Grammys, the band "broke the mold" with Good Time and made history as the first ever Gullah album to receive a nomination and win.
The band consists of five members: drummer and percussionist Quentin Baxter, bassist Kevin Hamilton, vocalist Quiana Parler, guitarist and vocalist Clay Ross and trumpeter and vocalist Charlton Singleton. According to their website, the group's Grammy-winning album features, "...Playful game songs, ecstatic shouts, and heartbreaking spirituals."
Ranky Tanky is currently touring across the country. They will return to South Carolina for a performance with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra on March 12.