This Grammy Award winning Charleston, SC- based quintet, performs timeless music born from the Gullah culture of the southeastern Sea Islands. Playful game songs, ecstatic shouts, and heartbreaking spirituals can all be found on their latest release Good Time, which also offers the groups first original songs inspired by Gullah tradition.

Ranky Tanky

The Rosen House at Caramoor

Ranky Tanky" class="css-u850" data-mark-multiple="true">Ranky Tanky (a Gullah phrase for “get funky”) are five lifelong friends from Charleston, South Carolina who have established themselves as passionate global ambassadors for their local culture and community, helping to faithfully preserve the traditions originated by African Americans in the coastal South during slavery that are kept alive through the present day. The GRAMMY award winning band has been featured on NPR’s Fresh Air, The Today Show, PBS Newshour and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert #playathome. Ranky Tanky were honored to be featured artists in President Biden’s inauguration event, We The People. They were the subjects of a 10-page profile in Oxford American’s South Carolina Music Issue and were named 2020 Artist of The Year by the Charleston City Paper.

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Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center

Ranky Tanky’s “get funky” vibe and Fischer’s versatile vocal talents pair up for an entertaining night of music- making. Once one of the world’s busiest rock ‘n roll backup singers, Fischer now commands the spotlight with her unequaled vocal range. With its warm West African Island rhythms, Ranky Tanky provides the party atmosphere with its South Carolina Gullah roots. Together, the pairing delivers an evening of stories and song reminiscent of lively dance halls and cozy juke joints.

Ranky Tanky with Very Special Guest Ms. Lisa Fischer

Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts

Get in a Gullah groove with GRAMMY® winning South Carolina band Ranky Tanky. Born of the Gullah culture of the Carolina Coast and Sea Islands, their music is a thrilling collision of traditional spirituals, call and response, folk songs, and playground chants, infused with hot American jazz. Featuring Quentin Baxter (Drums and Percussion), Kevin Hamilton (Bass), Clay Ross (Guitar and Vocals), Charlton Singleton (Trumpet and Vocals) and the phenomenal vocals of lead singer Quiana Parler.

Ranky Tanky with very special guest Ms. Lisa Fischer

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

The soulful songs of the Gullah culture are brought to life by this band of native South Carolinians, Ranky Tanky, who mix jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. The GRAMMY-winning powerhouse vocalist Lisa Fischer joins them as a special guest. Fischer has toured for over 25 years with the Rolling Stones and made a standout appearance in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.

Ranky Tanky & Lisa Fischer

Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts

A musical ensemble based in Charleston, South Carolina, Ranky Tanky specializes in jazz-influenced arrangements of traditional Gullah music, a culture that originated among descendants of enslaved Africans along the coast of South Carolina and nearby islands. Apart from lead vocalist Quiana Parler, four of the group’s members—Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, Clay Ross, and Charlton Singleton—previously played together in a Charleston jazz quartet. Ranky Tanky comes from a Gullah expression that can be translated as “get funky” and the two-time Grammy winners can do just exactly that.

Mendocino Music Festival

Ranky Tanky (a Gullah phrase for “get funky”) are five lifelong friends from Charleston, South Carolina who have established themselves as passionate global ambassadors for their local Gullah culture and community. Their deeply grooving music helps to faithfully preserve the traditions originated by African Americans in the coastal South during slavery that are kept alive through the present day. The band’s second album, Good Time, won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Album. They are joined on this Mondavi Center debut by fellow Grammy-winner, multi-instrumentalist, former Carolina Chocolate Drop and “American Songster” Dom Flemons.

Ranky Tanky

Jul 11, 2025

Ranky Tanky

Mar 20, 2025

Ranky Tanky

Ranky Tanky