Ani DiFranco is one of the most important artists of our time. Songwriter, Poet, philanthropist, and icon, DiFranco’s social contributions are just as important as her musical ones. Her career has been a beacon of independence. She has always been her own boss, starting her own record label Righteous Babe at the age of eighteen. Since then has made the most of her prominence with unbridled social commentary and an honest voice. She is sincere. You can hear it in every note she sings. She’s lent that voice to a variety of social movements over the years. Through The Righteous Babe Foundation she has given visibility to and aid to a number of grassroots initiatives, and has personally performed in benefits and spoken at rallies
Ani’s idiosyncratic style has developed through years of experimentation with Folk, Punk, and Jazz. Her playing, with it’s staccato picking, and alternate tunings, is a rarity in the folk community, but then again so is Ani. There’s no one quite like her. It’s no wonder her and her label have so influencial. Says DiFranco, "folk music is not an acoustic guitar – that's not where the heart of it is. I use the word 'folk' in reference to Punk music and Rap music. It's an attitude, it's an awareness of one's heritage, and it's a community. It's subcorporate music that gives voice to different communities and their struggle against authority."