What it meant for Denitia to make it onto the Grand Ole Opry stage: ‘Looking forward to this day for so long’
Tradition looms large in country music. And artists who want to be welcomed into one of country’s many communities — from the centralized Nashville establishment to the scenes challenging its status quo — are expected to demonstrate their connection to its musical lineages, practices and institutions. But not every artist has the luxury of simply following the old, familiar paths to acceptance and success. Take Denitia, a Texas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter who sings with gentle clarity, releasing her phrases with a feathery lilt, and brings fresh wisdom to nostalgic gestures. She’s the embodiment of a host of country ideals, and someone who also happens to be a Black woman and a member of the queer community — the type of person that country music’s institutions historically excluded.
