 "Photo: DTH/Traci White")
Super Chikan sings the Delta blues and strums on guitars made out of gas cans and license plates.
The musician, accompanied by The Fighting Cocks, will present his music and "colorful crazy broomstick guitars" at 8 p.m. today in the Great Hall in the Student Union.
The Darling, Miss., native, whose real name is James Johnson, sings original songs about growing up as a poor black in the American South.
Super Chikan himself was raised picking cotton with his 21 cousins, uncles and aunts on a Mississippi Delta farm.
While Johnson admitted there were hard times growing up, he said he prefers singing about the good times.
"Every moment and second in life is a time in your life, and sure there are times of worry and sadness," Johnson said. "But, there are some happy times in there somewhere, and those are the times I sing about."
Tom Allin, Carolina Union Activities Board music chairman, came up with the idea to bring Super Chikan to Chapel Hill.
Allin, who is also from Mississippi, stopped on a whim one night to see Super Chikan play in his home state.
"His show was a combination of people going crazy dancing (and) Chikan playing colorful crazy broomstick guitars - and he was rocking it," Allin said.
The Super Chikan performance is a show one has to take a leap of faith for, Allin said, but it is worth it in the end.
Although Johnson classifies himself as a Delta blues musician, he said his music has roots in many different styles because he does not distinguish one genre from another.
"My music has blues, country and western," he said. "It's all the same to me."
Johnson's manager, Charles Burch, compares Super Chikan's sound to blues artists John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.
"But Chikan is Chikan," Burch said. "It's all original and his own style. He makes his own guitars and sings his own songs. It's all Chikan."
Several of the handmade guitars have been on display on the main floor of the Student Union and will continue to be displayed until tonight.
Allin said CUAB, the event's sponsor, has been trying to bring different, unique acts to UNC this year, and Super Chikan fit the bill.
"We want performers that people would not have heard of but would be glad they got to see," he said.
Johnson said he enjoys coming to college campuses because he wants to spread his message to students.
"I'm excited to come because I can see where I can give some of the kids some insight on life," he said. "Kids need to know that they can do anything you put your mind to. You can succeed - just put one foot in front of the other."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
ATTEND THE SHOW Time: 8 p.m. today Location: Great Hall in the Student Union Info: www.unc.edu/cuab
