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The story of the banjo's journey from Africa to the western hemisphere blends music, history, and a union of cultures. In Banjo Roots and Branches, Robert B. Winans presents cutting-edge scholarship that covers the instrument's West African origins and its adaptations and circulation in the Caribbean and United States.
Banjo music originated informally as a form of African folk music over a hundred years ago probably in the sub-Saharan region.When the Americans forced African slaves to work on the plantations, banjo music followed them, and stayed primarily a form of African folk music, up to the 1800s.
Reflecting the cultures that settled North America, the roots of old-time music are in the traditional musics of the British Isles, [2] Europe, and Africa. African influences are notably found in vocal and instrumental performance styles and dance, as well as the often cited use of the banjo; in some regions, Native American, Spanish, French and German sources are also prominent. [3]
Each note Jake Blount plays on the banjo is a step toward helping his audience better understand a piece of Black history he believes has been lost. "It typically isn't thought of as a Black ...
banjo – from Mandinka bangoe, which refers to the Akonting [1] [2] [3] basenji – breed of dog from Central Africa – Congo, Central African Republic etc. Biafran – extremely skinny (reference to the widespread starvation that occurred in Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War). boma – from Swahili; bongo – West African boungu [4]
The banjo, of African origin, became a popular instrument, and its African-derived rhythms were incorporated into popular songs by Stephen Foster and other songwriters. Over time the banjo's construction adopted some European traditions such as a flat fingerboard.
Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or most commonly known as frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music. The style likely descends from that of West African lutes, such as the akonting which are also the direct ancestors of the banjo.
The ngoni (also written ngɔni, n'goni, or nkoni) is a traditional West African string instrument. Its body is made of wood or calabash with dried animal (often goat) skin head stretched over it. The ngoni, which can produce fast melodies, appears to be closely related to the akonting and the xalam.