Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage by Paul Ruta
Nov 23, 2020
Of all the melodic musical instruments in the world, perhaps none is more connected to the land it comes from than the banjo.
Of all the melodic musical instruments in the world, perhaps none is more connected to the land it comes from than the banjo.
The “land” here refers to two things. It’s the indelible link to the continent of Africa, the geographic and cultural origin of that range of instruments which have evolved into the modern banjo. That fact of provenance alone puts any conversation about the history of the banjo inside the larger conversation about American history, and slavery in particular.
Being connected to the land also has a more immediate meaning, referring to the arable earth beneath our feet. Quite literally, every main component of a gourd banjo—one that’s built in the manner of its African precursors—arises from the land.