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September 23, 2008
Quick, what's the "whitest" musical instrument in American music you can think of? The banjo.
Quick, what musical instrument outside of drums is the most African in American music? The banjo.
The banjo, to most people, is associated with bluegrass music, mostly played by whites. However, there has always been a tradition of string band music played by African Americans, but it was never popularized like other forms of African American music such as gospel, blues, jazz and hip hop. African American banjo music was right under our collective nose; we just didn't know about it.
We have discovered two ensembles of contemporary African American musicians who are exploring the banjo and old time string band music: The Carolina Chocolate Drops, with the amazing Rhiannon Gibbons on vocals, and the Otis Taylor Banjo Project.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops have a more traditional aesthetic, with their Piedmont string band approach. We have Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind in our collection. If you love the Stanley Brothers or Bill Monroe, you must hear this band.
The Otis Taylor Banjo Project has a more modernist approach with their mixing of acoustic banjo and other string band instruments with electric instruments. Interested? Then check out their Recapturing the Banjo. They even do a version "Hey Joe" that Jimi Hendrix might like.
For more information on the African roots of the banjo, read the web article "Gourd banjos: from Africa to the Appalachians" by George R. Gibson
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