The Banjo brought back home. African easily adapts to playing the modern Banjo.

[Deadjoe669]

That plastic head sounds so yucky. Would have liked to to hear him play with a calf skin set up for a more living sound.

[MSfeller]

@Deadjoe669 Actually, the plastic head gives it a brighter and therefore more "living" sound, while the calf skin you mentioned, gives the banjo the opposite effect, a more mellow, deeper and graver tone. That's why clawhammer players prefer the calf skin, because the sound of the banjo on clawhammer cannot be too bright or loud. The banjo in this video is heavily out of tune, hence why it sounds "yucky" as you described. Nevertheless, the man played well for not being an actual banjo player.

[wayfaringstoner]

man i love the banjo

[54markl]

Beautiful playing of the American ekonting!

[massacuruman1]

I would always stay away from race as a singular determinant of whether some beautiful has been created or not. I would instead always support that folks from all cultures have done their share of good and bad throughout history. As far as music goes in our contemporary times, African people and their descendants (me) have experience an unfair exclusion from the scholarly and popular (public) recognition for our invaluable contributions to musical expression for at least the past 2000 years.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Very true, african americans have been excluded for their contributions to music; it is the same for us in Africa. Our many contributions of our music the world over has not been openly acknowledged.

[incongra]

haha, yes it's actually annoying how Africans can create music so easily! He has never played this instrument before yet within 30 seconds he is producing music which is arguably better- and certainly more relevant- than all those thousands of bedroom noodlers with their "vintage Les pauls" etc. Wonderful clip.

[osboed1]

You get a co-sign on this; It's all about reclamation! You degg?

[massacuruman1]

Black!!!! This is a great post to youtube. I'm so intrigued at the history of how an African instrument could have struck such an important chord with (I imagine) predominantly racist white Americans. Great music did come out of the white experience. But this is where the instrument came from and it is where, in certain hands it will eventually return. It's only a matter of time. Thanks for the post.

[PatsBooks]

@massacuruman1

What great music have the white experience created? I know what the Blacks created, i.e. jazz, rock, Blues, gospel, country, soul, r&b and funk.

[massacuruman1]

@PatsBooks ??? Black music in the Americas seemed hardly concerned about the origins of any particular form. Here it seemed more about building on top of that form and recreating it to "fit" or "handle" the music requirements of our expression. I wouldn't call white bluegrass music "Black music." Nor would I call Elvis's music "Black music," nor the music of the Beetles. Influence goes in both directions. When does something cease to be one and become more of the other? Classical music is great

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Thanks for your comment. In the beginning, black music of the Americas (i.e. African american culture) was concerned with holding onto as much of our past that we could. Being free and accepted to be "black" with what we had carried over from Africa, despite white southern oppression and their attempt to strip it from us, as they knew that as long as we held it, it made us too independent and strong to keep us in subjection.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Often, the African tradition of secret societies focused on passing the memoirs of our cultural origins was secretly conducted on slave plantations, but not always successful. As a result most of African American culture still has direct origins in certain tribes in Africa, although the memory of which specific tribe and people our cultural elements in the states derived from is not generally known.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 As a result, for Africans, rather than African American culture being a "recreation," all we see is a fusion of different African cultural elements from different tribes fused together, with a smaller degree of European influence added in. But the African elements are still completely the same as how we do it back home. We know where and from which peoples in Africa those elements originated from.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins Hmmm.... perhaps so. But I would say that the music mentioned by PatBooks has a tremendous amount of European influence - particularly the texture of the music, that is, how the notes are arranged and 'stacked' atop each other. Harmony is still at it's root based on European principles. What we've done is advance those principles to meet the needs of our already existing culture. When cultures converge, this is what happens. Arabs occupied Africa way before Europeans set sail. Its deep

[thotsins]

So remarkably, if we just talk music, Yes, in the states, you do have Black music (i.e. African derived music). For example, jazz comes from Ghana; in Ghana we still play the same style. R & B comes from the regions between Liberia-Nigeria, a fusion. Hip Hop and Funk, mainly exclusive to Senegambia. African music is identified by rhythmic style, not so much instrumental sound. So we still hear our traditional rhythmic styles in African American music, just utilizing European instrumentation.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins Really? I would be interested in reviewing your resources for that information. I love this kind of work, myself. What style of music from Ghana do you refer to and which people - The Ewe, Ga, Ahanti? There are quite a few cultures that exist among each other (particularly in post-colonial Ghana). Again, politely, I would argue that African music, like any other culture is defined by a combination of its philosophical beliefs, musical instruments, natural resources and playing styles

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Yes, like Ewe, Ashanti, etc.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins A close friend of mine from Togo (who happens to be Ewe) shared his personal feelings that Africans historically don't get involved with who own what and who deserves to claim what and where and when. Africans are in a constant state of adaptation and syncretism. It's how African culture has been able to survive for as long as it has. I will argue that R&B, Blues, and other "north American" styles were created precisely by the interaction of Africans with this very particularly place.

[thotsins]

Well, that's may be his own personal disposition; however, that is post-colonial mentality. True African mentality is very central in documentation of culture. These styles were not just "music" but had spiritual significance as well as were the vessel through which our origins were passed, and were the center of bonding between our peoples. Most people don't know our music well, but we can still trace where elements of A. American culture come from.

[thotsins]

Traditionally it has always been important to maintain knowledge of origins, some of us still stick to that mentality. So it just depends on which african you talk to, not all africans have the same disposition.

Like in my language one of our main proverbs says

"O BU NDI A MAGHI IHE NA-ECHEFU OME N'ALA NDI NNA HA."

Which in summary basically means "only a fool forgets his ancestry/origins."

This is why I saw fit to make it the theme of my channel.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins and lastly, as someone very closely familiar with the practices of secret societies, there is much truth to what you share regarding this matter. But again, Africans were held for many years (decades if not centuries... yes, centuries) in the Caribbean before setting foot in either New Orleans or Jamestown. This has been really fun, but I need to run. I'll keep an eye out for your comments. Please forward me literature that informs your thinking. I'd love to check it out. Peace.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Sure.

[thotsins]

However, in some American music styles, like Bluegrass, as you said there is influence in both directions. Certain styles of banjo derived from scottish etc. rhythmic style. Others, on the other hand, derive from a SPECIFIC style native to griots and Ekonting/Xalam players of the senegambia. It is the same style played by the old "southern negro" banjo players in the south during slavery, it's a specific discipline often taught to young boys by the griots, and we can hear it.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins Hmm... Yes, I am happy to learn about the Ekonting/xalam. There is a clear relationship here. But as far as the Scottish (really Irish) influence, really that music or how it is played is arguably from a version of Black American music brought to the British Isles by white minstrels (painted in blackface) that toured Europe in the 19th century. It's very very deep! Okay, take care.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Scottish as well, well from what whites have told me. But whites have a tendency to play our music slightly from how we play it when they mimic, this is in part what I mean by European influence. For instance spanish guitar also has influence from senegal, but they add some twist to it.

The African side, we know very well.

[thotsins]

I should say Europeans, rather, not "whites."

But this is what has been passed down to me. When my family immigrated over here, this is what we noticed, that everything done in the states by African Americans is just a carry over. From the speech, to baggy clothes (no, it doesn't come from jail inmates) to the food, music etc. We know where it comes from because to us, it is easily identifiable. To outsiders, maybe no.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 I'm working on many projects, but a lot of African americans have been requesting to help to document what people/ tribes/clans the various elements between South And North African American cultures derive from. I'd also like to know what you know as well.

[massacuruman1]

@thotsins Okay. Where are you based? And which region of Africa are you from (Tribe/Group)? Country? Curious. There are many Africans who do not recognize or acknowledge their descendants living across the ocean here in the Americas. To them we are "white" or "like white." You attitudes are very positive and encouraging. Let's perhaps continue this dialogue via email. Send me a message directly to my inbox rather than post here. I look forward to our continued dialogue.

My family is from Guyana

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1 Hey, nice to hear from you again. My ethnicity is I'm Nigeria, I am Igbo, and my immediate family is from Orlu originally, Imo state. Half my family is Cameroonian by birth as well, then I have some who are Zulu and also Congolese. So I've been raised with all of it. But my immediate background is Nigerian/Cameroonian.

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1

It's unfortunate that there sometimes is a breach between Africans and A. Americans, but I've learned that on both sides, western media and their propaganda is responsible for deliberately teaching both sides negative false ideas about the other that spawn that breach.



[thotsins]

@massacuruman1

For instance, when my family immigrated to the states, many westerners (mainly white) were telling us A. americans were ghetto, unproductive, uneducated people who were trouble makers and mostly in prison and on welfare because they couldn't take care of themselves. And that we were different from them in culture, and if we wanted to be successful, to be careful around them, because we were nicer people then them since we had culture.

[thotsins]

... Now, on the flip side, when I got older, didn't speak with an accent anymore, and to onlookers appeared to be a typical "black american,"—when other Africans came around, the same westerners told me Africans were uncultured people that never had any civilization or never made any contributions to society, and that A. Americans were different because they practiced more european culture now, and were done a favor by being brought to america to come under european influence.

[thotsins]

However, in my experience, most Africans view A. Americans—and black people all over the world—as immediate brothers. But you do have some Africans who have succumbed to being influenced into believing the propaganda society imposes, unfortunately, that "A. Americans are white and different" from us, just as you have A. Americans who succumb to the, again, foreign propoganda of believing they are different from Africans cuz of negative/false info they are fed about us.

[thotsins]

So you can see how propaganda has affected the mentality of both sides.

Then, even white people who believe and tell us these things, believe what they believe cuz that is what media and conventional education dictates. So everyone is just being duped. You wind up having to wonder why rulers in charge of our educational systems and media outlets deliberately portray and teach everyone distorted info about the other to get everyone believing false things about each other. LOL!

[thotsins]

@massacuruman1

This is a good subject though. Yea, you are right, this is something we'd have to discuss in inbox mails. LOL!

[stigandr5]

It's neat to see how he just naturally starts keeping rhythm on the head of the banjo.

[Blackstarguitar]

the birds start singing with him