ORIGINS OF THE BANJO

TXAKARI

One form of an original African Banjo.

The Banjo and it's style of playing has come to be a part of Country music/Bluegrass of he United States. This style of music that most have labeled as White Music under the impression of it being of Southern white origins, is actually derived from the Senegambia region of west Africa, carried over to the U.S. by Senegambian slaves.

This is just one example of how African Americans managed to carry over their culture from Africa and influence the culture of the U.S and the world—despite slavery.

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[lsamoa]

@writerrad You're absolutely right. Traditional west african instruments don't have frets nor flat fingerboards, this shown in the video is a newer instrument. People adopt foreign instruments and build new ones all the time, and musical influences go both ways, not just from Africa to America. The electric guitar for instance is very popular in Africa but played differently than in Europe or America.

The akonting from southern Senegal however, is a direct parent of the banjo.

[PeluMaad]

@THEINVENTABLETHREAT ....LOL......

[treemonisha2006]

@writerrad Bottom Line the ORIGINAL banjo came from African Slaves who were brought here to the Americas. Yes the Europeans and "American" banjo builders added to its features of what we know here but it doesn't take away from the fact that The Original Banjo came from Africa.

[THEINVENTABLETHREAT]

This particular instrument isn't totally African in origin. It has European inspired aspects.

[0022acc]

they dont build 'em like they used to.. ha!

[writerrad]

This is not a precursor of the banjo, but an instrument inspired by Euro[pean importation of banjos in the 19th and 20th century. It has features such as a hoop head, cylindrical sound chamber,, and fret lines that did not exist in early banjos but were added by European and American banjo builders in the 19th century. The flat finger board is not found in the early banjo ancestors of West Africa, but came to the banjo from Europe in the West Indies.