Uncovering the History of the Banjo with Rhiannon Giddens: From African Roots to American Music
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Open your eyes and ears to the rich-and surprising-cross-cultural history of the banjo with GRAMMY®-Award winning artist, Rhiannon Giddens. Stream "The Banjo: Music, History, and Heritage" on Wondrium now!
www.wondrium.com/the-banjo-mu...
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Join renowned musician Rhiannon Giddens as she delves into the fascinating and complex history of the banjo. With her signature blend of musical expertise and historical insight, Giddens explores the African roots of the instrument, tracing its evolution through the centuries to its role in contemporary American music.
Through her engaging storytelling and masterful playing, Giddens reveals the banjo's rich cultural heritage, highlighting the instrument's significance as both a symbol of oppression and a source of empowerment. She draws on a wealth of historical research and personal experience to offer a thought-provoking exploration of the banjo's complex legacy, shedding light on the ways in which music can serve as a powerful tool for resistance, resilience, and transformation.
Whether you're a music lover, a history buff, or simply curious about the banjo's fascinating past and present, this video is not to be missed. Join Rhiannon Giddens as she takes us on a journey through the vibrant and multifaceted history of this iconic instrument, and discover the enduring power of music to inspire, challenge, and unite us all.
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I was privileged to be the Director of Photography for this series with the very awesome Rhiannon Giddens.
Good work!
On NPR I heard an African guy talking about how he went to college in the US in the Seventies and was hanging with White friends while watching Hee Haw and he saw Roy Clark playing the banjo and how he exclaimed "my uncle in the backwoods of Senegal plays that instrument!". His American friends thought he was nuts. But it turns out that in the villages of Senegal they do play a traditional instrument nearly identical to the banjo...and play it claw hammer style.
Not shocking that they were that ignorant.
Fr.
MUSIC IS THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO EGYPT.. ALL STOLEN FROM BLACK PEOPLE THEN REBRANDED AS THE EUROPEAN..
Mali as well.
The first string instrument was dated back to Ancient Mesopotamia. The first 6 string was created in Spain. There’s been many different versions of string instruments throughout the world.
Rhiannon Giddens is a national treasure. Love her music!
Ms. Giddens makes the world a much better place. Thk u!
My great grandmother played the banjo (and violin, piano, pump organ) in western Kentucky in the late 1800s. I keep a photo of her and her banjo. She was no "hick", either. She was very classy, was a renowned hat-maker and seamstress. Her history led me to become a musician, and to study the history of the banjo and other instruments. So glad this history is getting spread.
This lady’s talent is astounding. I listen to her every time I come across her and I’ve never been disappointed.
I grew up in urban America and always loved the sound of the banjo. Whenever I mentioned how much I liked the banjo, my cosmopolitan friends and family thought I was nuts. There's something about the sound of the banjo that is very uplifting and free.
Despite Brazil received same people than USA, we haven't a tradition of african stringed melodic instruments: heat and moisture destroy them fastly. However we have documentation about their use by africans arrived here and we are recovering this tradition with modern materials to build them and contact with african derivative culture worldwide.
Continue to do your research and preserve The African history in Brazil!
Somewhere, Pete Seeger sits, smiling down upon this woman’s every word and performance.
I loved this, and I never knew that the banjo had this amazing history! I'm Scottish and fascinated with the history with bagpipes, this is fascinating & really, really sad due to the Slavery aspect but what a wonderful gift they gave us! Rhiannon, I love your voice & music! Thank you sooooo much for keeping this alive, it means so much!!
I tell you what, I really like Rhiannon Giddens! Awesome musician, singer, and dives right into history also! 🎶❤️🎶
A few years ago Rhiannon played the Festival in the Grass in Australia. I was hangin’ to hear her and my son got busted on the way in. Sadly, I missed her. So disappointed .🌹j.
This was an “oh what the hell” click to listen to for sure. Glad I did. Fascinating look at the history of an instrument we take so for granted.
I was fortunate to take a history of African American music class in 1970 at the University of Washington in Seattle and learned there about the African roots of the banjo, starting with the gourd banjo. Class was taught by Professor Robert Garfias. Early blues and jazz covered too.
Just think; she plays the banjo on "Texas Hold 'Em" and people are going crazy.
Rhiannon; I was pleasantly surprised to see my reproduction of the painting that you showed at 4:30 min in your presentation: African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia: A Study of Folk Traditions. I have a banjo, mostly because my sister. Before she passed away she wanted to play the banjo. So I learned a few chords and showed her how to play. Then, while she played banjo, I played my guitar, and we sang Credence Clearwater Revival songs. Joyful memories. I'm so glad I found you, and will seek out more of what you put on the internet. Peace to you sister from another mister.
I live in Ireland and only discovered Rhiannon Giddens recently. She has opened the doors to me to a whole new mind-blowing Talent. I am eager to immerse myself! Thankyou Rhiannon for this immense and profound gift ❤❤❤❤
You know Rhiannon has a home in Ireland.
Really love this woman. Such a wonderful, sharp musician and human being.
I visited a museum in Tennessee and they have a small historical history of the banjo on display were several handmade banjos from Africa. So it truly is an African genesis
R.G THE. Most well spoken musician I've ever heard lectured on musical instruments , she sounded like a professor. Given lecture at at a University. A true gifted talent.
Rhiannon, you are truly an American and Musical treasure! Thank you for this wonderful history, as well as an insight into your own movement into the music of the banjo. If I were one to have a "bucket list", meeting you would be one of the top entries!
When I think of the banjo, I think of my dear friend Earl who was a world class "banger" player. RIP brother Earl.
When your video ended, I thought something had gone wrong with my tablet as I couldn't believe 21 minutes had passed, I was so involved with your production.
Beautiful presentation, thank you! ❤️ I found out about the African roots of the banjo early in my life, when I was 10 years old, in Prague, at Pete Seeger’s concert there. By the time I was 17, excellent bluegrass bands had already popped up all around Czechoslovakia and played regularly on the Czech radio. Many banjoists had first learned “How to play the 5-string banjo” from 5 copies of the instruction book Pete had left behind (and their copies, and more copies of those copies).😅 By the time I was 25, hundreds of bluegrass and American folk music bands existed there and participated in huge festivals of this genre. We even had a “black” spiritual band called Spiritual Kvintet. The musicians were of course Czech nationals. 😁 Those were the days, my friend(s)…
Having a mentor in life as Joe Thompson was to you is one of the greatest blessing in life.
I discovered Ms. Giddens when she recorded "Freedom Highway" which left me speechless. I have been a fan since. She comes across as such a humble person unlike other people with 1/3 of her talent. I appreciate how she gives us the background and history of the music. She is a treasure. 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏
You! Started me on my path to claw-hammer. I knew the history but you! Helped me become sober and a real man. Ty!
I am 70 years old now. I thought of banjo the same as she said in the beginning. I will never hear it that way again. I want to thank my baby sisters for loving your music first, and bombing with your music links
Rhiannon Giddens is a badass Banjo/fiddle player and singer also 🥰
Miss Giddens you have the most beautiful and eligent hand I could watch you play for hours your hands are amazing. You music is a treasure and your exploration of music helps me grow! But wow those finger out shin your smile which is great.
R. Giddens is truly a gift to our culture and her width of contributions is staggering. Her popularization of the African influence on the modern banjo is undeniable. Doing casual online research on the banjo yielded several points. There is no American style banjo in Africa. Interestingly. The modern style Irish banjo introduced appropriately a century ago may be one cultural development from America to Ireland where they modified it to their own traditions. The concept of string instruments linked to a resonant sound cavity seems a universal many millenia practice. Perhaps the gourd with long wood neck and string style of West Africa seems to be the origin along with the claw hammer technique. The evolution of the American banjo appears to be complicated and involved many cultural innovations
The traditional string instruments of Africa are unique and quite complicated. Due to the efforts of many authors and musician/historians a more complex picture has emerged which has allowed the welcomed wide popularization of gourd bodied banjo music. The history, tragedies and renewal of the music is wondrous.
She is super talented. Got to meet her at Graves Mountain (in Virginia) and she was so gracious as well❤
I love this. Beautiful person telling an emotional story with music. Not hating on anybody. The string that runs through the narrative is love and humanity. ♥
All my life my grandmother loved watching listening and dancing to live country/ blue grass. It gave her so much joy! Now I understand why.
Thank you
When PBS debuted Ken Burns' "Country Music" abt 5 yrs ago, it was kicked off with a concert that was broadcast. The opener was Rhiannon on banjo and a bluegrass/roots music fiddler (I think it was Ketch Secor); they did an absolutely riveting, BLAZING song ("Ruby"?) that kind of left me with goosebumps and my mouth hanging open. I wish like hell I could see/hear that performance again. It was really amazing. And yes, being that Ken Burns and his colleagues always do their homework, the series did include African American influence and contributions to bluegrass and country music. There's definitely more than most of us realize!
I've been a fan of Rhiannon Giddens since her Carolina Chocolate Drops days (I'll willingly follow her anywhere she wants to go musically).
This was WAY too short!
In a few of Kipling's short stories about the English Colonials in India the banjo is mentioned, mainly as an instrument that someone would play for relaxation or recreation. I've also read a couple of stories set in Great Britain that mention the banjo. And of course Ms. Giddons mentions the Irish banjo. I think the history of the banjo among the English, not just the Americans could add another dimension to its history.
Simply wonderful, Rhiannon. White boy here, grew up in the fifties, my father played the banjo, although not in overalls. I became a musician and instrumentmaker, mostly medieval and polyrhthmic stuff. I knew some of the history of the banjo, but nothing compared to the detail you have researched. Thanks so much.
Lunch is on me if you're ever in town. Cheers from sunny Vienna, Scott
Another brilliant musician and African American historian is Jake Blount
Thank you Rhiannon for such a wonderful doco. My banjo is an old, put together one but I swear it has a spirit all of it's own.
Thank you Rhiannon, on St. Thomas, USVI, we were given a Kora. A late, dear friend named Jamesie Brewster, had a Scratch band and made his own banjos from cheese tins. My husband was a producer of a documentary about Mr. Brewster's band. At the invitation of the Queen of Denmark the band performed there and held workshops.
Rhiannon Giddens also plays the “gourd banjo”.
Marvelous sound.
Thanks for this. As a claw hammer player it makes me more deeply appreciate my love of old time music.
I think the algorithm sent this to me because I listened to her sing "american tune" with paul Simon. One of the best things it has done for me. This is amazing
My lady,music is our universal language and bonds folks of all walks of life. I didnt even consider black or white until it was pointed out . Love and respect sister . Much of my ojibou heritage was enslaved and murdered as were many of my irish ancestors. I believe music is a common language that may be one of our chances to unite mankind . Really appreciate your in depth research and wish ya'll well .
What a musical and literary contribution you are making to the masses for all posterity. Thank you.
Beutiful music, beutiful instruments, Incredible Musician and a fine education on the importance of early Black music in America today.
Wish this was longer. Hope she further chronicles her journey.
I Had A Feeling It Came from Africa and I Had A Feeling Square Dancing Did too. ✌️ and ❤️ The Elephant In ALL ROOMS. Makes Me Understand Why "The Night The Devil Came To Georgia" To Me Always Sounded.....FUNKY. ✌️ and ❤️
Once I started learning how to play the banjo, I quickly learned its True roots.
Prior to that…. During the time I was only contemplating learning, I thought those initial thoughts you described.
Thank you for being ❤
In my early twenties I would go research at libraries and I checked out a African music vhs and showed varieties of styles and instruments. They have gourd type string instruments. I’ve heard a name called “banjar”. I’m Mexican and fell in love with banjo (among other world folk instruments) and now play Irish folk. But would love to learn more
My 1962 Pete Seeger "How to Play the 5-String Banjo" booklet is still pretty good at telling the African origin of the instrument in a dozen paragraphs, but it's wonderful that so much research has been done since, including whole "black banjo" revival the Rhiannon explains so beautifully.
"The piece that has been hidden" for Pete and my 1960s "folksong revival" generation was not the banjo's African origin, but critique of the appropriation of the instrument as central to the bizarre 19th century "minstrel show" entertainments -- in which white people pretended to be black so that they *could* play the banjo in public.
With its legacy of cartoonish, hateful, defamatory and (at best) sentimental-patronizing portrayals of black folks, I wonder whether the minstrel show was talked about much in Pete's 1950s and '60s progressive circles, while pop-culture historians and ethnomusicologists were starting to dig into the musical past.
"Blacking up : the minstrel show in nineteenth century America" (1974) was the first thing I read about the subject,
I really should read Pete's autobiography sometime to see if that side of banjo history was something he simply chose not to talk about.
That's very interesting that you associated banjo with white folk in your youth. When I was young (way before you) the banjo was more tagged with black folk. Later on hearing Taj Mahal's De Ole Folks at Home cemented my love of early folk music.
I listened to other folk recordings but he really exemplified the simple repetitive rhythms for me which I played along with on my National steel.
Your journey exploring the origins of the instrument and sounds is fascinating and most appreciated. Great to see and hear young folk embracing the wonderful sound of roots folk.
I've listened to Old Time for over 50 years and love the Claw Hammer Banjo style.
There are few things as inspirational as seeing someone claim their heritage.
That's a beautiful history of the banjo.
The earliest instruments in which banjos are derived from sounds and looks very different from the banjos we know today and come with features that the older instruments didn't have, this is enough to convince me that the banjo is indeed a quintessentially American instrument although with roots stretching all the way to Africa.
BLACK PEOPLE MADE THE BANJO AND MANY MANY THINGS.. THEY WERE JUST ROBBED AND WRITTEN OUT OF THE HISTORY BY RACIST EUROPEANS SO CALLED AMERICANS
Thanks Rhiannon for this excellent summary of important cultural information. Great to see Greg there as well.
I started listening to this video, before I clicked on it to watch it.
Awesome to hear that history! Thank you for posting.
First time I heard of this lady. Not only she knows how to play the instrument, but she also knows its history.
What’s better in oatmeal than raisins?! Cinnamon and brown sugar is nice as well. Gotta have it all! Apple slices are good too!
What an amazing documentary! This lady has so many talents.
The bango is an important element of the "string bands" found in several Caribbean islands such as St. Kitts and Nevis
Fascinating and well-articulated presentation. Over the years, you have checked off so many pleasure boxes in my mind. Beautiful. Talented player. Wonderful voice. Obvious passion for music and history. Thank you for so much entertainment and knowledge. Again.
1:15 contra dancing! And yah, it's pretty much exactly how she described it 😅
Thank you for delivering the truth
Rhiannon, your work is always brilliant. Your communication both academically and musically, and as a story teller... well, let's just say, I share it with friends whenever I can!
Please do more of these. I found this video extremally interesting, but I feel that you just scratched the surface. I would love to hear more history of each type of banjo. I really like your style and the way you present the topic. Again, please do more.
Otis Taylor Assembles a Stellar Crew to Rediscover the Banjo’s African Roots
Recapturing the Banjo features Guy Davis, Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keb’ Mo’ and Don Vappie
“If you ask the average person where they think the five-string banjo originated, the chances are that they would say it came from Kentucky or North Carolina. The truth is that the banjo was originally an African instrument. …So the question that comes to mind is why this African instrument has been assigned to the United States. To put it another way, when did black become white?”
- Dick Weissman, from the liner notes
Somebody started peeling onions in here when I saw you on stage with Mr. Thompson. Don't know why it triggered an emotional response in me; Never heard of the man till seeing this video.
Brilliant, fiercely honest, fearless. And beautiful.
It's so great that you went on that road of discovery!
You did a great job on this. I love learning about history and more about stuff I already learned. I first learned about this about 10 years ago from a PBS on a show called History Detectives.
❤ love her music, lyrics and style, beautiful! Saw her on local news on CBS Saturday morning
Adam Hurt plays a gourd banjo wonderfully on 'Earthtones' .
Plain and simple… I love Rhiannon Giddens!
Rhiannon Giddens is an amazing musician!
That’s the Kinhaven barn in Vermont from 1:52-2:28, spent 3 incredible summers there.
Steve Martin is probably one of the most serious students of the banjo and it's relationship to old time play-party music, minstrelsy, parlor-porch music you will find. I took a graduate course in the early 70s "Music of America" the first subcourse covered 1492 to 1750 from published street sheets and hymnody to the rough forms and as a music comp student who was intensely interested old-time fiddling and bluegrass at the time, I was astounded to find a fully formed version of the music for the fiddle tune Sally Goodin' in a published song collection originally published in ~1720. It's ALL very interrelated. I would venture that it took maybe 20 minutes for the first gourd banjo that came ashore in the "whenever" to cross the cultural line between poor blacks and poor whites because it was almost non existent in a practical manner much earlier, my suspicion is earlier than 1800.
A great and informative video, Rhiannon! I used to have a girlfriend who was a Bluegrass banjo player. She had an old cartoon on her refrigerator door in which the devil is opening the door to a room full of banjo players, and is saying to a classical music conductor who is about to enter, "Here is your room, Maestro!" Yeah! That gourd banjo you played at the end was really soulful and inspiring - inspiring to me in giving me ideas for the creation of my own banjo-like string instrument.
Fascinating history on the banjo 🪕 I learned something new along the way.
Thank you for such
interesting history,
you are a spiritual
catalyst of hope for
the present and future.
Love & Light to you.
❤️🙏🌻🌅🦋🌟
I just love this. Great job!! My heart is full
In north africa this instrument plays a big role in our “ chaabi” music but the way we play it is more deep and emotional not energetic, i know it’s weird but it is , and we have solos in the beginning of every song called “ takdim” and with singing called “istikhbar”. I thought it is an American instrument till recently ❤️❤️❤️❤️ thnx for the video
Wow. What a nuanced presentation. So many people have an agenda when discussing history; none of that here. So refreshing!
Excellent job Miss Rhiannon Giddens, I have known a lot of what you shared for decades and you have filled a bunch a holes and I do appreciate that !!!!!!!!!1
Love it!! Love that she brought this info forward for more people to hear about the truth of this wonderful music!
A topic i had no idea I wanted to know about
Raisin in the oatmeal. Clever 😂
Fascinating, I want to learn more about this.
So illuminating, thanks for sharing...as a clawhammer player I find your playing so inspiring...love the sound of that gourd banjo!
Thanks for listening!
wow, this was fascinating to watch. I loved every second of it, and the snippets of music were wonderful.
How fun! Your story led me to see if there was "banjo" in my cultural past....1760 account of two brothers learning to play and dance from slaves they knew. Quite an amusing account. The boys enjoyed themselves enough that the account records they wanted to have their own banjos. Fascinating. Keeping alive the memory of African Conqurors enslaving and selling them to others who transport them to the Caribbean and later the Colonies.
When I was seventeen I knew a beautiful girl, and she gave me the best banjo I've ever had.
❤ it's beautiful...These discoveries that lead to the fact that music belongs to people
I'm thinking of Pete Seeger when its about Banjo. His folk music was so interesting for me that it made me buy a tenor Banjo (4 string) , practice it, and took it to River boat shuffles.
Here is where the true 'meat and potatoes' of America's Music (and much of her Culture) resides. In this woman's fingers, toes, in her voice, her soul. Her beautiful mind... It all resides here, and opens new pathways to new/old American identities and healing. The music belongs to all of us, it is in all of us, if we would only partake of it. Let a new sociopolitical healing of America begin with her music, movement, poetry and art. These are the very ties that bind us, and make us unique of all the world's nations. Now is the time to embrace this legacy; it is far too rich, too valuable, too potent, to squander away in divisiveness.
America; Awake! Sing and Dance and Play Together in Strength and Power! This is how we all rise together, One Nation growing with God...
-PD 9/24/23
Recommendation; Otis Taylor, Recapturing The Banjo....
Excellent educational narrative presented here !! Additionally, I’m familiar with and respect your musical work. I particularly appreciate your efforts to educate those willing to listen about the history behind the instrument. It nicely puts things into a meaningful historical context !! I definitely learned something 🙂 Thank you !!! - Fellow Creative Artisan 👍🏽
I subscribe to Wondrium and have watched all of the segments that follow this one (9 more regular plus 3 performance) They are all great,
We are so happy you are enjoying the segments!
Wow, I've known these things for 16'ish years (only through the telling of it to me by my brother who researched it heavily first before me) and it seems like now there is finally a *Blast Off* with revealing these truths about Country Music! I'm so glad it's FINALLY happening now, and in such a big wave, because it felt like such a frustrating thing to be held a secret away from even most Black People! Just like how for such a long time people called Rock "white people music". And thought Disco and Techno were also (probably still do on those two). The record _must_ be set straight, never, ever to be forgotten again! White people have gotten away with it time & time again and for TOO long.