Some historians and musicologist refer to the banjo as the iconic American instrument. In America, it dates clear back to the 17th century. In actuality its origins are found in Western Africa, probably Senegambia, where it existed under the name “Bania,” many years before its arrival in the American colonies.
Origins
Ironically, as distasteful and despicable as the slave trade was, the banjo’s introduction to the Americas was through the slaves brought to the new world. They constructed crude instruments that were patterned after indigenous instruments from their African region.
The first use of these instruments in America was from the black slaves who reproduced the early African instruments. In 1781 Thomas Jefferson said, “The instrument proper to the slaves is the ‘Banjar’ that they brought hither from Africa.” “When Africans and Europeans came together in North America, there was enough similarity in their ideas and attitudes about music for a new musical synthesis to occur, despite the dramatically unequal status of black and white populations,” wrote Bill Evans in, A Brief History of the Banjo.
Minstrel Era
In the early 1800’s white musicians became interested in the “new instrument” and started playing and performing on the banjo. Joel Walker Sweeney, an American minstrel performer from Appomattox Court House Virginia, was one of the early pioneers of the minstrel era. It was reported that Sweeney was the first white man to perform on the banjo in a show in the 1830’s.
Sweeney and his Virginia Minstrels were a very popular form of entertainment during that era. The show was performed by white men in black face who would play and sing and carry on in a comical fashion. Minstrelsy was important in popularizing the banjo and making it an instrument of both white and black populations.
In addition to banjos the minstrel shows had a fiddle (violin), a bones player and a combination of drum and tambourine players. Sweeney and his group were very popular in the United States and introduced the banjo to Britain in the 1840’s, where it became very popular in English music halls.
“Along with the fiddle, the banjo was the most popular instrument in African-American music in the United States through the 18th and into the 19th century,” according to Bill Evans.
Black face minstrelsy, once a popular form of entertainment, saw a decline in popularity due to the negative aspects of depicting slaves in the south. Some of the acts were completely inaccurate in characterizing the life of a slave. However degrading, black face minstrelsy was, it had the redeeming value of popularizing the banjo and making it an instrument played by both black and white performers.
Because the instrument became so popular, the 1840’s saw the appearance of the first instruction books published with exercises, teaching techniques, fingering positions and more. This period also produced the first factory made, mass produced instruments.
Obviously, banjo playing was definitely on the rise and here to stay.
Today, minstrelsy has faded into the distant pass and largely forgotten by the vast proportion of the population. But the banjo itself has not been forgotten and is increasing in use and popularity. Modern day banjo playing is usually related to folk, country, traditional Irish and blue grass music but jazz musicians have been known to also use the banjo.
Many will remember the 1972 film, Deliverance, noted for the opening theme sequence “Dueling Banjos” that won a 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
Famous banjo players include Earl Scruggs, Burl Ives, Bela Fleck, Roy Clark and comic, Steve Martin – just to name a few. But, Eddie Peabody (1902-1970) was the celebrated “King of the Banjo” during his career which spanned five decades. Peabody was a vaudeville performer and recording artist as well as an officer in the United States Navy where he often entertained the troops with his amazing abilities on stringed instruments, the banjo being his favorite.
In contemporary America, and many other countries, banjo playing and banjo music is, thankfully, alive and well for future generations to enjoy.
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