[Dixielandjazz] Banjo, historically African?

[Gluetje1 at aol.com]

Those active on the Black Banjo list (ethnomusicologists, music  historians) 
view the banjo's drone string as African in origin, trace  this to certain 
historical and continuing musical traditions in West  Africa, do state that 
banjos had variously 3, 4, 5 strings BUT included the  drone string.  I can't think 
of any early art depicting the Scotch in the  SE mountains with drone string 
banjos, as there is of African-Americans.   Many feel that the blue grassers 
crediting Sweeney with adding the drone  string is an attempt to dis-associate 
the banjo with its actual  origins.
 
For those with interest, this seems an informative site.  Note link to  The 
Early Banjo in the New World.  The akointing is also described in  detil noted 
as having a drone string.
_http://members01.chello.se/abzu/akonting/origin.html_ 
(http://members01.chello.se/abzu/akonting/origin.html) 
 
Ginny 
 
In a message dated 7/26/2006 6:43:01 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
john at jazzbanjo.com writes:

The  banjo that came from Africa had 4 strings. Joel Sweeney has often  been
credited with adding the short 5th string that runs on the side of the  neck
(drone string) but there is evidence that the short 5th string was on  banjo
instruments prior to his time.

See the following link for  information on the development of the 5th  string.

http://bluegrassbanjo.org/banhist.html  Go to the third  paragraph for
information on the 5th string.

John  Mumford
www.jazzbanjo.com


-----Original  Message-----

Steve: 

Please enlighten me on this one. I had read  somewhere that the two types of

banjos had different origins. The  4-string was African, string over a gord  
origins, but the 5-string  came out of the SE mountains settled by Scots. The
5th 
string was  supposed to be the drone, and used to simulate a bagpipe. Is
this  
all  wrong?

Dan (Backup pianoman)  Spink