Folkways

The Banjo

Season 200 Episode 209 | 26m 52s  | Video has closed captioning.

The banjo actually originated in Africa, and as Folkways host David Holt explains, slowly migrated to the Southern mountains after the Civil War. The Banjo weaves together the history and technique of the instrument that has made its reputation as an icon of the South. While the banjo has enjoyed popularity in the South for over 100 years, its history in the world is much longer.