Recapturing the Banjo
Thursday, January 22 2009
by Frank Stasio, Katy Barron, and Lindsay Thomas
The soundtrack of the old Southern mountains is often played on a banjo. But, before it was associated with Appalachia, the banjo was a stringed import from Africa. Today we explore the instrument’s evolution and the contemporary musical movement to return it to its roots. Joining host Frank Stasio is CeCe Conway, author of "African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia: A Study of Folk Traditions" and musicians Otis Taylor, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart and Don Vappie, who perform together on a new CD called "Recapturing the Banjo."
