The banjo is a string instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments. The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza. Some etymologists derive it from a dialectal pronunciation of “bandore”, though recent research suggests that it may come from a Senegambian term for a bamboo stick formerly used for the instrument’s neck.
There are many facets to its history, but most people consider the banjo to be an American instrument. Banjos are created out of instruments that were found in Africa and are thought to have arrived via African slaves. Very popular in America before the American Revolution, banjos were used by minstrels as part of their shows.
The Banjo Makes a Comeback
In the early 1800s, the banjo was manufactured for public sale and its popularity grew. The main body is called the drum, and the strings are stretched across it. Early versions used strings made of guts but in the mid 1800s started using metal strings.
The banjo eventually started to move into the mainstream and was heard in clubs, hotels, racetracks and with symphony orchestras in the United States. They saw even more popularity when it was mass-produced and you can now find them at a wide range of prices.
Banjos are not commonly heard these days except in movies. The demise is attributed to the stock market crash of 1929 and since then it has been replaced by the somewhat its more somber arch-rival, the guitar.
However, if you are interested in playing the banjo, we are now seeing its success revisited.