Thanks for the great video, that was really interesting ❤ You mentioned the early gourd banjo being a combination of both African & European imports... I don't suppose you feel like sharing that side of things do you? Its so interesting to see how far back you can take things ❤

No matter where my 1 and a half year old son is or what he's up to, anytime he hears clifton hicks playing "shortening bread" on the gourd banjo he drops what he's doing and starts dancing a jig lol

The modern banjo is a great example of American "melting pot" philosophy. It's a mix of different cultures that come together to make something greater than the sum of its parts.

I think as a banjo player, it's incredibly important to know of its history.

Thanks for putting in the hard work researching this stuff. Also I want to give you props for having the courage to tread onto this challenging territory.

Great video! Goes to show how often individual class solidarity was more significant than racial boundaries in the early days of the USA, at least among common people. Howard Zimmer wrote about the same thing, though more through stories of unions and uprisings rather than stories of art and families.

As a small boy in suburban Australia I was captivated and entranced by the banjo the first time I saw Scruggs and Flat perform "Wreck of the Old '97" on the Beverley Hillbillies, back when it was still a new show. But I steered clear of banjos nearly all my life because somehow, I thought it was the other way round and that banjos were the cultural territory of those who like to wear bed sheets and burn crosses. Only about four years ago I learned better. Been learning for 3 and a half years now and never looked back. Thanks for putting this history out there for all Clifton. Perhaps some other aspiring, non-US, banjo players as mistaken as I was might be helped along by having things cleared up.

The anthropology report element - whoa, wonderful and pretty spot-on. Also, the sound bits for each (there were 3 I believe) were pretty well done, although who really owns a functional gourd banjo of period? Wonderful 10 minutes spent - very inspiring. Thanks ❤

That's some fine work there Clifton. You are an excellent documentarian, while the History Channel and PBS have nothing on you. Thanks for the history lesson. 👍😷

For someone from the UK who's just bought a banjo, this is fascinating. As an aside. William Wilberforce lived just down the road from me. I'm sure you'll be aware of him. Thanks for the vid. Superb. 👍🏻

This was an incredibly interesting video. I love your passion towards banjos and their history. Thank you for the work you do!

This is great Clifton! I am a Rev War Reenactor and play banjo. I am going to make a gourd banjo and play it in camp at night. Thanks for the research you have presented here!

Absolutly brilliant and respectful. Once again hats off to you Clifton. The truth goes marching on. Keeping history alive one post at a time.....Bill

Thanks Clifton, I really appreciate all the historical etchings and illustrations you have found, they speak volumes.

Commenting for the algorithm gods: I'm two minutes into this and stopped to immediately sub, found you through the Old Leatherstocking video which is in a playlist for me now because this is the haunting music of part of my childhood that I had forgotten, I had people in Louisiana bayous, I want to say outside Lafayette but it's been decades since the family fell apart. Thank you for this missing piece of my past. More people should see this, I'm 62 now. We lose so much each generation, so much time with hate when we should be sharing, and listening, and loving,, and holding onto the good things from each time. Life is more, it's the arts, it's the human experience through emotion.

wow great comment at 10:10 you have done way more historical research than most people that was heartfelt

Beautifully produced, informative, and heartfelt. Thank you for the effort you put in to making it.

Hey Clifton this stuff is so great thank you for putting all this together.

Excellent work! Thanks for doing thorough research.

Superb re-enactor image of you.

An Excellent brief history of the banjo Clifton. Your comments about how humans treat other humans? Right on Brother! I celebrate all countries, cultures, arts, music, foods and traditions. We are one human family. I think of the great Joy the banjo has created for uncountable peoples for centuries? Wow! The Shakers said long ago, “That which has in itself the highest use, possesses the greatest beauty”. Thus the banjo! A gourd, some wood and rawhide and strings made from a byproduct of food, simple everyday things made from simple things that produced amazing Spirit made and Heartfelt Art! Indeed the highest beauty. And you Clifton certainly create art with this ancient instrument! Again KindThanks! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania

Thank you so much for this video!

awesome history video! love the images you were able to find

Thanks 4 the video. Do we have a idea of old tunning of the old gourd banza banjar from the 17e and 18e (before 1840) ? In your opinion and knowledge of history reconstitution : was it in open tuning (like DADf#) or modal (like (DADA or DADD) or Quarte (DGCF) or quinte (DAEB) ? Or something other like djeli n'goni (CDGC) or we dont know ? What i know is that old N'goni and banza use 1 or 2 drones (or more )

Love it. Thank you

thank you for doing this

Thank you kindly for this

Thank you !

Brilliant....Interesting and entertaining !....

I actually just recently watched a video you made about 2 years ago on this subject. I've always been curious about the early days of the banjo, and this is really well put together. Thanks

this the best vid i learned alot keep making good vids

Instruments travel. The banjo originates in Africa, the bazouki in Greece, so what on Earth are they both doing in Irish music? Well as I said, instruments travel.

Thanks for posting Truth and History. Stay well. Subbed!

Wonderfully narrated and intelligently reflected. Tip - the book That Half-barbaric Twang - The Banjo in American Popular Culture.

Brilliant brilliant video! I am really fascinated by the early history of banjo and, by extension. North American music, and its melting pot of influences. If course, I have long followed your banjo videos which now my three-year old daughter adores too (after a long dalliance with ukulele, she has now taken to strum ceaselessly my banjo. Must be the 're-entrant tuning). The amount of research displayed in this video is astounding. I have learned so much! Thanks a lot bro!

You are so smart 💛 Meanstoanend

Would really love if you posted a tracklist for all the songs used in this video!

name of the fiddle tune repeated throughout this video? Thanks.

New Patreon supporter here. Great work putting this together. I’m happy to support your work. I noticed in several of the photographs that the tuning pegs are facing down. Curious, do you think these players were left handed or possibly just posing for a photo not knowing the correct orientation? I initially thought the photos were reversed, but that wouldn’t account for the 5th peg facing down.

EDIT: Whats the song at 2:37 ???? LOVE IT amazing documentary. I could listen to you for hours telling stories and accounts from the past. Brilliant. I play Irish Folk usually travelling and busking with my girlfriend who plays fiddle. Discovering the Banjo and I love it, especially the old style with singing... cant wait to travel and play again with this amazing instrument with so much history behind it... both dark and joyful... and sometimes a mix ;) Where can I get my hands on a gourd Banjo too? x

Pretty cool.

what is the song that starts playing at 10:18

Would love to know more about the songs used in this, I just love their sound

What is the song at 5:53?

What is the intro music?

That thumbnail though... who is it by? Who painted that neo-renaissance scene?

Excellent Mr Hicks, greetings and salutations from the UK 👍

10:00you might be right our history is horrible but now its a even bigger push to let our people see thats where we came from so they won't turn on one another.and find the music that God put in their heart.

I always thought that Banjo was Indian instrument originate in India

Sir!

👍🏽👍🏽

whats the song at 8:19

What is the song at 5:05 I love it!

“The Holocaust... everything I’ve researched- the transatlantic Slave trade is one of the worst things I’ve ever read about” Now imagine.. American education/ society down plays the historical event and ignores it saying it “wasn’t that bad”. SMH. We should be taught ALL OF THIS.

I love that this video is focused on the early ages but maybe a more in depth about the southern blues and bluegrass eras… love the vids man, new sub, Kyle Rittenhouse vid blew up!

And where country music originated.

The idea the banjo comes from Africa is ludicrous - it’s like claiming the bagpipes came from Scotland for heavens sake! Its origins are beyond obvious …

The audio is intermittent / herky jerky cuts out comes back - - - --' like so many other You Tube videos ....

Like the history & passion to the banjo, but I don’t think you should list one particular thing humans have done to each other as the worst. We sprayed such heavy poisons, gases and chemicals on each other in the First World War that the world came together and agreed it was never to happen again in any country. They still do slavery here and there. Egyptian slave trade was nasty, Africa w/Africa was nasty. You should not claim one or the other was worse. It’s insulting to those who suffer from memories of such pain like surviving while watching their children be killed while they were tattooed a number on their arm and put to work (holocaust). Humanity is horrible. One day we will be eating soilent green. Get ready!

No, the banjo is African, you'll always attach yourselves because you refuse to give us the credit. The reason Black people are able to create is because we come from the true creator. It had nothing to do with Europeans. The banjo is African culture a culture Europeans stole.