Black People with Banjos (and Fiddles and Guitars)
Gotta write fast because I’m traveling to Savannah tomorrow, just enough time to tell you about the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Okay, so the name could be a bit minstrel-showish if you go there, but I ain’t goin’ there. The CCDs are reviving the black string band from back in the day, fiddles, banjos an all, and just listening to a couple of tunes has got me excited. If you like old timey type music, hit their site at myspace to listen to some samples ("Viper Mad" is already something I’m loving). For the full story, including how the banjo came from Africa, and how black people used to play stuff that sounds like something from the soundtrack to Deliverance, or O Brother Where Art Thou? read "Banjos, Kazoos, and Spoons, Oh My” at MSNBC.com. You can also get deeper African banjo history here . And there’s always video For Gothamites and surrounding tri-state denizens, the Chocolate Drops will be in New York, New York at Symphony Space on November 7.