Early American banjo music is Black music. The banjo was created by enslaved African Americans, and according to the Smithsonian Institute, up until the 1830s, the banjo was exclusively an African ...

One of the sounds most synonymous with the South is the twang of a banjo—barely edged out by the thrum of cicadas or the honeyed cadence of the Southern drawl itself. But this distinctive instrument ...

The banjo gets a bum rap. A staple of American country music, its bright tone and rhythmic clangor threaten to overwhelm musical gatherings of other, milder string-band instruments, such as guitar, ...

Special to The Sun Jul 19, 2014 Jul 19, 2014 What do you call perfect pitch? If you can throw a banjo through the window and onto the garbage truck! My brother-in-law, a musician, told me this joke.

Beyoncé's surprise new country album has kicked open the saloon doors to a new audience. While this may not be Beyoncé's first rodeo when it comes to country music, people are now exploring the genre ...

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth ...

A new generation of artists have brought African Americans back to the forefront of the banjo scene. Take, for example, Rhiannon Giddens, whom you can hear behind me. Black musicians have been a part ...

If you visit the local farmer's market or the historical forts across the state, you might run into Uncle Sam playing some Civil War-era songs on the banjo. The man strumming and singing is actually ...