Banjos are a distinctly African American insturment. Why is it always associated with Freepers?

[Taverner]

I know I saw Deliverance and 2000 Maniacs

But still?

It was based on zither like insturments the slaves had back in Africa. Soon they used the drum for amplification and the rest is history.

[mainegreen]

1. It is? I always associated it with musicians, whom I tend to think of as liberal.

:shrug:

[av8rdave]

3. Jerry Garcia was an accomplished banjo player

[Bake]

12. Garcia was competent, I'll give him credit for that much.

But that's about all.

Bake

[grasswire]

6. I suspect that most banjo players today are not liberal.

I know one who is. But he has a jazz band based in San Francisco and went to an Ivy League elitist college, and is a Unitarian.

Most of the other banjo players I know, who also are jazz musicians, have careers such as government employees or dentists or scientists, and are conservative.

A larger number of banjo players play bluegrass or "old-timey" music, and I doubt very much that many of them are liberal, unfortunately. Too many white people have traditionally voted against their own self interest.

[Bake]

7. Ummm, I'm a bluegrass banjo picker, and I'm a liberal.

There's nothing about bluegrass that is inherently politically conservative.

Bake

[TZ]

10. No but there seems to be a fair share of conservatives

in that genre of music..much like Country Music.
I'm not bashing it..just making an observation..of course bluegrass also brought us the Dixie Chicks sooo...

[TZ]

2. Bluegrass music...

Which is very much a part of the Southern/Appalachian culture, which as we all know definitely slants conservative

[Bake]

8. Which explains why Ralph Stanley endorsed Obama

AND did a radio spot for him!!

Bake

[TZ]

13. Well good.

I actually did hear somewhere that Ralph Stanley is a liberal. The people I know who love bluegrass generally grow up in rural, conservative areas.

[Bake]

14. And on top of that, they're usually dirt poor, too

So they OUGHT to be Democrats!!

Although if I had to guess, I'd guess that Big Mon (Bill Monroe, for the uninitiated) was a hard-core conservative.

I'm pretty sure Earl Scruggs is a Dem. And that makes it OK in my book!!

Bake

[elshiva]

24. Yes, Ralph Stanley is a Democrat.

:)

[IndianaJones]

4. Roy Clark. nt.

[Deep13]

5. I guess whites in the South just adopted it because it was available.

I rather like that Blue Grass stuff. It has a very primal sound.

[kwassa]

9. Pete Seeger is a Freeper??!!!????!!???

and what about Steve Martin?

[elshiva]

23. YES! PETE SEEGER! FOR GOODNESS SAKES!

[Rambis]

11. Whole lotta banjo

http://www.jazzbanjo.com/

I love the Fureys Celtic music- One guy plays the american five string banjo which is called blue grass and one guy plays the 4 string banjo which he calls green grass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtfLtYSeTpY

[grasswire]

15. this thread's no good without youtube!

a British band and a wild banjo solo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7kv5UgKLpo

Gene Sheldon, from the old Jackie Gleason show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5OfaukAb50

[lightningandsnow]

16. That makes me angry.

Banjos are freaking awesome.

[TZ]

17. One of the Dixie Chicks (the name escapes me right now)

I've heard them in concert..She is a VERY talented banjo player

[grasswire]

18. many images of banjo history here

This you tube contains many old historical images of banjo use in America. I stumbled on it just now, and thought it might be instructional here. Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MabhzCOkSo8

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

19. The Celine Dion-with-steel-guitars shit Freepers call "country music"

usually doesn't include banjos.

Doubt you'd find one at a Hannity Freedumb Concert

BTW, Ralph Stanley has a great pro-Obama ad running in our area on radio

[Taverner]

22. EX-ACTLY!

[Bucky]

20. "distinctly African American insturment"

It's called cultural diffusion. Your social studies teacher in high school should have taught you about this.

But I have the same problem when they show Yo Yo Ma playing the violen, a traditional white man's instrument. No, wait, that doesn't bother me at all.

[Inchworm]

21. Real hillbillies ain't freepers

jest sayin :P

:hi:

[Orsino]

25. 'Cause Muddy Waters invented electricity...

...and the banjo was history.