Who knew? The banjo, the must-have instrument of any good bluegrass band, originated in Africa.
The fast-picking bluegrass style of Flatt & Scruggs may seem far removed from the mournful Mississippi Delta blues of Robert Johnson, but when you explore these diverse musical styles side-by-side in the panels of “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” a Smithsonian traveling exhibit now on display at Georgetown’s Kaminski House Museum, you’ll discover that they are, in fact, distantly related.
The connection? It’s the banjo. The instrument most closely associated with Appalachia actually originated in Africa, and was brought to America by slaves. When European settlers in the mountain region discovered the versatile stringed instrument, they began playing it alongside their dulcimers and fiddles on English ballads and Irish folk songs, establishing the roots of what we now know as bluegrass. The descendants of slaves also gave birth to another uniquely American form of music—the blues—when they sang out their misery in the form of “field hollers,” work songs set to the rhythms of hard agricultural labor.
Exploring the origins and connections of “roots music,” from the earliest Native American songs to the folk music of the 1960s, is what “New Harmonies” is all about. The exhibit, now touring South Carolina, demonstrates how diverse styles often merge to create new forms of popular music. It showcases that history with photos and profiles of pioneering musicians, interactive listening stations and displays that provide a hands-on experience with instruments like the diddley bow and banjo, says Robbie Davis, director of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street project.
“The ‘new’ in New Harmonies comes from the idea that music is in a state of almost constant evolution,” he says. “New Harmonies tells the story of how music gave people from different origins and backgrounds a chance to come together, sample what each brought from their own cultures and how they combined them to create something new and American.”
Sponsored by the Humanities Council of South Carolina, the exhibit is traveling to small-town libraries and cultural centers through January 2013, says Theresa J. Wallace, the council’s tour coordinator. “New Harmonies” will be on display at the Kaminski House Museum through Sept. 3, before moving to the Oconee County Public Library in Walhalla, and from there to future stops in Laurens, Beaufort, Central, Winnsboro, York, Landrum, Hartsville and Walterboro.
As part of the exhibit, each stop will include local concerts and live performances that explore South Carolina’s own musical traditions. Related events in Georgetown this month include shag and gospel concerts on the Kaminski House lawn, and on Aug. 25, music historian Sharon Cooper-Murray will present a lecture and concert on Gullah folk music at the Georgetown Library.
Davis says the combination of local performances and the tour exhibits is designed to help patrons expand their musical horizons.
“Music is a great topic for cultural intersection and conversation,” he says. “I think it’s an incredible opportunity for people to learn where their favorite music originated and pick up a taste for something new.”