Book
Well of souls : uncovering the banjo's hidden history / Kristina R. Gaddy ; foreword by Rhiannon Giddens.
"An illuminating history of the banjo, revealing its origins at the crossroads of slavery, religion, and music. In an extraordinary story unfolding across two hundred years, Kristina Gaddy uncovers the banjo's key role in Black spirituality, ritual, and rebellion. Through meticulous research in diaries, letters, archives, and art, she traces the banjo's beginnings from the seventeenth century, when enslaved people of African descent created it from gourds or calabashes and wood. Gaddy shows how the enslaved carried this unique instrument as they were transported and sold by slaveowners throughout the Americas, to Suriname, the Caribbean, and the colonies that became U.S. states, including Louisiana, South Carolina, Maryland, and New York. African Americans came together at rituals where the banjo played an essential part. White governments, rightfully afraid that the gatherings could instigate revolt, outlawed them without success. In the mid-nineteenth century, Blackface minstrels appropriated the instrument for their bands, spawning a craze. Eventually the banjo became part of jazz, bluegrass, and country, its deepest history forgotten"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393866803
- ISBN: 0393866807
- Physical Description: xvii, 284 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., [2022]
- Copyright: ©2022
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | 1st Movement. The Atlantic Ocean, 1687 ; Jamaica, 1687 ; Martinique, 1694 ; New York, 1736 ; Maryland, 1758 ; Jamaica, 1750 ; Suriname, 1773 ; South Carolina, 1780s ; Cap François, Saint-Domingue, 1782 ; England, 1787 ; Albany, New York, 1803 -- 2nd Movement. Paramaribo, Suriname, 1816 ; New Orleans, Louisiana, 1819 ; Haiti, 1841 ; Suriname, 1850 ; Paramaribo, Suriname, 1855 -- 3rd Movement. New York City, 1840 ; New Orleans, Louisiana, 1850 ; Washington, DC, 1857. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Banjo > History. Slaves > America > Social life and customs. Slaves > America > Social conditions. |
Available copies
- 6 of 6 copies available at SPARK Libraries.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 6 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albright Memorial Library | 787.8 GADDY (Text) | 50686016239886 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Albright Memorial Library | 787.8 GADDY (Text)
Bookplate:
In Memory of Elmer Thomas
|
50686016354883 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Martin Library | Adults 787.8 GAD Arts Literature (Text) | 33454005887740 | 2nd Floor | Available | - |
| Allentown Public Library | 787.88 GADD (Text) | 34455006956375 | Adult Nonfiction 1st FL | Available | - |
| Bethlehem Main Library | 787.88 (Text) | 33062009663718 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
| Easton Main Library | 787.8 G123w (Text) | 31901004666238 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
