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Gourd Banjos: From Africa To The Appalachians by George R. Gibson
Part 6: Gourd Banjos in the Mountains of North Carolina
The series of Foxfire books, edited by Eliot Wigginton and His Students, are wonderful reading. They document many aspects of folk life in the North Carolina and Georgia mountains. Foxfire 6 contains a chapter entitled Gourd Banjos and Songbows. The songbow, found in some areas of the mountains at one time, may also have an African origin. The students said the following about Ernest Hodges, whom they met in 1977:
"Since Mr. Hodges is a concert violinist and violin maker, we were surprised to learn that his first musical instrument was a gourd banjo made for him when he was a small boy in the mountains of North Carolina by his grandfather. He related the details of how his grandfather constructed the instrument out of a long-necked gourd, a tomcat's hide, and a hank of horsehair. We've asked a lot of people since then about gourd instruments and found they were not uncommon at one time in our region's history."
The students later met Leonard Webb of Macon County, North Carolina. Mr. Webb had learned the art of making gourd banjos from his father, and consequently made a gourd banjo for the students. The details of its construction are documented in considerable detail with both photos and text. There is some discussion of gourd fiddles, which may have been more common in some areas of the mountains than gourd banjos. The section ends with speculation on the origin of gourd instruments in the mountains. Unfortunately, the students merely repeat theories developed by revival musicians not familiar with mountain history and culture. Information about the construction of the wooden "mountain" banjo is contained in Foxfire 3. Some banjos of this type look remarkably like gourd banjos. They were probably made as a durable alternative to the more fragile gourd banjo. < Back | Next, Part 7: Gourd Banjos, Dance and Banjo Songs >> |
