Emerson Santiago [1] [pt] writes at Patafurdia Magazine about akonting [2], the musical instrument found in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. “The Portuguese colonizers and the North American slaves owners began to call the instrument “Banjo”, coming from the Quimbundo word “m'banza” (language of the second largest ethnic group in Angola), which means “home”, “city”, likely a reference to the “banzo [3]” that black slaves felt when supporting their lament on the instrument's strings.
Lusosphere: The origins of the American Banjo in Africa
· Written by Paula Góes
Categories: Sub-Saharan Africa, Angola, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Arts & Culture, History, Language, Music