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The Banjo: America's African Instrument

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Tuesday, March 01, 2016
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Laurent Dubois
Faculty Bookwatch

Please join us for a Faculty Bookwatch discussion - with live musical performance! - of "The Banjo: America's African Instrument" by Laurent Dubois, Professor of History and Romance Studies. Featuring the musician/multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons (founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops; http://www.domflemons.com/), banjo builder and player Pete Ross (http://www.banjopete.com/), ethnomusicologists Robert Cantwell (UNC) and Louise Meintjes (Duke), and Dubois himself. Moderated by FHI Director Deborah Jenson. About the book: The banjo has been called by many names over its history, but they all refer to the same sound-strings humming over skin-that has eased souls and electrified crowds for centuries. "The Banjo" invites us to hear that sound afresh in a biography of one of America's iconic folk instruments. Attuned to a rich heritage spanning continents and cultures, Laurent Dubois traces the banjo from humble origins, revealing how it became one of the great stars of American musical life.