The University of North Carolina Press has set a September 16 release date for a new book by noted banjo performer Rhiannon Giddens and music writer Kristina R. Gaddy, Go Back and Fetch It: Recovering Early Black Music in the Americas for Fiddle and Banjo.
It’s representative of a very encouraging trend, primarily within academia at this point, of black Americans reclaiming their part in forming the traditions of Appalachian music and culture.
For years, coincident with the Jim Crow era in the American south, many black people in the region developed a visceral negative reaction to the sounds of banjos and fiddles, as did educated whites in the northeast, associating it with those who sought to limit the right of southern blacks to fully participate as a free citizen. But in time, researchers have uncovered the fact that even in the days of chattel slavery, African people and their descendants used the fiddle and banjo to express themselves musically, and following emancipation, actively participated in string band music.
Co-author Gaddy has a previous book, Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo’s Hidden History, that traces the origins of today’s banjo to these same African people. When “purchased” from north African traders during the 17th through 19th centuries, slaves were not able to bring any personal belongings to their new homes in the Americas, but they did retain the knowledge of how to build the instruments they had played, one of which has evolved into what we recognize as contemporary banjos.
The book’s title, Go Back and Fetch It, refers to the contemporary encouragement offered to both students, and interested people outside of the academy, to grab back this tradition by learning of its existence, and learning to play the music.
And that’s exactly what the book provides, with examples of tunes from that tradition, as well as information about the impact black string band players have had on the development of contemporary bluegrass and old time music.
The publisher describes its contents as:
- 19 carefully transcribed tunes from 1687 to the 1860s, presented in modern treble clef and banjo tablature
- Rich historical essays accompanying each song, detailing its origins, cultural context, and evolution Insight into how early black Atlantic music shaped 19th-century popular music, old time, country, and bluegrass
- A unique focus on tunings, lyrics, and melodic patterns that reveal the enduring legacy of black musical traditions
- A vital restoration of black voices and influences within the broader American musical canon
Giddens and Gaddy make a perfect team for this book, with Rhiannon’s knowledge of the music and how to play it, and Kristina’s of the history of the instrument. It’s certain to be a welcome and valuable contribution to the library of any banjo enthusiast.
Pre-orders are enabled now online, both from UNC Press, and from Bookshop.org for those who prefer to support book retailers, in both paperback and ebook editions. Digital examination copies are offered to professors at recognized institutions.
May there be many more such volumes.
