Bela Fleck in The Gambia

Bela Fleck has for many years been one of the world’s premier banjo players. In 2005 he decided to trace the banjo’s roots back to the heart of Africa – the instrument’s birthplace. It has long been thought that the banjo was introduced to the west by African slaves, who carried the instrument with them on their long tortuous journeys from the mainland. The Gambia was one of Fleck’s early stopping points where he played with a host of musicians – the results of which can be heard on the album he has recently released to celebrate his journey: Throw Down Your Heart.

There are a number of fascinating articles about Fleck’s journey, but two of the best are available at the BBC site (including a wonderful slide show of Sascha Paladino’s photographs and an audio commentary from Fleck himself) and over at Pop Matters. There is also a fantastic session at NPR featuring Fleck playing with the legendary Malian kora master, Toumani Diabate.

See also the short video below, showing a brief account of Fleck’s journey.