Gérard De Smaele – A Five String Banjo Source Book
In 2015, Gérard De Smaele published a rich book in French allowing to understand the history of banjo 5 strings, BANJO ATTITUDES – The banjo with five strings: its general history, its documentation. This year, he presents A Five-String Banjo Sourcebook, a complementary work in English, which presents with complete documentation resources related to the banjo (books, recordings, films, banjoists, luthiers, etc.). Anyone interested in playing the banjo, or involved in doing historical or musical research on the instrument, will be confronted by the huge amount of documentation published on the subject. The numerous references listed in A Five- String Banjo Sourcebook, try to cover all facets of the instrument, from the banjo manufacturers and workshops to the stage.
This is what Art Rosenbaum said about the book…
« The American 5-string banjo is many things: a physical object of material culture with roots back to Africa and farther east, and a complex and ongoing development in North America; an equally complex musical culture ranging through vernacular, classical, and popular musical idioms and histories; and connections to social, cultural, and artistic networks. One volume cannot encompass all this, but Gérard De Smaele’s earlier work in French, « Banjo Attitudes », comes close. In the meantime we are lucky to have in hand De Smaele’s exhaustive compendium of history, research and commentary on the banjo that will inform and nourish inquiry and interest. » (Art Rosenbaum, 2018.)
Gérard De Smaele is a banjo player and banjo historian from Belgium. His knowledge on the subject is wide and deep and was involved in inspiring and putting together the “History of the Banjo Exhibition” held at the National Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels. His banjo playing is strong and very much rooted in the Southern style. Gérard has recorded a heartfelt and lovely collection of traditional American folk music.
A Five String Banjo Source book can be bought through Gérards website Here