The Banjo Bash Now Part of Punta Gorda's Music Scene

One day back in 1988 a young woman by the name of Helen Baker contacted a gentleman named Ollie Austin.  They learned that they had one thing in common -- the love of Banjo music! Together they formed the Gulf Coast Banjo Society with about 12 members in total.  Today they are 54 strong, and still playing.

The Banjo has its origins in the  Far East, the Middle East and Africa from very early human history when drums with strings stretched over them were first played. These instruments were spread, in "modern" times, to Europe through the Arab conquest of Spain, and the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. The banjo, as we can begin to recognize it, was made by African slaves based on instruments that were indigenous to their parts of Africa. For most of its early history the instrument was played by blacks.   What popularized the instrument more broadly was its use in minstrel shows prior to the civil war... then after the civil war, soldiers who learned to play the banjo to deal with the monotony between battles spread it's playing throughout the country as they returned home or moved west.  The rest is history...


The Dixieland Banjo, the instrument played by the Gulf Coast Banjo Society, had its origins in the music of New Orleans.  "The Dixieland banjo is a four-string instrument," John Wildeman, President of  Society explained to me, as opposed to a five-string banjo, which is the bluegrass variety.

Over the last two years the Gulf Coast Banjo Society has been hosting an Annual Banjo Bash in Punta Gorda giving away close to $20,000 to kids and kids bands across the US. According to John Wildeman, President of the Society they have now become a nonprofit organization through organization of  the Young Musicians Education Foundation Inc.

This February 17th and 18th, the Society is hosting its 3rd Annual Banjo Bash at the Charlotte County event and Conference Center.  "Musicians will be coming in from all over the world at their own expense to perform as well as very famous banjo players from around the US and Florida to help raise money for kids to learn how to play musical instruments," Mr. Wildeman noted.  

 Shows will be held at 6:30 PM on Friday the 17th, at 1:30 PM and 6:30 PM on Saturday the 18th.

For more information see Punta Gorda Events Post.