Throw Down Your Heart

We've always loved the way Béla Fleck plays the banjo, but after seeing his film, Throw Down Your Heart, we are taken aback by the beauty of Béla's trip to Africa. In the documentary, Béla brings the banjo back to its' birthplace. It's so funny that we usually associate the banjo with a southern, country music sound when it's roots are in Africa. Once we heard the banjo accompanied by some of the best musicians in Africa, we could hear how well it fit in with these instruments that it's not typically played with in America. Béla even found a young man who plays the instrument that the banjo is believed to be derived from. Watching the reaction of the locals to Béla's playing, as well as his reaction to the different instrumentation and vocal range of the locals was so fun. The collaborations Béla has with musicians around the continent are jaw dropping. We were so moved by Béla's collaboration with Oumou Sangare that we were brought to tears. Watching 2 people communicate so clearly through music is so powerful! Check out a clip from the documentary above where Béla plays with Ruth, the only female thumb piano player in Jinja.