Ideas worth spreading

Bones and Banjo: Confronting Cultural Appropriation

23,450 views |

Kafari + Jake Hoffman |

TEDxDirigo

• November 2017

Much of the music we listen to and the instruments used to make it is taken for granted by audiences and musicians alike. Kafari and Jake Hoffmann reveal the histories of their instruments (the bones and banjo) and the music they make in both objective and personal terms. Furthermore, what does it mean to play them today? As a black man, can Kafari play music on his own terms? As a white man, can Jake play music with honor that has history both to be proud of and deserves reconciliation?

Much of the music we listen to and the instruments used to make it is taken for granted by audiences and musicians alike. Kafari and Jake Hoffmann reveal the histories of their instruments (the bones and banjo) and the music they make in both objective and personal terms. Furthermore, what does it mean to play them today? As a black man, can Kafari play music on his own terms? As a white man, can Jake play music with honor that has history both to be proud of and deserves reconciliation?

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxDirigo, an independent event.

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxDirigo, an independent event.

Read more about TEDx.