Towards the end of the 19th century, the banjo (re)crossed the Atlantic, to land on England's shores. In a process that eerily foreshadowed the British Skiffle movement of over half a century later, the Brits took the banjo to their hearts and treated it like, well, a musical instrument. They used it for popular songs, minstrel songs, traditional songs, music-hall songs -- and classical music. Even the sainted Pete Seeger mentions having heard Offenbach's Can-can played on the banjo. It may have been rebbish, but, by golly! it was British rebbish (except for the Can-can, which was French -- or German -- rebbish).

The banjo: bringer of international entente!