Ugandan folk singer Haruna Walusimbi tells us that music permeates everything in life. Even when someone loses a loved one, he explains, "their crying is musical." It is this complete integration of music with daily living that American banjo maestro Béla Fleck goes in search of across Africa. Trailed by his filmmaker brother Sascha Paladino, Fleck sets out to find the origins of the banjo said to have come from the continent's west coast. Along the way he records with thumb-piano wizard Ruth Akello, Tanzanian singer Anania Ngoliga, Malian pop star Oumou Sangare, and a group of young Maasai who use only their voices and body movements to create their one-of-a-kind sound. While Fleck clearly causes a sensation as he is welcomed there, the filmmaker has the wisdom to keep the spotlight on the local talent, never losing sight of the reason they came.

Co-presenter: World Music Institute