During the 1890s and early parts of the 20th century a type of band arose using kazoo-type instruments. Zobo instruments, based on kazoo principles, were invented and developed in the USA in the early 1890s, rapidly becoming a new craze... more
During the 1890s and early parts of the 20th century a type of band arose using kazoo-type instruments. Zobo instruments, based on kazoo principles, were invented and developed in the USA in the early 1890s, rapidly becoming a new craze for a while. When the instruments spread to the UK the bands that were formed using them were largely "comic" bands, created ad hoc for galas and festivals, and occasionally having a more long-term existence, to entertain the public and raise money for charity.
The Congo Cycling Club of Jarrow developed a musical arm in 1904 The Congo Navvies' Band quickly became a much loved (and laughed at) feature of cycle meets, carnivals and parades. Aside from their bicycling pursuits, the Band managed to... more
The Congo Cycling Club of Jarrow developed a musical arm in 1904 The Congo Navvies' Band quickly became a much loved (and laughed at) feature of cycle meets, carnivals and parades. Aside from their bicycling pursuits, the Band managed to raise significant sums for various national and local charities in the twenty years they existed.
