National Kazoo Day
A day set aside to honour one of the most widely used and underappreciated musical instruments of all time (Kazoo) which is observed annually on January 28 as National Kazoo Day.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2023 | 28th January | Saturday | United States |
2023 | 28th January | Monday | United States |
2025 | 28th January | Tuesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalKazooDay
#KazooDay
Why National Kazoo Day?
Playing the kazoo, a musical instrument, is fun for everyone, young and old. Humming is better than blowing the Kazoo, despite your lack of musical training. Kazoos are entertaining; they’re compact, straightforward, and simple to use. Never be concerned with a song’s musical notation; you can play yours without too many issues.
Kazoos are a member of the “mirliton or membranophone” family and can be made from a number of materials, such as plastic, metal, or wood. Kazoos are included in the category of instruments known as mirlitons, which have vibrating membranes. The African horn-mirliton, which was made of cow horn and used to muffle voices at tribal meetings in Africa, served as the inspiration for kazoos.
The first mirlitons in Europe were eunuch flutes, which first appeared in the seventeenth century. In the nineteenth century, American folk music was performed on instruments like the kazoo that were based on African mirlitons. Despite being a toy for children right now, the kazoo should be honoured together with its history.
Both pros and amateurs frequently play the kazoo despite it being one of the simpler instruments to learn. Jug bands and comedy bands utilise kazoos much more frequently than what you may call “serious music,” which uses them extremely infrequently. They are frequently used to add humour to soundtracks and other recordings.
Interesting Facts About Kazoo Day:
- – The “Down South Submarine” was initially offered to the public in 1852 at the Georgia State Fair.
- – The calibre of the kazoo’s membrane or resonator determines the instrument’s tone.
- – Humming into a kazoo is an alternative to blowing into one.
- – Visitors from all walks of life will flock to the South Carolina Kazoo Museum, which has one of the largest public collections of kazoos.
- – Kazoos are included in music recordings as well. In the song “Crazy Blues,” by Original Dixieland Jazz Band.
- – Rick Hubbard, a family performer and accomplished kazoo player, turned a 30,000-person crowd into a huge kazoo ensemble.
- – The instrument is a membranophone, often known as a mirliton.
- – A common musical instrument of the late 1800s and early 1900s was the kazoo.
How Can We Observe National Kazoo Day:
● Purchase a Kazoo
Kazoo are a beautiful new musical instrument that can be learned to play for a reasonable price in tin and plastic materials. It only demands that you hum your favourite song while holding it in close proximity to your lips.
● Learn history
To appropriately observe this day, one must be aware of its historical context. Look up some information about the evolution of this musical style online if you have the time. You can also make plans to attend the National Kazoo Day activities, which will take place in a number of locations across the country.
● Share it on social media
Your chance to spread the word about the finest instrument ever created on this day and bring a little happiness into the world. Use the hashtag #NationalKazooDay to recognise this day.
History:
Every year on January 28, National Kazoo Day is honoured; however, some kazoo players prefer to celebrate it on any day throughout the fourth week of January. A musical instrument that has been in use in America since the 19th century is honoured on this occasion.
The sound of the individual playing the kazoo is altered because it gives their voice a “buzzing” quality. Instead of blowing into the kazoo, the performer hums into it, which causes a membrane inside the instrument to vibrate and alter the tone of the voice. Kazoo playing has a long history dating back more than 165 years. While the kazoo was still a musical instrument from the 1840s and was known as the “Down South Submarine,” it was first made accessible to the general public in 1852 at the Georgia State Fair.
Historical accounts claim that Alabama Vest and Thaddeus Von Clegg worked together to build the Kazoo. On May 27, 1902, Buffalo, New York resident George D. Smith received a patent for the first contemporary kazoo. This was made of metal and had the modern submarine’s now-iconic shape.
The kazoo is regarded as the most inclusive instrument, so anyone is welcome to play it. Nonetheless, it took until 1912—a sizable amount of time—for the first Kazoo instrument to be made and made available for purchase. In 1916, the Eden, New York-based Original American Kazoo Co. started manufacturing kazoos. Since then, kazoos have been made in that region. Occasionally, kazoos are still created on the property, which also has a museum and a souvenir shop.