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Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed
hand drum A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. Types The following descriptions allude to traditional versions of the drums. Modern synthetic versions are ...
s of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The larger drum is called a hembra (Spanish for female) and the smaller drum is called the macho (Spanish for male). They are mainly employed in the
rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhythm sec ...
of son cubano and salsa ensembles, often alongside other drums such as the larger
congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...
and the stick-struck timbales. This brought bongos into our cultural vocabulary, from Beatniks to Mambo to the current revival of Cuban folkloric music. Bongo drummers (''bongoseros'') emerged as the only drummers of son cubano ensembles in eastern
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
toward the end of the 19th century. It is believed that Bongos evolved from the Abakua Drum trio 'Bonko' and its lead drum 'Bonko Enmiwewos'. These drums are still a fundamental part of the Abakua Religion in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
. If joined with a wooden peck in the middle, such drums would look much like the bongos. Later this instrument remained important as son groups evolved into larger '' conjuntos'' and orchestras in Havana in the
1940s File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holoca ...
, at which point they began to share the stage with congas. Bongos later reached the United States, where they are commonly played in salsa, Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin rock and other genres . Drumhead sizes for The Bongos vary between 6" & 7" to 7" & 9", making the bongos the smallest drums in Latin percussion family. The shells of these drums and the bridge (the small block that joins them) are usually made of wood, although fiberglass is also common. The heads are typically made of
calfskin Calfskin or calf leather is a leather or membrane produced from the hide of a calf, or juvenile domestic cattle. Calfskin is particularly valuable because of its softness and fine grain, as well as durability. It is commonly used for high-quality ...
and attached to the shells via steel hardware that enables their tuning. Originally, metal tacks were used, so tuning had to be done by heating the skins. By the 1940s, metal-tuning lugs developed to facilitate easier tuning we know today. Bongos are traditionally held between the legs, with the macho up against one thigh and the hembra down against the opposite calf. Most right-handed players place the macho in the upper left position, as the basic "martillo" pattern focuses on the macho. Lefties can do whatever works best for them. Always strike the drums with the pads of your fingertips, never with your knuckles. Striking with the bony joint will make a louder sound at first, but you will injure your hands that way, and risk causing or aggravating arthritis in your fingers. Practice striking with the pads, using a "snappy" wrist motion, and you will develop the crisp loud sound you want.


History


Origins

The origin of the bongo is largely unclear. Its use was first documented in the Eastern region of
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, the
Oriente Province Oriente (, "East") was the easternmost province of Cuba until 1976. The term "Oriente" is still used to refer to the eastern part of the country, which currently is divided into five different provinces. Fidel and Raúl Castro were born in a sm ...
, during the late 19th century, where it was employed in popular music styles such as nengón,
changüí ''Changüí'' is a style of Cuban music which originated in the early 19th century in the eastern region of Guantánamo Province, specifically Baracoa. It arose in the sugar cane refineries and in the rural communities populated by slaves. ''Chang ...
, and their descendant, the son cubano. According to Fernando Ortiz, the word ''bongó'' derived from the
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language *Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for Nationali ...
words ''mgombo'' or '' ngoma'', meaning drum. He hypothesizes that the word evolved through metathesis and by similarity with another Bantu word, ''mbongo''. In Holguín, certain drums which are considered possible ancestors of the ''bongó'' are known as ''tahona'', which might have a been a generic word for drum in Cuba and also refers to an unrelated music genre. Most sources on Afro-Cuban cultural history argue that the bongo derives from
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language *Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for Nationali ...
drum models from Central Africa, noticeable in the open bottoms. The strong historical presence of Africans from the Congo/Angola region in Eastern Cuba (where the bongo first appeared) makes such an influence possible. Moreover, Central African/Congo influences are also documented in both son cubano and changüí, and initially the development of the bongo drum was in parallel with these genres. From such conceptual African drum models, the bongo developed further in Cuba itself, and some historians state that the attaching of the two drums was a later invention that took place in Cuba. Therefore, the instrument has been described as "African in concept but Cuban in invention". This has been disputed, however, by several historians (most notably Haroldo Dilla Alfonso).


Evolution and popularization

The bongo entered Cuban popular music as a key instrument of early son ensembles, quickly becoming—due to the increasing popularity of the son—"the first instrument with an undeniable African past to be accepted in Cuban “society” circles". This is attested, for example, in poems by Nicolás Guillén. As son evolved and distanced itself from its precursor, the changüí, so did the bongos. The bongos used in changüí, known as ''bongó de monte'', are larger and tuned lower than their modern counterparts, have tack-heads instead of tunable hardware, and play in a manner similar to the lead conga drum ( quinto) and other folkloric lead drum parts. Unlike modern son, changüí never extended its popularity beyond eastern Cuba, and hence its bongos remain a rare sight. It is commonly accepted that the son reached Havana partly as a result of the arrival of musicians members of Cuba's ''ejército permanente'' (permanent army), which brought music from eastern Cuba with them. Among the first known ''bongoseros'' to enlist in the ''ejército permanente'' in Santiago de Cuba was Mariano Mena. During the ''sexteto'' era, son groups began performing and touring more than ever before, and for the first time, recordings were being made. It was in this context that the first great innovators of the bongo made their mark, and unlike their predecessors, their names were not lost in time. Of particular note were Óscar Sotolongo of the Sexteto Habanero and José Manuel Carriera Incharte "El Chino" of the
Sexteto Nacional Septeto Nacional (National Septet), or the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, is a Cuban group credited with expanding the Son musical style before Arsenio Rodríguez. It added the trumpet to percussion, vocals, and strings. The group star ...
, the two leading groups of the 1920s and '30s. Sotolongo himself would later leave the Habanero and direct his own group, the Conjunto Típico Cubano. His replacement was Agustín Gutiérrez "Manana", who is widely considered one of the most influential ''bongoseros'', partly due to his condition as an Abakuá member, which allowed him to develop techniques based on the ekué (secret drum) drumming of such society. In 1930, Sotolongo's son, Andrés Sotolongo replaced Gutiérrez in the Habanero. Decades later, at 82 years of age, Andrés Sotolongo was recorded for the ''Routes of Rhythm'' documentary playing alongside Isaac Oviedo. The 1930s saw an increase in the technical skill of ''bongoseros'', as evidenced by Clemente "Chicho" Piquero, whose virtuosic performances inspired a young Mongo Santamaría to take up the instrument. By the early 1940s, Santamaría had become a master of the instrument, performing with the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Sonora Matancera,
Conjunto Matamoros The term ''conjunto'' (, literally 'group', 'ensemble') refers to several types of small musical ensembles present in different Latin American musical traditions, mainly in Mexico and Cuba. While Mexican conjuntos play styles such as '' norteño' ...
and Arsenio Rodríguez's "Conjunto Segundo" among others. Arsenio had pioneered the '' conjunto'' format by incorporating a ''tumbadora'' ( conga drum) into the rhythm section and having the ''bongosero'' double on cowbell. Arsenio's long-time ''bongosero'' was Antolín "Papa Kila" Suárez, who is often cited as one of the greatest of his time along with Pedro Mena of the Conjunto Matamoros. Arsenio's group also helped break the barriers of race, which particularly affected ''bongoseros''. For example, the Orquesta Casino de la Playa did not allow their black ''bongosero'' Ramón Castro to perform on stage, nor was Arsenio allowed on the tres. The Casino de la Playa would also feature ''bongosero'' Cándido Requena, who later joined the Conjunto Kubavana and Conjunto Niágara, and became one of Cuba's foremost makers of bongos and ''tumbadoras''. Requena, as well as the Vergara brothers, were instrumental in the technological improvement of bongos and congas.Sublette p. 572. Before the advent of mechanically tunable bongos and congas in the 1940s, both instruments used to be tuned with oil or
kerosene lamps A kerosene lamp (also known as a paraffin lamp in some countries) is a type of lighting device that uses kerosene as a fuel. Kerosene lamps have a wick or mantle as light source, protected by a glass chimney or globe; lamps may be used on a ...
. The heat of the flame was used to contract the drumhead to achieve the desired sound. Following the popularization of the ''tumbadora'', Santamaría switched to the instrument, while remaining a close friend of ''bongosero'' Armando Peraza. Both moved to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
by 1950, bringing their music abilities with them. Among the ''bongoseros'' who stayed in Cuba were the aforementioned Chicho Piquero, who had become a close friend of Benny Moré in Mexico and became his Banda Gigante's ''bongosero'' back in Cuba. Also important during the 1950s were Papa Gofio of the Conjunto Rumbavana and Rogelio "Yeyo" Iglesias, the main bongo player in Havana's descarga scene. Over the course of the 20th century, the bongo spread throughout Latin America. In the Dominican Republic, the bongo became integral to
bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a genre of Latin American music **Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music * Bachata (dance), a dance style from the Dominican Republic * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bachata ...
, a genre related to
bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...
that emerged in the 1960s.


In the United States

Spearheaded by the iconic ''conguero''
Chano Pozo Luciano Pozo González (January 7, 1915 – December 3, 1948), known professionally as Chano Pozo, was a Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer, and composer. Despite only living to age 33, he played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz. ...
, the late 1940s saw an exodus of Afro-Cuban percussionists from Cuba to the United States. Among the leading ''bongoseros'' of Cuban origin in the United States were Armando Peraza,
Chino Pozo Francisco "Chino" Pozo (October 4, 1915, Havana - April 28, 1980, New York City) was a Cuban drummer. Pozo claimed to be the cousin of Chano Pozo, though this has been disputed. He was an autodidact on piano and bass, but concentrated on bongos, ...
(unrelated to Chano) and
Rogelio Darias Rogelio () is a masculine Spanish given name and a variant of the first name Roger. Notable people with the name include: *Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (born 1962), Filipino chess player *Rogelio Armenteros (born 1994), Cuban pitcher in Major League Base ...
, who had a long career in Las Vegas and was known as the King of the Bongo. Many others, however, would become primarily conga players, such as Mongo Santamaría,
Sabú Martínez Louis "Sabu" Martinez (July 14, 1930 – January 13, 1979) was an American conguero of Puerto Rican descent. A prominent player in the Cubop movement, Martinez appeared on many important recordings and live performances during that period. Mart ...
and Cándido Camero. The Latin music scene of New York, and the US in general, was primarily constituted by Puerto Ricans, and many influential ''bongoseros'' were Puerto Ricans who learned from Cubans. An early example is Rafael "Congo" Castro, who arrived in New York in 1924 and had a long career as a ''bongosero'' in Chicago until the 1980s. In New York, many Puerto Rican ''bongoseros'' would go on to join the pioneering Afro-Cuban jazz ensembles of the time such as Machito and his Afro-Cubans, whose singles "Tangá" and "Mango mangüé"—considered the first examples of the genre—featured José Mangual Sr. "Buyú" on bongos. Mangual's prolific career was continued by his sons
José Mangual Jr. José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...
and Luis Mangual, who played in a variety of salsa groups in the 1970s. The two biggest Latin orchestras of the 1950s in New York, led by Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez, were home to two generations of ''bongoseros'' represented by Johnny "La Vaca" Rodríguez and his son
Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez John Rodríguez Jr. (born 1945), better known as Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez, is an American bongo player of Puerto Rican descent. He was the long-time ''bongosero'' for Tito Puente, and also played with Tito Rodríguez, Ray Barretto and Alfredo ...
, of Puerto Rican ancestry. Other Puerto Rican musicians who made a name for themselves on the bongos were Richie Bastar of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Ralph Marzán of Johnny Pacheco's charanga, "Little" Ray Romero, Frank Colón and Roberto Roena. On the other hand, American master ''bongoseros'' include
Jack Costanzo Jack Costanzo (September 24, 1919 – August 18, 2018) was an American percussionist. Biography A composer, conductor and drummer, Costanzo is best known for having been a bongo player, and was nicknamed "Mr. Bongo". He visited Havana three ...
and Willie Bobo, the latter more active on timbales. Other ''bongoseros'' who had more impact as ''timbaleros'' were Manny Oquendo, Orestes Vilató and Nicky Marrero. American novelty rock acts such as Preston Epps and Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band capitalized on the popularity of the instrument as well as its "exotic" and rhythmic qualities.


Technique

Bongo drums produce relatively high-pitched sounds compared to conga drums, and should be held behind the
knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
s with the larger drum on the right when right-handed. It is most often played by hand and is especially associated in Cuban music with a steady pattern or
ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...
of eighth-notes known as the ''martillo'' (hammer). They are traditionally played by striking the edge of the drumheads with the fingers and palms. The
glissando In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...
used with ''bongó de monte'' is done by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the head of the drum. The finger is sometimes moistened with saliva, or sweat before rubbing it across the head. When playing son cubano and other popular genres, the ''macho'' is on the left and the ''hembra'' on the right. In changüí, the ''bongó de monte'' is positioned the opposite way. Playing patterns are also different in changüí, where the ''bongó'' does not follow a steady beat. Instead, it usually marks
offbeat Offbeat, originally a music term meaning "not following the standard beat", which has also become a general synonym for "unconventional" or "unusual", may refer to: Music *Syncopation *Off-beat (music), the musical term in more detail *Off Beat (l ...
s and beat four while improvising. Thus, the playing technique in changüí resembles that of the congas (moreover, their pitch is often lower than both bongos and congas). This reflects it origin, since the ''bongó del monte'' evolved from pairs of ''bokús'', a larger drum from eastern Cuba similar to the conga. Bongos can also be played on a stand, as is the case with concert orchestras and bands. In
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" ...
performances, bongos are usually struck with mallets or drumsticks. Examples of pieces featuring bongos include '' Ionisation'' by Varèse (1931), '' Le Marteau sans maître'' by Boulez (1955) and '' In seinem Garten liebt Don Perlimplin Belisa'' by Fortner (1962).


Notes


References


External links


Bongo Mania articlethe Rhythmweb Bongo Page"Bongo Riffs" with Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez
*''Bongó de monte'' as heard i
"Ritmo changüí" by Grupo Exploración
{{Authority control Hand drums Directly struck membranophones Central American and Caribbean percussion instruments Cuban musical instruments Orchestral percussion Unpitched percussion instruments 19th-century percussion instruments