Bongos (
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
: ''bongó'') are an
Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...
percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
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 ar ...
s of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' (), which are joined by a wooden bridge. They are played with both hands and usually held between the legs, although in some cases, as in classical music, they may be played with sticks or mounted on stands.
Bongos 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 ...
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 stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...
and the stick-struck
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfic ...
. In these groups, the bongo player is known as ''bongosero'' and often plays a continuous eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' () as well as more rhythmically free parts, providing improvisatory flourishes and rhythmic counterpoint.
Bongos originated in eastern Cuba at the end of the 19th century, possibly from a pair of larger drums such as the bokú. These older, larger bongos are known as ''bongó del monte'' and played in
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.
''C ...
. The smaller bongos used in son cubano were popular across Cuba by the 1910s and reached the concert halls of the eastern United States in the 1930s. By the 1940s, bongos and congas were sharing the stage as son ensembles grew in size and Latin music began to cross-pollinate with
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and other genres. During the second half of the 20th century, bongos began to be played in a wide variety of genres, from
bachata
Bachata may refer to:
* Bachata (music), a musical genre which originated in the Dominican Republic
** Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music
** Bachata (dance), a dance form
* Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style
* "Bach ...
to
Latin rock
Latin Rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featurin ...
.
Construction
Bongo drums are about high and have diameters of approximately and .
The shells of the 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-qual ...
and attached to the shells via steel hardware that enables their tuning (lug tuning). Originally, metal tacks were used, so the skins had to be tightened by heating the skins with a flame and loosened with water or by striking them vigorously.
This method of tuning is still used for the traditional bongos used in changüí. Therefore, Fernando Ortiz places the original bongó in the category of ''tambores de candela'' (flame-tuned drums), along with
bokú,
yuka,
conga
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 ...
,
bembé and smaller drums, since these were all tuned with the flame of an oil lamp.
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
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...
. 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 the 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 inc ...
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 wikt:glide, glide from one pitch (music), pitch to another (). It is an Italianized Musical terminology, musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In ...
used with ''bongó de monte'', called ''bramido'' (howl), is done by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the head of the drum. Usually, this is done during the climax of a changüí performance.
The finger is sometimes moistened with saliva or sweat before rubbing it across the head, but many players use beeswax instead.
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
offbeats 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 #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
performances, bongos are usually struck with
mallets or
drumsticks. Examples of pieces featuring bongos include ''
Ionisation
Ionization or ionisation is the process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons, often in conjunction with other chemical changes. The resulting electrically charged atom or molecule i ...
'' by Varèse (1931), ''
Le Marteau sans maître
''Le Marteau sans maître'' (; The Hammer without a Master) is a chamber cantata by French composer Pierre Boulez. The work, which received its premiere in 1955, sets surrealist poetry by René Char for contralto and six instrumentalists. It is ...
'' by Boulez (1955) and ''
In seinem Garten liebt Don Perlimplin Belisa'' by Fortner (1962).
Steve Reich
Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...
's 1971 piece ''
Drumming
Drumming may refer to:
* the act of playing the drums or other percussion instruments
* Drummer, a musician who plays a drum, drum kit, or drums
* ''Drumming'' (Reich), a musical composition written by Steve Reich in 1971 for percussion ensemble
...
'' features four pairs of carefully tuned bongos played with drumsticks.
History
Origin and etymology

The origin of the bongo is largely unclear. Its use was first documented in the eastern region of Cuba, 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.
The origins of Oriente lie in the 1607 di ...
, during the late 19th century, where it was employed in 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.
''C ...
, and their descendant, the
son cubano. According to
Fernando Ortiz, the word ''bongó'' derived from the
Bantu words ''mgombo'' or ''
ngoma'', meaning drum.
He hypothesizes that the word evolved through
metathesis and by similarity with another Bantu word, ''mbongo''.
According to Ortiz's early 20th century informants, the large ''bongó del monte'' (mountain bongo) used in changüí was the ancestor of the smaller bongó used in son cubano and salsa.
As explained by eastern Cuban informants to Benjamin Lapidus, the oral tradition among changüí musicians in Oriente is that the ''bongó'' originated as a replacement for pairs of bokús that were slung over the player's knee.
Bokús are tall drums popular in the eastern provinces, particularly during carnival processions, and featured in early changüí groups. Eventually, these drums were cut in half into bongos. This may explain why the ''bongó del monte'' used in changüí is larger than the bongos used in son. In
Holguín
Holguín (, ) is a municipality-city in Cuba. After Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey, it is the List of cities in Cuba, fourth largest city in Cuba.
History
Before Christopher Columbus, Columbus, the Taino people settled in huts made fro ...
, similar 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. Other generic terms that have been used to refer to bongos across eastern Cuba include tahonitas, tambora, atambora and tumba.
The bokú/tahona origin of the bongos agrees with the generally agreed notion held by Afro-Cuban cultural historians that the bongo derives from
Bantu 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, as does the widespread use of the term bongó/bonkó among Bantu speakers.
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".
Ortiz's hypothesis for the origin of the bokú is that their tall unusual shape was the result of a purposeful avoidance of "African-looking" drums by Afro-Cuban musicians at a time when most drums of that sort were banned.
Less supported hypotheses for the origin of the bongos, largely based on their superficial similarity to other twin drums, include the Cuban pailas and
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfic ...
(descended from European tympani), the Arab
nakers, the North African
tbilat
The tbilat is a percussion instrument from Morocco which resembles bongos and tabla. It consists of a pair of decorated pottery drums of different sizes. The skinheads are stretched by plaited gut cords. This membranophone is placed on the ground ...
(called "African clay bongos"), the Indian
tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
, etc.
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
Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista (10 July 1902 – 16 July 1989) was a Cuban poet, journalist and political activist. He is best remembered as the national poet of Cuba. . 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
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
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
The Sexteto Habanero was a Cuban son sextet founded in 1920 in Havana. It played an important part in the early history of the genre, contributing to its popularization all around Cuba. In 1927, the band incorporated a cornet player becoming the ...
and José Manuel Carriera Incharte "El Chino" of the
Sexteto Nacional, 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
Abakuá, also sometimes known as Ñañiguismo, is a Cuban initiatory religious fraternity founded in 1836. The society is open only to men and those initiated take oaths to not reveal the secret teachings and practices of the order. Members are ...
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.
In 1929, bongos and other drums were banned by the Cuban government.
This prohibition extended that of 1925, which outlawed congas in the context of street carnivals, but not the comparsas themselves. Ironically, this original ban was enacted by the mayor of Santiago de Cuba,
Desiderio Arnaz II, father of
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986), known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, producer, and bandleader. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Love Lucy'', in whi ...
, who later popularized congas, bongos and bokús across America and the world. This repression of Afro-Cuban culture was denounced by poets in the
Afrocubanismo such as Guillén, whose "Canción del bongó" (Song of the bongo) was published in 1931.
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 and
Arsenio Rodríguez
Arsenio Rodríguez (born Ignacio Arsenio Travieso Scull; August 31, 1911 – December 30, 1970)Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana, v. 4, p. 45 et seq. was a Cuban musician, composer and bandl ...
's "Conjunto Segundo" among others. Arsenio had pioneered the ''
conjunto
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' ...
'' format by incorporating a ''tumbadora'' (
conga drum
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...
) 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. The heat of the flame was used to contract the
drumhead
A drumhead or drum skin is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands, so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum.
Additionally outside of percus ...
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
Armando Peraza (May 30, 1924 – April 14, 2014) was a Cuban Latin jazz percussionist and a member of the rock band Santana. Peraza played congas, bongos, and timbales.
Biography
Early life
Born in Lawton Batista, Havana, Cuba in 1924 (althou ...
. Both moved to
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
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
Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez (24 August 1919 – 19 February 1963), better known as Benny Moré (also spelled Beny Moré), was a Cuban singer, bandleader and songwriter. Due to his fluid tenor voice and his great expressivity, he was ...
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
A descarga (literally ''discharge'' in Spanish) is an improvised jam session consisting of variations on Cuban music themes, primarily son montuno, but also guajira, bolero, guaracha and rumba. The genre is strongly influenced by jazz and it w ...
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 musical genre which originated in the Dominican Republic
** Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music
** Bachata (dance), a dance form
* Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style
* "Bach ...
, 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 h ...
that emerged in the 1960s.
In the United States
In the 1920s, bongos were first played in the United States during the recording sessions of Cuban son ensembles such as
Sexteto Nacional, which recorded in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
for
. Among the tracks recorded in their 1927 sessions was "Viva el bongó", a song about the instrument itself which—unlike the stylized Cuban son popular at the time—brought percussion to the foreground. Since these recordings were mainly sold in Cuba, they did not have any cultural impact in the US.
Things changed one Saturday afternoon in April 1930, when the Havana Casino Orchestra directed by
Don Azpiazú debuted their live show at the
Palace Theatre in New York. Featuring José "Chiquito" Socarrás on bongos, Don Azpiazú's successful performances and recordings of "
El manisero" gave rise to a dance craze known as "
rhumba
Rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba, is a genre of ballroom music and ballroom dance, dance that appeared in the East Coast of the United States during the 1930s. It combined American big band music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, primarily the son cub ...
" (in reality based on Cuban son) which led to the widespread use of the bongo among Latin bands in New York. In the early 1930s, Cuban orchestras proliferated in New York, featuring the bongo as key percussion instrument, including those directed by Antonio Machín, Alberto Socarrás, Pedro Vía, Antobal, Enrique Bryon, etc. However, apart from Chiquito Socarrás, who was also a singer, there were no ''bongoseros'' of renown and the instrument did not yet permeate American music styles.
Spearheaded by the iconic ''conguero''
Chano Pozo, 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
Armando Peraza (May 30, 1924 – April 14, 2014) was a Cuban Latin jazz percussionist and a member of the rock band Santana. Peraza played congas, bongos, and timbales.
Biography
Early life
Born in Lawton Batista, Havana, Cuba in 1924 (althou ...
,
Chino Pozo (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 Ba ...
, who had a long career in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and was known as the King of the Bongo. Many others, however, would become primarily conga players, such as
Mongo Santamaría,
Sabú Martínez 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
Frank Grillo (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo; December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) known professionally as Machito (previously as Macho), was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music ...
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. 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
Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also k ...
and
Tito Rodríguez
Pablo Rodríguez Lozada (January 4, 1923 – February 28, 1973), better known as Tito Rodríguez, was a Puerto Rican singer and bandleader. He started his career singing under the tutelage of his brother, Johnny Rodríguez. In the 1940s, both m ...
, were home to two generations of ''bongoseros'' represented by Johnny "La Vaca" Rodríguez and his son
Johnny "Dandy" Rodríguez, 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 James Costanzo (September 24, 1919 – August 18, 2018) was an American percussionist.
Biography
Costanzo is of Italian descent, both his parents being from Italy.
A composer and drummer, Costanzo is best known for having been a bongo dr ...
and
Willie Bobo
William Correa (February 28, 1934 – September 15, 1983), better known by his stage name Willie Bobo, was an American Latin jazz percussionist and jazz drummer of Puerto Rican descent. Bobo rejected the stereotypical expectations of Latino m ...
(of Puerto Rican origin), the latter more active on
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfic ...
. 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
The Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive at MGM Records, producer, MGM Records executive and Curb Records founder Mike Cu ...
capitalized on the popularity of the instrument as well as its exotic and rhythmic qualities.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{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