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PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:35 pm
by BATZONG
Hello, forum!

Had a small conversation with Angel "cachete" Maldonado many moons ago (something like 10 years or so...) while he was here on the island for a gig. I remember he raved about some congas made in Venezuela. However, I can't remember the company's name.
Thanks to the forum I learned that there was someone in Venezuela (if memory serves me) that built congas under the (funny) name "pan con queso"... ???

Could it be Cachete was talking about those?
If yes, could someone shed some light on those tubs? Were they any good? Does someone have pics of them?

Thanks in advance!

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:03 pm
by JohnnyConga
Yes I met "Pan con Queso" in Caracas 1978, a small humble man, with a gift of making Congas, and i will back up Cachete by saying "THE BEST CONGA I EVER PLAYED ON,EVER!".....it was an aftrnoon I will never forget with the man...."JC" Johnny Conga.... :D

PostPosted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:40 pm
by bongosnotbombs
Bread with Cheese congas?

Hilarious!

Road trip to Venezuela anyone?




Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1184025644

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:25 am
by JohnnyConga
"Pan" was a Cuban who would travel to Cuba by boat to bring back the Caoba wood to make his congas, even his hardware was "hand made' his claves, and especially his maracas have been used by some of the greatest Soneros like Hector Lavoe, Adalberto Santiago, Ruben Blades,and many more... "Pan" also had his own "grupo folklorico", where he had created a small following of rumberos and drummers, who he had taught himself...when i met him in a "barrio" in Caracas(which a local conguero had taken me), i remember how small his apartment was, and there were bongo shells claves maracas one un finished conga in a corner, in his living room....In our introduction I told him i was a percussionist at the time and had just performed at the Hotel Tamanaco with Sergio Mendes, and he knew the name, then he picked up a "tambora" and told me to play something, i was like "really?"...he said yes, so rather than play a merengue on this untuned tambora I played a guaguanco on the 2 ends, and he started to sing and i sang along with him , and when he saw i could do that, it was then he smiled and asked what would I like from him....which was what ever was available, which were a Bongo Bell, Claves and maracas...i paid for it and I told him I would stop by the next day to pick it up. Well Sergio decided we were leaving, a day earlier, and I never got to pick up what I had bought from "Pan con Cueso"....."JC" Johnny Conga...

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:39 am
by bongosnotbombs
JC,
I remember reading that wonderful story of yours before...in another post.
Thanks for the history on the name, it's also very poetic.

I was just having fun with the whole Bread with cheese (queso s.i.c.) thing,
no disrespect intended.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:23 pm
by Omelenko
In the 80's I had a radio show in Miami in WDNA public radio. JC also had a show in said station later on. It must have been 88' or 89'. I received a called from Carlos Emilio Landaeta (Pan Con Queso) from Venezuela. I had a Venezuelan friend (bongo player) that recorded the show and took it to Pan Con Queso in Venezuela, that particular night I had paid a tribute to Arsenio Rodriguez and his music. Pan Con Queso told me how much he enjoyed the cassette that my friend had given him and that the music of Arsenio was his favorite. Carlos E. Landaeta (Pan Con Queso) was the founder of" Sonero Clasico Del Caribe", a Venezuelan "son" group that played traditional Cuban son,including hits from Arsenio,Iganacio PiƱero, Miguelito Cuni, S. Matancera. Pan Con Queso was also an artisan that built the best tumbadoras, bongoces, campanas,maracas and claves. He also had the best skins for congas and bongos. I had a five lug Cahoba bongo' that he made,it was a Stradivarious but it was stolen from my house many years ago. His son, Pablo Landaeta, continues the tradition of his father and keeps "Sonero Clasico Del Caribe' active. Pan Con Queso,an unsung hero in Latin music. Saludos, Dario :D

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:33 am
by BATZONG
Thanks alot for your answers so far!

Does anyone have a picture of his congas? Made a google search, but there's not much info on "Pan"...

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:53 am
by Omelenko
Ray Barretto bought two congas from "Pan" back in the late 80's. After a while Ray got 3 Skin on Skin from Jay and I was going to buy the Pan Con Quesos from him, we agreed on that on a visit Ray made to Miami and came by my radio show. After a while Ray called and told me that his son Ruan, who ws a drummer wanted to keep the Pan Con Queso congas.
You can see a picture of them in Ray's "Irresistible" album on the Fania label, they are on the cover.
Dario.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:09 pm
by taikonoatama
The ones on the top right, I'd think. The others have got to be GBs, right?



Edited By taikonoatama on 1184163235

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... _queso.jpg

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:13 pm
by Omelenko
Thanks for the album cover photo. The Pan Con Queso congas are the ones to the right of Ray, one of them is down on the floor, the other is by its side. The other two are Gon Bops.
Saludos, Dario :D

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:27 pm
by kongo
The Pan Con Queso side plates remind me of LP side plates. Thanks for the info.

kongo

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:54 pm
by Jongo
When I have gone down to Venezuela I have looked for some Pan con Queso instruments but I have never been able to find anything. I have a dream of finding some congas and bringing them back to the states with me. Well, you gotta have a dream!

PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:57 pm
by OLSONGO
Yes they even have the body of the LP's , or does LP have the body of Pan con queso's.
I have the same GB's love that quinto sound, and the espadrilles that Ray is wearing , have a pair some of the most confortable shoes you can wear.

Paz OLsongo

PostPosted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:16 am
by BATZONG
Thanks for posting that pic, taiko!

It gives me at least an idea...

:)

Re: PAN CON QUESO ?? -

PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 7:04 pm
by aelinares
Tambor marca "Pan con Queso" hecho en Catia, Venezuela... Foto de Gerardo Rosales (Sr. Tambo)