congaplace.com

Hello

Personally I am more incline to play the bongo then the congas. I'm only a beginner in bot.

For the forumers here. Is the bongo your main musical instrument ? Do the bongos still have a place ?

Ive always been more inclined towards the congas but admit that lately they have taken a back seat to bongos.

I started with bongos. First Zim Gar then LPs.
Then I switched to Gon Bops congas.
Now I'm back to bongos.
I have a collection of vintage bongos but mainly play the old LPs

Yes , I have been a Bongocero all my life. Was like I did not have other choice. My father was a Bassist and also played the Cuban Tres, in my home we had a set of Timbales, Congas and Bongos, my older brother played the Timbales, my other Brother the Congas so the Bongó was the choice I have. Althought I do know how to play basic tumbao on Conga,Cascara and Bell on Timbales I do prefer the Bongó and his syncopa. I remember when my Dad use to put together a small Conjunto with my brothers and I, my cousin playing the Sax, a singer and either a piano or him playing the Cuban tres or the upright bass .My 2 cents

A family band, that had to be a blast. You were involved in music from the get go.
Does your family still get together and jam?

Oye Caballo de que parte de La Isla eres? I used to jam all the time in Luquillo's Playa Azul we started in the early 80's started on the beach then as the day grew we would move to Luis's El Flamboyan. We would also always play at Aqui Se Pude en el Veijo San Juan on the coner of San Sebastian y San Justo. If you ever get over there Luquillo on a sunday night tell Willie Perez that Israel sends regards, they still have rumbas every sunday night.

I think the main emphasis of this forum is the conga drum, as the name implies "CongaPlace". When it comes to tradition in Cuban music, the bongo' comes first to the congas. The conga drum was introduced to the orchestral and conjunto setting around 1939/40 by Arsenio Rodriguez, who reinforced the "sextetos de son" by adding an additional trumpet and a tumbador (conga player), thus sextetos became conjuntos. Up to 1940, the bongo' was the main percussion instrument when it came to playing son and son montuno, the tumbadora was incorporated from then on and Arsenio Rodriguez was the person responsible. Mongo Santamaria always said " I play the conga drum and that's what won me international fame, but before I was and always will be a bongocero".

Dario

Mongo y su bongo' Vergara.

Dario

I started on the bongos, and from there it was a natural path to the congas
From there I eventually added the bata drums. I'm still on the bongos though.

I can say I was influenced by my uncles back in Cali, Colombia when they used to have their own band and travel throughout Colombia, Curacao, Aruba, Venezuela. They used to be called "Los Hermanos Ospino" back in the early 60's to early 70's then they split up. Their kids wound up playing for other groups in Colombia like the Niches and Grupo Niche. One of my cousins which plays or used to play Grupo Niche came to my birthday party and brought along a friend who I remember jammed for us on the bongos to some of their songs and I was hooked on that sound. Now you guys are turning me on to Congas which you probably already know I've been shopping but for something for starters. Am I a bongocero? don't know since I don't know up to what point is someone called a bongocero. I will always be a student of being a bongocero since I don't know when it ends. Oh....or maybe someone is called a bongocero when he or she sits in on a band to play for them? Hell I don't know, all I know is that I love the instrument and I love playing them that even my wife and family members realized one day that it sounded good.........which makes me proud. Aight fellers......I had to get this of my chest now am going back to slapping some skin to Hermanos Lebron "Bongo loco"..........Oh another thing........am glad we're all getting along better lately......nice to see that cause it was really turning me off specially for us the beginners that need from you guys. If I don't make sense then tough. I love you guys anyway.
Dios los bendiga
Juancho