BAD/STUPID Conga videos - not for the faint

[TONE74]

Many Africans still play the traditional way that they have played through the years with hollow log drums which they hit with sticks or hands. So its probably very similar to what early Cubans did. I don't believe they were what we call tumbadoras or congas though so the modern Cuban style of playing would not be effective or necessary on those drums or type of music.
After that it was probably just evolution and creation of rhythms and the instrument itself in Cuba.
Thats just my guess Manny, but it would be interesting to actually know what really happened in those days.

Speaking of that GO-GO sound, it sounds familiar to me. I think I heard it used in some Hip-Hop songs from back in the days. Sounds pretty funky to me if used with variation so it wont be repetitive. Could probably be incorporated in some Timba sections.

[Sakuntu]

On the Go Go Theme...Check this out from wikepedia...

"Unique to Go-Go is an instrumentation with 2 standard Congas and 2 "Junior Congas", 8" and 9" wide and about half as tall as the standard Congas, a size rare outside of Go-Go. They were introduced to Rare Essence by Tyrone Williams -aka- Jungle Boogie in the early days when they couldn't afford enough full sized Congas, and are ubiquitous ever since."

so seems what was not meant to be has now become the norm...

Also check this guys site out...he needs new heads for his junior congas in a bad way


http://www.gogomickey.com/home.htm

[pavloconga]

What can i say ignorance is mans worst enemy, I did contact Mr. Hall and this is his reply. And by the way ...HEY is for horses

Hey there,

I don't pretend to be a legit player of congas but I can play then as a side (trumpet my main) which takes soem guts, and I am serious. Innovation is not bastardization - I do what I can so I can play them with the limited time I have, and have gained mutual respect from fellow musicians playing pro gigs and festivals. So don't think I'm making fun of congas or anything else I play.
And there's no one true way to play anthing - so pleae lighten up.

Cheers,
Steve

Well this guy says he plays trumpet, so maybe just get hold of a trumpet/guitar/piano, record yourself playing whatever you like I like on it even though you may have only played it once or twice before. Then tell him, "I don't pretend to be a legit player of trumpet/guitar/piano but I can play it as a side (congas my main) this takes some guts, and I am serious. This is innovation. And there's no one true way to play anything - so please lighten up."

When are these people gonna learn?

pavlo

[pavloconga]

I've often wondered how the early Africans played (technique or lack thereof) congas when they were made out of hollowed logs and how the early Cubans played them when they were first adopted in Cuba.

Drums have been played in Africa for many hundreds if not thousands of years. So, if they were people straight from Africa with their own music and traditions you can be pretty sure there were some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed out log congas.

[thomas newton]

I'm a bit late to this thread - but...
there will always be bad teachers - live or on video, and being taught (as opposed to learning) is always risky without recommendations, etc.

Yes, these teaching vids are horrible, there's a bit of egotism here, a desire to show something they think is cool there, but in all a real lack of reflection and insight which is are essential teacher virtues imo.

Will they put any beginners off? A few maybe.

I wouldn't include the Go-Go stuff in the Bad/Stupid category.

[Derbeno]

On the Go Go Theme...Check this out from wikepedia...

"Unique to Go-Go is an instrumentation with 2 standard Congas and 2 "Junior Congas", 8" and 9" wide and about half as tall as the standard Congas, a size rare outside of Go-Go. They were introduced to Rare Essence by Tyrone Williams -aka- Jungle Boogie in the early days when they couldn't afford enough full sized Congas, and are ubiquitous ever since."

so seems what was not meant to be has now become the norm...

Also check this guys site out...he needs new heads for his junior congas in a bad way


http://www.gogomickey.com/home.htm

I am not sure about about the comment about not affording enough full size congas. They purposely use the Junior Congas to produce a note approximating a slap.

JC made the comment that they have no technique to speak off. Interestingly when I read the comments posted to their respective utube vids they discuss good and bad technique as regards to playing this style, as painful as it looks

[thomas newton]

JC made the comment that they have no technique to speak off. Interestingly when I read the comments posted to their respective utube vids they discuss good and bad technique as regards to playing this style, as painful as it looks

What they recognise as technique and what we do are obviously two different things - its impossible that they have 'no technique' at all or their hand would never contact the drum.

[umannyt]

Many Africans still play the traditional way that they have played through the years with hollow log drums which they hit with sticks or hands. So its probably very similar to what early Cubans did. I don't believe they were what we call tumbadoras or congas though so the modern Cuban style of playing would not be effective or necessary on those drums or type of music.
After that it was probably just evolution and creation of rhythms and the instrument itself in Cuba.
Thats just my guess Manny, but it would be interesting to actually know what really happened in those days.

Speaking of that GO-GO sound, it sounds familiar to me. I think I heard it used in some Hip-Hop songs from back in the days. Sounds pretty funky to me if used with variation so it wont be repetitive. Could probably be incorporated in some Timba sections.

TONE74,

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

Me, too, I'd be interested to actually the technique they used.

[JohnnyConga]

Well IMHO "beating the drums up" the way they do, though once again, being very creative, I dont give them a long life playing that way...my hands hurt just watching them...I know most of u or maybe none of u ever saw Master Henry the great Conga drummer(Curtis Mayfield)...he was a friend of mine...and his style was all about "go go" but had incredible technique and fluidity in his style, without having to beat his drums up or his hands....and he played 3 congas and bongos between his legs "sitting down" simultaneously...."JC" Johnny Conga

[umannyt]

I've often wondered how the early Africans played (technique or lack thereof) congas when they were made out of hollowed logs and how the early Cubans played them when they were first adopted in Cuba.

Drums have been played in Africa for many hundreds if not thousands of years. So, if they were people straight from Africa with their own music and traditions you can be pretty sure there were some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed out log congas.

pavloconga,

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

Yes, there might have been some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed-out log congas. But, is it possible that the so-called "Go-Go" style (or part of it) could resemble, by coincidence, the technique of these masters?

I know that my own answer would be speculative, at best.

[congamyk]

Go-go is entertaining for a few moments, and mostly comedic in my opinion.
How many times can you listen to song-after-song that sounds like "Fresh Prince of Belaire" without going crazy?

How can you dedicate yourself to playing this 3rd grade style for years and never learn conga technique?
That shows a lack of respect for the instrument and it even shows in their inability to tune the instrument correctly.
This was the guy that had the hyped up website - look at how bent the rims are.

[Derbeno]

OMG LOL, and those drums don't look that old either.

[pavloconga]

I've often wondered how the early Africans played (technique or lack thereof) congas when they were made out of hollowed logs and how the early Cubans played them when they were first adopted in Cuba.

Drums have been played in Africa for many hundreds if not thousands of years. So, if they were people straight from Africa with their own music and traditions you can be pretty sure there were some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed out log congas.

pavloconga,

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it.

Yes, there might have been some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed-out log congas. But, is it possible that the so-called "Go-Go" style (or part of it) could resemble, by coincidence, the technique of these masters?

I know that my own answer would be speculative, at best.

Hi umannyt,
I've been several times to Ghana in West Africa to study in depth drums with a number of people who in my opinion are true masters of the drums they play.

So I can be confident in saying there's no resemblance in the playing of the 'Go Go drummers' in America to the many thousands of master drummers in Africa. Africa is the mother land of rhythm! In Africa drums and music are a part of everyday life and it has been that way for a long, long time.

Here's a live recording I made one night in the village of Nungua in Ghana (with a series of a few photos I took there).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS3gCwnvq04

Pump up the volume ... and have a listen... These guys are masters of the drum and rhythm and are in my opinion light years removed from what the 'Go Go drummers' are playing.

Keep in mind that the guys you'll hear in this particular recording are not playing djembe – they are playing Kpanlogo style drums which are hollowed out from a single log that are shaped just like congas but smaller... This is just a small excerpt - I have around one hundred hours of live recordings. Maybe I can put some more up later.

cheers
Pavlo

[bongosnotbombs]

.

Yes, there might have been some masters of the drums playing those early hollowed-out log congas. But, is it possible that the so-called "Go-Go" style (or part of it) could resemble, by coincidence, the technique of these masters?
.

I would say impossible for early Cuban drumming to resemble Go-Go. First it appears GO-GO players all use stands and multiple drums.
Cuban and the inherited African tradition is primarily one drum per person.
This Go Go stuff is one player playing along with musicians playing other modern and amplified instruments.
The music of the early conga drum was percussive.
The cuban tradition is evolved from inherited African traditions; Iyesa, Bembe, Aabakua, etc. Each with their own style of drums and technique.
Many of these styles use a stick in one hand. Before congas, rumba was played on cajons.

[windhorse]

Here's a live recording I made one night in the village of Nungua in Ghana (with a series of a few photos I took there).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS3gCwnvq04
Pump up the volume ... and have a listen... These guys are masters of the drum -snip-
Pavlo

Fabulous Pavlo!! Nice vid clip you made! Great pictures! And it's amazing how much the Twinchin (or whatever they're calling them) sound like congas when they're played by those guys!
I'm really psyched that we have a you and some others on the list who can share some modern African music and knowledge with us non-world travelers.
I'm happy to see that the thread didn't just break down into a bunch of bad mouthing people that suck. They're not even worth a second glance.