DAMN. I JUST WROTE A WHOLE POST SUBMITTED IT AND IT DIDNT GO THRU. IT WAS ABOUT 4 PARAGRAPHS LONG
ANYWAY I'LL TRY AGAIN.
THE ANSWER IS:
RAUL TRAVIESO. EL HERMANO DE ARSENIO TREAVIESO RODRIGUEZ SCULL. EL SIEGO MARAVILLOSO.
YES RITMO YOU'RE RIGHT, JR WAS ALREADY MAKING CONGAS WHEN HE STARTED PLAYING WITH ARSENIO. HE MADE THE FIRST ONE IN 1960. HE STARTED PLAYING WITH ARSENIO'S CONJUNTO IN 1962. AND YES, HE WAS INFLUENCED BY ISMAEL AS WELL, BUT TO WHAT EXTENT. IF YOU LOOK AT RAUL'S DRUM, HIS AND JR'S HARDWARE IS VERY SIMILAR. ESPECIALLY THE SIDE PLATES. THE ONLY WAY TO TELL IS TO FIND A PIC OF HIS FIRST CONGAS MADE IN P.R. MAYBE I SHOULD'VE NOT USED THE WORD TAUGHT, ALTHOUGH IF SOMEONE IS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING SOMETHING AND SOMEONE ELSE HELPS THEM REFINE IT, IN MY OPINION, YOU'RE LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, THEREFORE, THAT PERSON HAS TAUGHT YOU SOMETHING.
IM NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE GENIUS THAT JUNIOR WAS. IN FACT, I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE UPMOST RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED WITH HIS BARE HANDS. TRULY AMAZING. AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION RITMO, NO JUNIOR DIDN'T TELLL ME THIS. GOD KNOWS I WISH HE HAD. THIS SAME QUESTION WAS POSED TO ME BY A FORUM MEMBER WHOM I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SELLING THE MINT VALJE BONGO I POSTED HERE TO. HE SHOWED ME THE PIC AND ASKED ME THE SAME QUESTION. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN EARLY JR. I WAS SHOCKED WITH THE ANSWER AND THOUGHT I'D SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS TO GET SOME FEEDBACK. IN 1969 I WAS BORN RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM HIS SHOP BUT NEVER HAD THE PRIVILEDGE OF MEETING HIM. I WAS RAISED IN A STRICT RELIGION AND SALSA MUSIC AND DANCE WAS FORBIDDEN ALONG WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
I STARTED PLAYING BONGOS THEN CONGAS TEN YEARS AGO AND FOUND A GREAT TEACHER 5 YEARS AGO AND MAKING GREAT PROGRESS. I HAVE TO LEAVE WORK RIGHT NOW SO I HAVE TO CUT THIS SHORT BUT GOD BLESS JUNIOR TIRADO AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE.