All About Conga Drums and Bongo Drums
They are an essential part of Latin music and most of us really enjoy their lively beat. They are Conga drums and Bongo drums. We’ll discuss more about these drums including their history and use.
Bongo drums are a Cuban percussion instrument which consists of two single headed open ended drums which are attached to each other. The two drums are of different sizes. The larger drum is called the hembra (Spanish for female) and the smaller drum is called the macho (or male).
These drums are most often played by hand. They are most closely associated with Cuban music but have been used in many kinds of music over the years.
It should be noted that Bongo drums produce higher pitched sounds as compared to conga drums. These drums are normally played by placing them between the knees with the larger drum on the right hand side. They are normally played by striking the edge of the drumhead with the fingers or palms.
Sometimes the bongo drums are mounted on a stand. This is often the case with concert orchestras or bands.
The conga drum (also known as tumbadora) is a tall, narrow single headed drum which originated in Cuba. It was developed there from African drums called Makuta drums which were associated with African Cubans who came from Central Africa.
The original African drums were formed from hollowed out logs. However the Conga drum is staved like a barrel. It is believed that early Conga drums were made from salvaged barrels.
These drums are used both in African Caribbean religious music and they are a principal instrument in Rumba. Conga drums are also very common in all kinds of Latin music such as salsa music, meringue music, Reggae as well as many other forms of popular America music.
Congas from recent times are typically formed from a staved wooden or fiberglass shell. A screw tensioned drumhead is attached to one end of the drum. The drum is normally played with two to four fingers as well as the palms of the hand.
The typical Conga drum measures approximately 75 cm from the bottom of the shell to the drumhead. They can be played while sitting or mounted on a stand and played standing up.
While this instrument originated in Cuba, it has been incorporated into many kinds of music worldwide. There are also several sizes of the Conga drum ranging in size from largest to smallest. They are the Tumba, Conga, Quinto, Requinto (which is rarely used or played), and the side strap mounted Ricardo drum.
Conga players are called congueros. Rumberos are those people who typically follow the conga player in a dance line (famous at weddings and other festivities). Desi Arnaz popularized the use of Conga drums in the 1950’s. However the drum he played was not a true conga drum but a slightly different drum called the boku. However it certainly helped to popularize the Latin beat and make it an integral part of many styles of music then and up through today.