Michael Pluznick » drum solo

How To Play A Conga Solo By Yourself With A Band

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:22:26 +0000

A conga student asked me recently, "how do I take a solo when I am playing with a band and the band stops, and I am left by myself? No one else is playing, it is just me"? This is a great question and here is how I do it. [...]

How to solo on djembe part one: my philosophy

admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:04:29 +0000

Soloing on any drum especially djembe can be daunting at first. Everyone wants to do it but how do we start? First of all, what is a solo or “lead” as we also say in the drumming world?

Traditionally speaking a solo in West African music, specifically music from Guinee and Mali is a phrase or group of phrases chained together that interact and accent the dance choreography or dancers movements. The solo inspires [...]

Afro Cuban “Quinto Lock” the secret solo ride for rumba by M. Pluznick

admin — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:55:31 +0000

Michael Pluznick and friends on Toca Elite Pro Series congas! This video excerpt from How to Play Conga Drums shows the top secret “quinto lock” or solo ride pattern that fits or locks in between notes of the guaguanco rumba pattern, in this case a Yambu or slow Guagunaco. Michael first demonstrates the pattern hand over hand or “even handed” style then shows the traditional hand pattern Afro Cuban style. From the soon [...]

Bali: Afro Cuban Folkloric drumming “comparsa” conga drum class

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:32:28 +0000

Excerpt from a recent Afro Cuban conga drum and percussion class given by Michael Pluznick in Raymond Rauchs art studio in Ubud Bali Indonesia. This video featurs the rhythm named “Comparsa” (aka “Conga) from Havana Cuba.

beautiful clouds and sunsets from my travels abroad and coming back home

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:39:46 +0000

clouds, sunsets and world music and world percussion by Barababaja Percussion Ensemble of the BIg Island and SF, California.

Vocals (part one) by Zahira and part two by Boaz Hashimoto Martin. Photos by Michael Pluznick. Percussion by Jesse Seymour and Michael Pluznick.

Female Drummers and Dancers with Bolokada and group

admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:49:32 +0000

Female West African dancers (formerly of Guinea West Africa’s famous Ballet Merveilles) drum, dance and dance solo with master djembe drummer (djembe fola) Bolokada Cond (from Les Percussions Du Guinee) and his group Les Percussions Melenke in Bolinas, California. The first piece with dancers is “Mane”, from Guinea West Africa.

Dance of Dambala

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:19:03 +0000

From the new Barabajaba CD, “Rise Up”. This cut features the traditional Afro Haitian rhtyhm

“Yan Valu”. Drums by Michael Pluznick and Jesse Seymour.