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The Ten Best Bongos On The Market Today
Who makes the best top quality high end professional Bongos? In my opinion it is almost always the smaller companies where there is one person in charge, personal attention to detail is foremost and the goal of the artist is more about making a solid great sounding instrument then being a mass marketed production line… Read More »
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The Best Used Conga Drums On A Budget and How To Find Them
If you are on a shoestring budget and need the best possible conga drum for the lowest amount of money you are best off buying a used conga drum. If you know what to look for there are some great deals to be found. You can often by two high quality conga drums on the… Read More »
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How to make your drum sound great! By Michael P with Ryan Manito Wendel
The best way to make our drums sound better, be it conga or djembe drum, is to play better. That means practicing and learning. I am constantly working on my tones, slap and bass. I watch other people play, take lessons and watch Youtube videos as well. For me, it is a never ending learning… Read More »
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Manito Percussion Has Great Skins For Your Congas, Bongos and Djembe, Too!
I was just going through Manito Percussions web page and thought these skins might be of interest to some of you. The skin on your drum makes a huge difference in the sound quality of your instrument and unfortunately many drums, even high end conga drums have the skins, (or “heads” as some people call… Read More »
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Axé Orixá is a film of the dance, drumming and chants of the Orixás
About the film: An illuminated film transmitting the dance, drumming and chants of the Orixás and their living presence in modern Brazilian culture. Axé Orixá (pronounced ashay orishah) is a film of the dance, drumming and chants of the Orixás (Afro-Brazilian gods and goddesses) and how they manifest today through some of Bahia’s greatest musicians… Read More »
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“Keepers of the Flame” is a documentary about the elder Cubano statesmen of Rumba
“Keepers of the Flame” is a documentary about the elder statesmen of Rumba who live in Matanzas and Havana. Francisco Zamorra Chirino, (“Menini”) and Pedro Aballi Torriente (“Regalado”) are two of these elder statesmen and co-founders of AfroCuba de Matanzas, one of Cuba’s preeminent folkloric groups. Both Menini and Regalado are the keepers of the… Read More »
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Gon Bops Rawhide Shekere Test Review
I recently got a hold of a Gon Bops Shekere as I was traveling and needed something very durable to withstand the rigors of my lifestyle. I would like to note that I also make Shekeres myself, but I always use hard shell gourds. The problem is that for me, gourds and traveling about do… Read More »
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Long time conga player tells his story, an article by guest writer Michael Schwartz
By guest writer Michael Schwartz I grew up in the Bronx during the period of time that the Bronx was going through an evolution. This is in the late 50’s/early 60’s. The neighborhoods were predominately Irish/Italian/Jewish, but were then starting to have an influx of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Afro Americans. My particular block, had… Read More »
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Conga Skin (conga heads) and Djembe skins suppliers list
Here is a list of skin suppliers. I am sure there are some other suppliers but this will give you a great start if you are looking for some new skins for your conga drums or djembe drums. If you have any suppliers you would like to add please let me know and I will… Read More »
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Rumba in Havana, 1985 with Raices Profunda w/Juan Diaz
This is a classic rumba video from my vault. It features the group, “Raices Profunda” (Deep Roots) from Havana Cuba. The dance and drum rhythm is called rumba columbia. Read More »
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Video: Raices Profunda (Deep Roots) Perform Dance and Bata Drums for Oshun in Cuba 1985
This is a video clip of a dance performance we witnessed in Havana, Cuba in 1895 when I went there to study traditional Afro Cuban drumming. The group performing is called, Raices Profunda or “Deep Roots” in english. This is a dance for the Orisha Oshun. The drummers are playing bata drums from the Yoruba… Read More »
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Spirit In The Wood Congas: 4 drum Sound Test and Demo Video
This is a demonstration and sound test of my 4 new Spirit In The Wood conga drums made by Conrad Kubiak in Pennsylavania from solid logs. These are on piece drums (shells) all made from the same tree. The type of wood used is called “Figured Ash”. Read More »
