Tumbadoras, conga drums as we know them
in the USA, are from Cuba, with roots in the cylindrical drums
of Africa.
Cuba gave them their modern look. According to
percussionist Jose Valladares , the modern hardware was first
created by the Peraza Brothers.
Many countries have similarly shaped drums, such
as the Atabaque of Brazil, the Bomba drums of Puerto Rico, or
the solid wood carved Ngoma of central Africa. Now they are
rightfully popular all over the world. Help us grow this page
into a serious resource. Send
us some links.
Percussion scholar Nolan Warden has done a fine
history of the conga drum.
Best Instructional materials for Conga drumming:
These are the best two
videos to start with. Bobby knows what he's talking bout. As
you develop, classic and very useful videos are Conga
Virtuoso - by Giovanni Hidalgo, and Conga
Masters, a short series of duets with Giovanni Hidalgo
and Changuito. If you've never seen these gentlemen play, it
will give you an idea of what can be done on the instrument.
Anga
Mania!
Percussion
Video of the Year - DRUM! Magazine Readers Poll 2000!
Featuring the
young lion, Cuban percussionist Miguel
"Anga" Diaz of the AfroCuban AllStars,
Irakere, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ruben Gonzales, Roy Hargrove, Steve
Coleman, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Orishas... Known
for his explosive soloing and ground-breaking style, Cuban born
Anga represents the future of conga playing. Now you can learn
his techniques from this unique video-masterclass! This
video is way bad..
Another good choice for those wanting the authentic quinto
soloing technique is
the book, 'Rumba
- Afro Cuban Conga Drum Improvisation', by Cliff Brooks.
Useful for Guaguanco, Columbia, Yambu, Rumbas del Tiempo de
Espana, and more, this book delves into the art of soloing.
Much more is available at Cliff's website, at http://afrocubanchops.com
.