Information on the Bongos
Forever associated with cryptic 1950s-era beatnik poetry, bongo drums have enjoyed a richer history than such images might suggest. First imported from Cuba, bongos quickly won favor with 1940s-era film stars, and enjoyed a brief vogue among 1960s-era progressive bands looking to expand the boundaries of rock music. Today, bongos enjoy renewed prominence within world music and hip-hop circles, confirming them as one of the ultimate inclusive music-making instruments.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Developed during the 1880s in the eastern Cuban province of Oriente, the earliest bongo music styles blended African and Latin influences brought over by African slaves. Notable examples included son--a Spanish word meaning "sound"--that derived from chanqui, an earlier form of music. The abolition of slavery enabled these early players to experiment freely with basic drum patterns, which soon evolved into today's more recognized styles, such as salsa music--one of 18 different subgenres that bongo enthusiasts have identified and catalogued.
Time Frame
-
Having absorbed jazz into its soundtrack music arsenal, Hollywood took to bongos in a big way when stars like Marlon Brando, James Dean and Dean Martin began learning to play them. Lightweight and portable, bongos became a fixture at beatnik poetry readings in the 1950s, and during the 1960s-era counterculture--when rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and T. Rex adopted them for additional texture and color. Bongos also won favor with soul musicians like the late Curtis Mayfield, who made them a prominent feature of his 1972 soundtrack album, "Superfly."
-
Features
-
Bongo drums appeal to a variety of skill levels. Attached by a thick piece of wood, bongos consist of two unequally sized drums that the player holds between the knees. The larger of the two is called the "hembra," a Spanish word for "female," while the smaller one is known as the "macho," or male drum. Both drums must be tuned regularly, which is accomplished by moving four or five metal lugs positioned at the bottom. This is less demanding than the original technique, which required stretching and tacking animal skins over the drum body--and were then tuned by using heat.
Techniques
-
Playing bongos allows the user to develop his own distinct sound, depending where--and how--he hits the drum heads. While amateur players tend to use the whole hand, playing with individual fingers is recommended to achieve greater tonal control and variety. For example, applying fast, hammer-like strokes against the drum heads will yield a sustained ringing tone. Strokes placed closer against the head produce shorter, clipped sorts of tones.
Significance
-
Following a relatively fallow period, bongos returned to popular culture through the unlikely route of hip-hop samples--notably on "Apache," a '60s guitar instrumental recorded by the Incredible Bongo Band, a '70s-era group of Hollywood session players that broke up after two poorly selling albums. However, continued sampling and recycling by hip-hop acts like the Sugarhill Gang helped keep the band's name alive. Bolstered by this interest, the Incredible Bongo Band planned to reunite and record a new album, the "New York Times" reported in 2006.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit bongos image by dead_account from Fotolia.com Drum image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com
