Bongo drum

Bongos (Spanish: bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed drums of different sizes. In Spanish the larger drum is called the hembra (female) and the smaller the macho (male). Together with the conga or tumbadora, and to a lesser extent the batá drum, bongos are the most widespread Cuban hand drums, being commonly played in genres such as Cuban son, salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz.

History

Origins

The origin of the bongo is largely unclear. Its use was first documented in the Eastern region of Cuba, the Oriente Province, during the late 19th century, where it was employed in popular music styles such as nengón, changüí, and their descendent, the Cuban son.

Most sources on Afro-Cuban cultural history argue that the bongo derives from Central African (Congo/Bantu) drum models, noticeable in the open bottoms. Also a Santería influence from Yoruba culture in the symbolic "twin" drum is assumed. The strong historical presence of Africans from the Congo/Angola region in Eastern Cuba (where the bongo first appeared) makes such an influence probable. Moreover, Central African/Congo influences are also documented in the Cuban son music genre, including changüí, and initially the development of the bongo drum went parallel with these genres. From such conceptual African drum models, the bongo developed further in Cuba itself, and some historians state that the attaching of the two drums was a later invention that took place in Cuba.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Numbers With Wings - EP

by: Bongos

barbarella, barbarella
gotta feeling i'll lose control i
gotta feeling you're gonna notice
i'm forgetting all that I know
barbarella, you do this to me
ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
why don't we change the subject?
barbarella, barbarella
i've got no stake in the future
i've done it all through your eyes
when that last bulldozer drives up
barbarella, i'll be here with you
ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
o-o-o barbarella
o-o-o barbarella
o-o-o barbarella
o-o-o barbarella
i'll throw a party and i'm invited
i'm catching a bridge to somewhere
gonna wash my hands of this whole mess
barbarella, you get the picture
ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
ah-ah-ah, ah-ah
barbarella, barbarella
o-o-o barbarella
o-o-o barbarella
barbarella!




Latest News for: bongos

Bongo

Richmond Times Dispatch 11 Mar 2025
Meet Bongo! Bongo is a female, hound mix, about 2 months old and ready for her furever home! She is View on PetFinder ....

Moment dancing fan, 97, steals show at Bongo

BBC News 10 Mar 2025
A 97-year-old Bongo's Bingo fan who took to the stage at the club night's anniversary show has said she felt "a bit like a celebrity" ... The great-grandmother said she "had a ball" at the special Bongo's event.

Liverpool great gran, 97, is Bongo

BBC News 08 Mar 2025
A great grandmother and bingo superfan has told how she is "fit and ready" to celebrate as Liverpool's colourful Bongo's Bingo club night marks its 10th anniversary.

Kenya restores repatriated rare mountain bongos

MENA FN 04 Mar 2025
(MENAFN) Kenya–s successful sending home of 17 unique and severely at-risk mountain bongos from the US makes a substantial landmark in its attempts to bring back misplaced wild animals as well as ... .

Rave, games and showers of Coco Pops: a night out at Liverpool’s Bongo’s Bingo

The Guardian 02 Mar 2025
The city’s madcap mix of bingo, dressing up and dancing has become a cultural phenomenon, bucking the trend of a declining UK club scene and packing venues nationwide ... It is 8pm. The woman is me ... I look around ... ....
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