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- For other uses, see Bongo (Disambiguation).
Bongo drums or bongos are a percussion instrument.
Usage
Bongos are two small drums made of wood, metal, or composite materials, attached by a thick piece of wood. Bongo drums produce high-pitched sounds, and should be held between the knees. They are traditionally played by striking the drumheads with the fingers, although some contemporary classical compositions require sticks or brushes. The two drums are of different size; the larger is called hembra (Spanish: female), and the smaller is called macho (Spanish: male). In Cuban music, bongos are usually played by the same musician as the cowbell (Spanish: cencerro). This musician is called a bongocero.
Origin
The history of bongo drumming can be traced to the Cuban music styles known as Changui and Son. These styles first developed in eastern Cuba (Oriente province) in the late 19th century. Initially, the bongo had heads which were tacked and tuned with a heat source. By the 1940s, metal tuning lugs were developed to facilitate easier tuning. Some of the first recordings of the bongo can be heard performed by the groups Sexteto Habanero, Sexteto Boloña and Septeto Nacional.
It is believed that Bongos evolved from the Abakua Drum trio 'Bonko' and its lead drum 'Bonko Enchemi'. These drums are still a fundamental part of the Abakua Religion in Cuba. If joined with a wooden peck in the middle, such drums would look much like the bongos we know today.
Bongo-like drums with ceramic bodies are found in Morocco where they are known as tbila, as well as in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.
External links
Pictures of the tbila:
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/features/africa/images/ninstbila.jpg
- http://www.maghreb-art.de/ebusiness/filesharing/Produktbilder/tbila1.jpg
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"Bongo drum"