The conga drums are one of the most well-known instruments of the percussion family. Their name is familiar to many, but the history, sound, and appearance of instrument are not as prevalently known. Often referred to as tumbadoras, the conga drums began in Cuba. Now, they are played all over the world, but their popularity in the United States rose when the salsa and other styles of Latin jazz were introduced.
While the conga is frequently used in Cuban and Latin traditional music it is also found in celebrations like Mardi Gras and is even played in many night clubs. The conga is also played in Latin and jazz fusion music, particularly due to its strong Latin influences. The design of conga drums is similar to that of a barrel which contributes to the belief that the conga was originally made of barrels that were salvaged. The name “conga,” derived from a rhythm used during Carnival in Cuba, was first used in the United States in the 1950s when Latin music started to make its way into the American music world. The Conga Line dance was influential in spreading the term “conga” and the culture associated with it.
Originally, the conga drums were used in Cuba during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when a large majority of African, Bantu-speaking slaves had been brought over from the Congo-region of Africa. Rumba, a genre of music that originated from some less-fortunate neighborhoods in the cities, calls for the conga drums as their standard instrumentation- the first genre to do this. First used in the 1930s, the conga drums were utilized in the Cuban dance genre known as Son which eventually became known as salsa in the future. As we have seen, this Cuban instrument would grow in popularity to become an integral part of American jazz culture.
The conga drum is very tall compared to other drums that are similar to it. It is also significantly narrow, and comes in a variety of colors. Towards the bottom, the shape is narrower and more skewed. Closer to the middle of the drum, the wider build is clear. At the head, or top, of the drum, the shape returns back to the narrower form seen at the bottom. There are many different types of conga drum including the supertumba, which is the largest conga drum at about 14 inches in diameter. The tumba or salidor, which is about 12 inches is another example, and the conga or tres dos is around 11.5 inches. Others include the quinto at about 11 inches, the requinto at about 10 inches across, and the ricardo, the smallest conga drum, at about 9 inches across the head. The ricardo is normally played on a shoulder strap, which is why it is smaller than the rest of the conga drum variety.
The Conga drum has a hollow sound that varies in pitch, depending on where the musician hits the drum. The closer to the edge of the drum, the higher the sound. The song “I Want You Back'' by the Jackson 5, features the conga. It plays a pattern of sixteen notes highlighting the upbeats with more accented hits. “Young Americans'' by David Bowie also utilizes the conga, which contains another pattern of eighth notes as a base to the percussion part of the song. The conga is also used in many traditional South American and African pieces and can fit into many different genres, allowing it to become a universally popular member of the percussion family.
Works Cited
"A Brief History of the Conga Drums." Conga Chops, 22 Jan. 2021, www.congachops.com/blog-articles/2021/1/1/a-brief-history-of-the-conga-drums. Accessed 9 Jan. 2022.
"Conga." New World Encyclopedia, . 17 Jun 2019, 22:26 UTC. 4 Jan 2022, 03:46 <https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Conga&oldid=1020977>.