The conga, also called tumbadora, is a tall, narrow drum with one drumhead from Cuba. Congas are shaped like barrels and are divided into three types: quinto (the lead drum, highest pitch), tres dos or tres golpes (middle pitch), and tumba or salidor (lowest pitch). Congas were first used in Afro-Cuban music styles such as conga (from which the drum gets its name) and rumba, where each drummer played one drum. In the mid-20th century, new techniques and designs for congas were created, and as the drum became popular worldwide, it became common for drummers to play two or three drums. Congas are now widely used in many types of Latin music, including son (played by conjuntos), descarga, Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa, songo, merengue, and Latin rock.

The exact origin of the conga drum is unclear, but experts believe it was created by people of African descent in Cuba during the late 19th or early 20th century. Its earliest ancestors are thought to be the yuka and makuta (from Bantu traditions) and the bembé drums (from Yoruba traditions). In Cuba and Latin America, congas are mainly played with hands. In Trinidadian calypso and soca music, congas are sometimes struck with mallets, while in Congos music, they are often hit with one hand and one mallet.

Characteristics

Modern congas typically have wooden or fiberglass shells made by joining pieces together, with drumheads tightened using screws. Since the 1950s, congas are often played in groups of two to four, except in traditional rumba and conga music, where each drummer plays one conga. Players use their fingers and palms to strike the drums. Standard congas measure about 75 centimeters (30 inches) from the bottom of the shell to the drumhead. They can be played while sitting or mounted on a stand to allow playing while standing. Although they originated in Cuba, congas have been adopted into popular and folk music worldwide, leading to different names for the instruments and players in other countries. In Cuba, congas are called tumbadoras.

People who play congas are called congueros, while rumberos are those who dance in rhythm with the players. The term "conga" became widely known in the 1930s when Latin music gained popularity in the United States. Cuban son and New York jazz combined to create a music style called mambo, which later became salsa. During this time, the conga line dance helped spread the term. Desi Arnaz helped popularize conga drums, though the drum he played was similar to a type called bokú used in his hometown, Santiago de Cuba. The word "conga" comes from the rhythm "la conga" played during Cuban carnival. Drums used in carnival were sometimes called "tambores de conga" because they played this rhythm, leading to the English term "conga drums."

Types of drum

Conga drums are grouped based on their size, which is connected to their pitch: larger drumheads produce lower pitches, and smaller drumheads produce higher pitches. In the past, drums were adjusted by tightening or loosening knots and ropes on the drumhead, or by heating the drumhead when it was attached to the shell with tacks or nails. Modern congas, developed in the early 1950s, use a system with screws and lugs that hold the drumhead tight, making it easier to adjust the pitch. This system was first used in Cuba by Carlos "Patato" Valdés and in the United States by Cándido Camero.

Historically, the names for conga drums differ depending on the music style and country. In groups that use many drums, such as comparsas and rumba ensembles, a detailed naming system is used. This system is now used by major conga makers. Drums are listed from largest to smallest by diameter (sizes vary by manufacturer, model, and style):

• The supertumba or rebajador can be as large as 14 inches (36 cm).
• The tumba or salidor is usually 12 to 12 + 1⁄2 inches (30 to 32 cm).
• The conga or tres dos is usually 11 + 1⁄2 to 12 inches (29 to 30 cm).
• The quinto is typically around 11 inches (28 cm).
• The requinto can be smaller than 10 inches (25 cm).
• The ricardo can be as small as 9 inches (23 cm). This drum is usually played while hanging from a shoulder strap, so it is shorter and narrower than a traditional conga.

In musical groups that play son cubano, as well as in charangas and other ensembles where one or two congas are used to support other rhythmic instruments, the drums are named like bongos: macho (male) for the higher-pitched drum and hembra (female) for the lower-pitched drum. A third drum would be called tercera (third). These names match the tumba and conga in rumba ensembles. When the quinto is used in these groups, it keeps its name.

Tuning

Congas are drumming instruments that do not need to be tuned to a specific musical note when used only for rhythm. However, when played with instruments that produce musical notes, they may be tuned to match certain pitches. Congas are often tuned using the open tone, which is the sound made when the drum is struck gently. The specific note chosen depends on the drum's size, design, and type. The drum should be tuned so that the deep bass tone is clear, the open tone is bright, and the sharp slap sound stands out in the music. If the drum is too loose, the bass and slap tones may sound soft or weak. If it is too tight, the sound may feel forced or unnatural. With a single drum, it is common to tighten the drum until it produces a pleasing sound, then adjust slightly more to achieve a consistent pitch. It is important to ensure the drumhead is tightened evenly. To check this, place a finger in the center of the drumhead and tap near the edge above each tuning peg. Adjust the tension if any differences are found. Even tightening helps the drum produce a clear, balanced sound.

The tightness of the drumhead affects how easy or difficult it is to play. A looser drumhead can cause hand injuries because it has less bounce and absorbs more force, which may hurt joints and bones during vigorous playing. A loose drumhead also makes it hard to create a sharp, crisp slap sound. When tuning, it is important to let the drum's natural sound guide the process. The drum's natural pitch can be found by singing or playing loud notes near the drum's opening. The pitch that fades slowly is the main resonant frequency or one of its related tones.

When using two or more drums, there are more options for choosing notes. However, tuning is rarely changed during live performances. With two drums, it is common to tune them a perfect fourth apart, which is the same interval between the first two notes of "Here Comes the Bride," as is traditional for timpani in Western classical music. With three drums, such as the tumba, conga, and quinto, players often experiment with different tuning patterns. Some use the notes of a major chord (e.g., F, A, C), while others use the second inversion of a major chord (e.g., G, C, E). Some players prefer a major second between the quinto and conga, with a perfect fourth between the conga and tumba. For example, Raul Rekow of Santana often uses five congas and tunes them to match the opening phrase of a Latin musical piece.

Playing techniques

There are four basic strokes in conga drumming:

• Open tone (tono abierto): Struck with four fingers near the edge of the drumhead, creating a clear, ringing sound that is higher than muffled or bass tones.
• Muffled or muted tone (tono ahogado or apagado): Struck with four fingers, but the fingers are pressed against the drumhead to reduce the sound. It can also be played using a cupped hand or the heel of the hand.
• Bass tone (tono bajo): Struck with the full palm, slightly cupped, and positioned off-center on the drumhead. It makes a low, muffled sound.
• Slap tone (tono seco or tapado): The most challenging technique, producing a loud, sharp "popping" sound. A muted slap tone (toque tapado normal) is made by striking the drum while the other hand rests on the drumhead, creating a higher pitch. Variants include open slap (tono tapado abierto) and half-open slap (tono tapado semi-abierto), where the playing hand briefly touches the drumhead’s edge before another strike. When played quickly in short bursts, this is called floreo, often used to express emotion in dancing.

Other strokes can add variety to the conga’s sound. These are not used by all drummers but are common among skilled players like Tata Güines.

• Touch or Toe Tone (toque de punta): Made by lightly touching the fingers or heel of the hand to the drumhead. Alternating between the heel and fingers in a pattern called manoteo can create a rolling sound similar to a drumroll.
• Nails Stroke (toque de uñas): Struck with the tips of the nails, usually played quickly one finger at a time, starting with the pinky.

The glissando (deslizado) or moose call is made by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the drumhead. Sometimes, the finger is wet with saliva or sweat, or a small amount of beeswax is applied to the drumhead to help produce the sound. This technique is also used on bongos.

To change the pitch of the conga, a drummer may use their elbow to press on different parts of the drumhead. This is not a traditional stroke but is often used in modern salsa and rumba music.

Rhythms

Guaguancó uses three congas. The smallest conga is called the quinto, and it is the lead drum. A nine-measure quinto excerpt from the guaguancó "La polémica" by Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (1988) shows how the quinto moves between three main playing styles (A, B, C). The A section is the basic rhythm pattern, known as "lock" or "ride" in North America. It lasts for one clave (measure). The B section is another one-measure rhythm. The C section uses cross-beats, which do not follow the main meter. By switching between the lock and cross-beats, the quinto creates longer and shorter rhythmic phrases over several clave cycles. Los Muñequitos quintero Jesús Alfonso (1949–2009) compared this to a man getting "drunk at a party, going outside for a while, and then coming back inside."

The basic son montuno conga pattern is called "marcha" or "tumbao." The conga was first used in bands in the late 1930s and became common in mambo bands of the 1940s. The main beats are played with open tones on the last offbeats (2&, 2a) of a two-beat cycle. The main accent on 2& is sometimes called "ponche."

The basic tumbao uses slaps (triangle noteheads) and open tones (regular noteheads) on the "and" offbeats. There are many variations of the tumbao. One common variation plays a single open tone on the third stroke of clave (ponche) and two tones before the three-side of clave. The exact timing between clave and this tumbao is important.

Another variation uses two drums and plays "bombo" (1a) on the "tumba" (three-side of clave). For example:

There is also the bolero rhythm, used in ballads. The conga part in bolero is similar to the marcha.

Starting in the late 1960s, conga players began adding elements from folkloric rhythms, especially rumba. Changuito and Raúl "el Yulo" Cárdenas of Los Van Van helped develop this style during the songo era.

In some songo arrangements, the tumbadora (conga) plays the typical tumbao on the low-pitched drum while copying the quinto (lead drum) of guaguancó on the high-pitched drum. The quinto-like phrases can change, but they follow a specific counter-clave pattern. [See: "Songo Patterns on Congas" (Changuito).]

Tomás Cruz created several adaptations of folkloric rhythms while working in Paulito FG's timba band in the 1990s. His patterns added clever rhythms to the bass and chorus. Many of his marchas last two or four claves, which was uncommon before. He also used more muted tones in his tumbaos, helping develop the instrument further. An example of his work is an "invento" (musical invention) based on the Congolese rhythm makuta. He played this pattern on three congas in the Paulito song "Llamada anónima." Listen: "Llamada Anónima" by Paulito F.G.

The conga is used in many rhythms from genres like danzón, mambo, and cha-cha-cha, as well as in foreign styles that use Afro-Cuban percussion, such as Jamaican reggae, Brazilian samba and bossa nova, and American soul, funk, Latin jazz, and Latin rock. In the 1960s, the conga became important in Haitian music styles like konpa, yeye, and mini-djaz.

Colombian dance music groups have added cumbia rhythms, usually played on drums called alegre and llamador, to conga drums. The standard Colombian cumbia rhythm is simple and slow, with a pattern of 1-2-2-1 or 1-2-1-2. In the Dominican Republic, the fast merengue rhythm, which follows 1 2-1-2 or 1-2-1-2 1-2-1-2-1-2, can be played on the conga. This is similar to the rhythm of the tambora applied to conga. In merengue típico (or cibaeño), the rhythm is more complex and less standard, ranging from hitting the conga on the fourth beat to playing full patterns that mark the time.

General bibliography

• Cruz, Tomás, with Kevin Moore (2004). The Tomás Cruz Conga Method, Volume 3. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay.
• Dworsky, Alan; Betty Sansby (1995). Conga Drumming: A Beginner's Guide to Playing with Time. Dancing Hands. ISBN 0-9638801-0-1.
• Mauleón, Rebeca (1993). Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble. Petaluma, California: Sher Music. ISBN 0-9614701-9-4.
• Peñalosa, David (2011). Rumba Quinto. Redway, CA: Bembe Books. ISBN 1-4537-1313-1.
• Sanchez, Poncho; Chuck Silverman (2002). Poncho Sanchez's Conga Cookbook. Cherry Lane Music. ISBN 1-57560-363-2.