Bongos (Spanish: bongó) are a musical instrument from Cuba and African traditions. They are made up of two small hand drums with open bottoms, one larger and one smaller. The larger drum is called hembra (Spanish for "female"), and the smaller is called macho (Spanish for "male"). These drums are connected by a wooden bridge. Players use both hands to strike the drums, usually holding them between their legs. In some cases, such as in classical music, bongos may be played with sticks or placed on stands.
Bongos are often used in the rhythm section of son cubano and salsa music groups. They are played alongside other drums like congas and timbales. The person who plays bongos is called a bongosero. They often play a repeated pattern called martillo (Spanish for "hammer") and also add free, rhythmic parts to the music. These parts include improvisations and rhythmic contrasts.
Bongos were created in eastern Cuba at the end of the 19th century. They may have developed from larger drums like the bokú. Older, larger bongos are called bongó del monte and are used in a style of music called changüí. Smaller bongos became popular in Cuba by the 1910s and were played in concerts in the eastern United States by the 1930s. By the 1940s, bongos and congas were often played together as son groups grew larger. Latin music began to mix with jazz and other styles. In the second half of the 20th century, bongos were used in many different types of music, including bachata and Latin rock.
Construction
Bongo drums are about 20 centimeters (8 inches) tall and have sizes of about 20 centimeters (8 inches) and 25 centimeters (10 inches). The drum shells and the bridge (a small block that connects them) are often made of wood, though fiberglass is also used. The drum heads are usually made of calfskin and are attached to the shells with steel parts that allow them to be tuned. In the past, metal tacks were used, and the skins were tightened by heating them with a flame and loosened by using water or hitting them hard. This method is still used for traditional bongos in changüí music. Fernando Ortiz classifies the original bongó as a type of tambores de candela (flame-tuned drums), along with bokú, yuka, conga, bembé, and smaller drums, because all of these were tuned using the flame from an oil lamp.
Technique
Bongo drums make higher-pitched sounds than conga drums. When played, they are held behind the knees with the larger drum on the right side for right-handed players. Bongos are usually played by hand and are closely linked to Cuban music, where they often play a repeating pattern of eighth notes called the martillo (hammer). Players strike the edge of the drumheads with their fingers and palms. A special sliding sound, called bramido (howl), is created by rubbing the third finger (supported by the thumb) across the drumhead. This technique is used during the climax of a changüí performance. Some players moisten their fingers with saliva or sweat before rubbing, while others use beeswax.
In son cubano and similar genres, the macho drum is placed on the left and the hembra on the right. However, in changüí, the bongó de monte is positioned the opposite way. Playing patterns in changüí differ from other styles, as the bongó does not follow a steady beat. Instead, it often plays offbeats and beat four while improvising. This style resembles conga playing, and the bongó’s pitch is often lower than both bongos and congas. This reflects its origin, as the bongó del monte developed from pairs of bokús, a larger drum from eastern Cuba similar to the conga.
Bongos can also be played on stands, as seen in orchestras and bands. In classical music, they are often struck with mallets or drumsticks. Examples of compositions featuring bongos include Ionisation by Varèse (1931), Le Marteau sans maître by Boulez (1955), and In seinem Garten liebt Don Perlimplin Belisa by Fortner (1962). In Steve Reich’s 1971 piece Drumming, four pairs of carefully tuned bongos are played with drumsticks.
History
The origin of the bongo drum is not clearly known. It was first recorded being used in the Oriente Province of Cuba in the late 1800s. At that time, it was part of music styles like nengón, changüí, and son cubano. Fernando Ortiz, a researcher, said the word "bongo" came from Bantu words like mgombo or ngoma, which mean "drum." He believed the word changed over time and became similar to another Bantu word, mbongo. Ortiz also said that the large bongo used in changüí music was the ancestor of the smaller bongo used in son cubano and salsa.
Eastern Cuban musicians told Benjamin Lapidus that the bongo was created as a replacement for pairs of bokús, which were large drums worn over the player’s knee. Bokús were popular in eastern Cuba, especially during carnival processions. Over time, these drums were cut in half to make bongos. This may explain why the large bongo used in changüí is bigger than the bongos used in son. In Holguín, similar drums called tahona were used. These might have been a general term for drums in Cuba and also referred to a different type of music. Other names for bongos in eastern Cuba include tahonitas, tambora, atambora, and tumba.
The bongo drum is believed to have come from Central African drum models, which had open bottoms. This is supported by the strong presence of Africans from the Congo and Angola regions in eastern Cuba, where the bongo first appeared. The use of the word "bongo" by Bantu speakers also supports this connection. Central African influences are also found in son cubano and changüí music. The bongo developed further in Cuba, and some historians say the two drums were attached together later in Cuba. Because of this, the instrument is described as "African in concept but Cuban in invention." Ortiz also said that the tall shape of bokús was a way for Afro-Cuban musicians to avoid using drums that looked like those from Africa, which were banned at the time.
Other less supported ideas about the bongo’s origin include its similarity to twin drums like Cuban pailas and timbales (from Europe), Arab nakers, North African tbilat, and Indian tabla.
The bongo became an important instrument in early son ensembles. It was the first instrument with clear African roots to be accepted in Cuban society. This is shown in poems by Nicolás Guillén. As son music evolved and became different from its earlier form, changüí, the bongos used in changüí also changed. These bongos, called bongó de monte, are larger, have lower tuning, and use tack-heads instead of adjustable parts. They are played like the lead conga drum (quinto) and other traditional drums. Unlike modern son, changüí never became popular outside eastern Cuba, so its bongos are rarely seen today. The son music reached Havana partly because musicians from Cuba’s permanent army brought it from the east. One of the first bongoseros to join the army in Santiago de Cuba was Mariano Mena.
During the sexteto era, son groups performed and toured more than ever before. This was the first time recordings of their music were made. This was when the first great bongo players made their mark, and their names were remembered. Important players included Óscar Sotolongo of the Sexteto Habanero and José Manuel Carriera Incharte "El Chino" of the Sexteto Nacional, the leading groups of the 1920s and 1930s. Sotolongo later left the Habanero and formed his own group, the Conjunto Típico Cubano. His replacement was Agustín Gutiérrez "Manana," who is considered one of the most influential bongoseros. His membership in the Abakuá society helped him develop techniques based on secret drumming styles. In 1930, Andrés Sotolongo, Sotolongo’s son, replaced Gutiérrez in the Habanero. Decades later, at 82 years old, Andrés Sotolongo was recorded playing with Isaac Oviedo for the Routes of Rhythm documentary.
In 1929, the Cuban government banned bongos and other drums. This was an extension of a 1925 ban that outlawed congas in street carnivals but allowed comparsas. The original ban was created by Desiderio Arnaz II, the father of Desi Arnaz, who later helped spread congas, bongos, and bokús worldwide. Poets like Nicolás Guillén criticized this ban, as it suppressed Afro-Cuban culture. Guillén’s poem "Canción del bongó" was published in 1931.
In the 1930s, bongo players became more skilled. Clemente "Chicho" Piquero’s performances inspired young musicians like Mongo Santamaría. By the early 1940s, Santamaría had become a master of the instrument, playing with groups like the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Sonora Matancera, and Arsenio Rodríguez’s "Conjunto Segundo." Arsenio introduced a new style by adding a tumbadora (conga drum) to the rhythm section and having the bongosero also play cowbell. Arsenio’s long-time bongosero was Antolín "Papa Kila" Suárez, who is often considered one of the greatest of his time. Arsenio’s group helped break racial barriers, as some groups, like the Orquesta Casino de la Playa, refused to let Black bongoseros perform. Cándido Requena, a bongosero who later became a top maker of bongos and tumbadoras, was also important. He and the Vergara brothers helped improve bongos and congas. Before the 1940s, bongos and congas were tuned using oil or kerosene lamps, as mechanical tuners were not yet available.
After the tumbadora became popular, Santamaría switched to playing it, though he remained friends with bongosero Armando Peraza. Both moved to New York by 1950. In Cuba, Chicho Piquero became close to Benny Moré in Mexico and later returned to play with his Banda Gigante. Other important bongoseros in the 1950s included Papa Gofio of the Conjunto Rumbavana and Rogelio "Yeyo" Iglesias, who played in Havana’s descarga scene. Over the 20th century, the bongo spread widely.