Bongos

Bongo drums or bongos are a percussion instrument made up of two small drums attached to each other. The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called a hembra (Spanish: female), the smaller drum is called a macho (Spanish: male). Female (♀ is the Sex of an Organism, or a part of an organism which produces ova (egg cells Male (♂ refers to the sex of an organism or part of an organism which produces small mobile Gametes called spermatozoa. Someone who plays the bongos is called a bongocero. [1]

Origin and history

The Atlantic slave trade brought bongos to South America from Africa. The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The history of bongo drumming can be traced to the Cuban music styles known as changui and son. The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa These styles first developed in eastern Cuba (Oriente province) in the late 19th century. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Oriente ( Spanish for "East" was one of six Provinces of Cuba until 1976 Initially, the bongo had heads which were tacked and tuned with a heat source. By the 1940s, metal tuning lugs developed to facilitate easier tuning. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be Some of the first recordings of the bongo can be heard performed by the groups Sexteto Habanero, Sexteto Boloña and Septeto Nacional. Septeto Nacional (National Septet or the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, is a group credited with expanding the Son (music musical style before

It is believed that bongos evolved from the Abakua drum trio 'Bonko' and its lead drum 'Bonko Enmiwewos'. 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.

Types of bongos

The two small drums that make up Bongos are typically made of wood, metal, or composite materials, attached by a thick piece of wood. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs The drum head can be made of animal skin or it can be synthetic. The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by Scientists to improve upon naturally occurring Animal and plant Some bongoceros prefer the sound of X-ray Film as the head on the macho.

Bongo-like drums with ceramic bodies and goatskin or rawhide heads are found in Morocco where they are known as tbila, as well as in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. They can sometimes be found accompanying flamenco and other traditional Spanish music, partially because of the Moorish influence in Spain. Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork Ceramic bongos are more common in the Middle East and Asia than they are in South America; this is because wooden bongos were brought to Cuba during the slave trade.

Playing technique

Bongo drums produce high-pitched sounds, and should be held between the knees with the larger drum on the right when right-handed. Pitch represents the perceived Fundamental frequency of a sound The knee is the lower extremity Joint connecting the Femur, Patella, and the Tibia. Someone who is right-handed will prefer to use this hand for everyday activities such as writing, maintaining personal hygiene, Cooking and so forth They are traditionally played by striking the drumheads with the fingers and palms, although some contemporary compositions require sticks or brushes. A drumhead is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a Drum. Musical composition is an original piece of Music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new "Paintbrush" redirects here For other uses see Paintbrush (disambiguation. Bongos can also be muted by placing part of the hand on top of the head while striking it at the same time. In Cuban music, bongos are usually played by the same musician as the cowbell (Spanish: cencerro). These drums can also be played on a stand, as is the case with concert orchestras and bands.

They have also become a popular instrument among soundtrack writers for movies and television, because of their versatility and high-pitched sounds. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic

See also

• DK Bongos: bongo-like game controllers for the Nintendo GameCube video game console

External links

• Bongo Mania article
• Collection of Bongo Videos
• Worldwide Bongo Group
• online community for bongo and other world percussion
• the Rhythmweb Bongo Page