Bongos-an iconic percussion instrument known for its bright, sharp tones and central role in Afro-Cuban and Latin American music-carries a rich history intertwined with cultural evolution, musical innovation, and craftsmanship. Bongos are one of the most iconic percussion instruments in the world.
Known for their bright, energetic sound, these small hand drums have made their mark in Afro-Cuban, Latin, jazz, pop, and even rock music. These instruments originated in eastern Cuba in the late 1800s and are believed to stem from larger drums known as bokú. 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 (Orient province) in the late 19th century. Bongos embody a vibrant synthesis of Afro-Cuban culture, musical innovation, and skilled craftsmanship. Its journey-from Cuban barrios to global concert stages-reflects ongoing dialogues between tradition and modernity, musical expression and material mastery.
Bongos (Spanish: bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. Bongo drums are about 20 centimetres (8 in) high and have diameters of approximately 20 centimetres (8 in) and 25 centimetres (10 in) (the smaller drum is called macho, male, and the larger drum, hembra, female).
They are the smallest drums in Latin percussion, some models being only 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter. The instrument consists of two small, open-bottomed drums-the larger hembra (female) and smaller macho (male)-tied together, often played by a single percussionist using fingers and palms. Bongos are mainly employed in the rhythm section of son cubano and salsa ensembles, often alongside other drums such as the larger congas and the stick-struck timbales.
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The modern bongos, or bongó as they are called in Spanish, are a set of two drums with shells typically constructed of a hardwood such as oak or mahogany, or of fiberglass. The two drums are held together by a small bridge normally made up of a composite wood, regardless of the material of the shells. Bongos may be mounted on a metal stand for a standing or sitting player, but are traditionally played by being held between the player’s knees.
Learning to hold the bongos between one’s knees securely, can prove to be a tricky but essential step for the beginner learning how to play bongos. As with its cousins the congas, the bongos can also be fitted with either animal or synthetic heads. The very first bongos used mainly cow or mule hide for the heads, which was tacked on to the shell.
Today’s bongos still use cow skins, as well as water buffalo, steer, and other animals, in addition to synthetic heads. As with most hand drums that evolved in the colonies of North and South America, the bongo has deep African roots, specifically from central African regions populated by Bantu tribes. The earliest documentation of bongos as know them today comes from the eastern parts of Cuba, an area heavily populated by Bantu slaves from Congo and Angola, and their descendants, in the 19th century.
Ethnomusicologists have theorized that the origin of the word “bongo” comes from the Bantu words ngoma or mgombo, meaning drum. Traditionally, bongo drums were non-mechanically tuned percussion instruments. Just as with conga drums, up until the 1950s, the drumheads were secured to the wooden shells with tacks or nails.
So in order to change the pitch, the skin needed to be either moistened or heated. Moistening the drumhead lowered the pitch, and heating it allowed the drum to be tuned to a higher pitch. In the 1940s, metal-tuning lugs developed to facilitate easier tuning. In the 1950s, the construction of the bongo drums was altered to include a mechanical tuning system made up of a securable rim, lugs, and adjustable lug nuts that allowed the bongo player to tune the drums with much more precision. This allowed the bongos to be tuned much higher and with more consistency.
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The shells of the drums and the bridge (the small block that joins them) are usually made of wood, although fiberglass is also common. The heads are typically made of calfskin and attached to the shells via steel hardware that enables their tuning. Historically, natural hides were tensioned with tacks, heat, and later metal hardware.
Originally, metal tacks were used, so the skins had to be tightened by heating the skins with a flame and loosened with water or by striking them vigorously. This method of tuning is still used for the traditional bongos used in changüí. Bongo drums produce relatively high-pitched sounds compared to conga drums, and should be held behind the knees with the larger drum on the right when right-handed.
It is most often played by hand and is especially associated in Cuban music with a steady pattern or ostinato of eighth-notes known as the martillo (hammer). They are traditionally played by striking the edge of the drumheads with the fingers and palms. A common playing pattern is called martillo (hammer), which consists of an eight-stroke rhythm that forms the backbone of many Afro-Cuban musical styles.
The glissando used with bongó de monte is done by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the head of the drum. When playing son cubano and other popular genres, the macho is on the left and the hembra on the right. In changüí, the bongó de monte is positioned the opposite way. Playing patterns are also different in changüí, where the bongó does not follow a steady beat.
Bongos can also be played on a stand, as is the case with concert orchestras and bands. In classical music performances, bongos are usually struck with mallets or drumsticks. Bongos are traditionally held between the legs, with the macho up against one thigh and the hembra down against the opposite calf. Most right-handed players place the macho in the upper left position, as the basic "martillo" pattern focuses on the macho.
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Lefties can do whatever works best for them. Always strike the drums with the pads of your fingertips, never with your knuckles. Striking with the bony joint will make a louder sound at first, but you will injure your hands that way, and risk causing or aggravating arthritis in your fingers.
The origin of the bongo is largely unclear. Most sources on Afro-Cuban cultural history argue that the bongo derives from Bantu drum models from Central Africa, noticeable in the open bottoms. The strong historical presence of Africans from the Congo/Angola region in Eastern Cuba (where the bongo first appeared) makes such an influence possible.
Moreover, Central African/Congo influences are also documented in both son cubano and changüí, and initially the development of the bongo drum was in parallel with these genres. From such conceptual African drum models, the bongo developed further in Cuba itself, and some historians state that the attaching of the two drums was a later invention that took place in Cuba.
The bongo entered Cuban popular music as a key instrument of early son ensembles, quickly becoming-due to the increasing popularity of the son-"the first instrument with an undeniable African past to be accepted in Cuban “society” circles".[1] This is attested, for example, in poems by Nicolás Guillén.[1] As son evolved and distanced itself from its precursor, the changüí, so did the bongos.
The bongos used in changüí, known as bongó de monte, are larger and tuned lower than their modern counterparts, have tack-heads instead of tunable hardware, and play in a manner similar to the lead conga drum (quinto) and other folkloric lead drum parts.[5] Unlike modern son, changüí never extended its popularity beyond eastern Cuba, and hence its bongos remain a rare sight.
It is commonly accepted that the son reached Havana partly as a result of the arrival of musicians members of Cuba's ejército permanente (permanent army), which brought music from eastern Cuba with them. During the sexteto era, son groups began performing and touring more than ever before, and for the first time, recordings were being made. It was in this context that the first great innovators of the bongo made their mark, and unlike their predecessors, their names were not lost in time.
Of particular note were Óscar Sotolongo of the Sexteto Habanero and José Manuel Carriera Incharte "El Chino" of the Sexteto Nacional, the two leading groups of the 1920s and '30s. The 1930s saw an increase in the technical skill of bongoseros, as evidenced by Clemente "Chicho" Piquero, whose virtuosic performances inspired a young Mongo Santamaría to take up the instrument.[10][11] By the early 1940s, Santamaría had become a master of the instrument, performing with the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Sonora Matancera, Conjunto Matamoros and Arsenio Rodríguez's "Conjunto Segundo" among others.
Arsenio had pioneered the conjunto format by incorporating a tumbadora (conga drum) into the rhythm section and having the bongosero double on cowbell. Arsenio's long-time bongosero was Antolín "Papa Kila" Suárez, who is often cited as one of the greatest of his time along with Pedro Mena of the Conjunto Matamoros.[13] Arsenio's group also helped break the barriers of race, which particularly affected bongoseros.
For example, the Orquesta Casino de la Playa did not allow their black bongosero Ramón Castro to perform on stage, nor was Arsenio allowed on the tres.[14] The Casino de la Playa would also feature bongosero Cándido Requena, who later joined the Conjunto Kubavana and Conjunto Niágara, and became one of Cuba's foremost makers of bongos and tumbadoras.[15] Requena, as well as the Vergara brothers, were instrumental in the technological improvement of bongos and congas.[16]
Before the advent of mechanically tunable bongos and congas in the 1940s, both instruments used to be tuned with oil or kerosene lamps. Following the popularization of the tumbadora, Santamaría switched to the instrument, while remaining a close friend of bongosero Armando Peraza.[17] Both moved to New York City by 1950, bringing their music abilities with them.
Among the bongoseros who stayed in Cuba were the aforementioned Chicho Piquero, who had become a close friend of Benny Moré in Mexico and became his Banda Gigante's bongosero back in Cuba. Also important during the 1950s were Papa Gofio of the Conjunto Rumbavana and Rogelio "Yeyo" Iglesias, the main bongo player in Havana's descarga scene.[18] Over the course of the 20th century, the bongo spread throughout Latin America.
Spearheaded by the iconic conguero Chano Pozo, the late 1940s saw an exodus of Afro-Cuban percussionists from Cuba to the United States. The Latin music scene of New York, and the US in general, was primarily constituted by Puerto Ricans, and many influential bongoseros were Puerto Ricans who learned from Cubans.
An early example is Rafael "Congo" Castro, who arrived in New York in 1924 and had a long career as a bongosero in Chicago until the 1980s.[21] In New York, many Puerto Rican bongoseros would go on to join the pioneering Afro-Cuban jazz ensembles of the time such as Machito and his Afro-Cubans, whose singles "Tangá" and "Mango mangüé"-considered the first examples of the genre-featured José Mangual Sr. "Buyú" on bongos.
Mangual's prolific career was continued by his sons José Mangual Jr. and Luis Mangual, who played in a variety of salsa groups in the 1970s. Other Puerto Rican musicians who made a name for themselves on the bongos were Richie Bastar of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Ralph Marzán of Johnny Pacheco's charanga, "Little" Ray Romero, Frank Colón and Roberto Roena. On the other hand, American master bongoseros include Jack Costanzo and Willie Bobo, the latter more active on timbales.
Other bongoseros who had more impact as timbaleros were Manny Oquendo, Orestes Vilató and Nicky Marrero. During the early half of the 20th century, Afro-Caribbean rhythms had a huge influence on popular dance music and jazz worldwide. This brought bongos into our cultural vocabulary, from Beatniks to Mambo to the current revival of Cuban folkloric music.
The history of the drums, as well as how to tune the bongos, how to hold the bongos, and of course getting started learning how to play the bongos, are some of the essential beginner topics that we cover in-depth in our step-by-step online bongo lessons here on the the site. If you’re interested in learning more about this incredible instrument, come check out our CongaChops.com Memberships. We’ve got a growing library of Bongo, Conga, and Timbales Lessons and Courses, over 10+ hours of exclusive Practice Loops, and an amazing Community Forum where you can meet and discuss with other bongo players, as well as get 1-on-1 feedback on everything you’re learning.
A set of traditional bongo drums.
Construction and Materials
The shells of the drums and the bridge (the small block that joins them) are usually made of wood, although fiberglass is also common. For musicians and drum makers, understanding these construction methods is crucial in selecting or crafting bongos that meet desired tonal qualities, durability, and aesthetic preferences.
The heads are typically made of calfskin and attached to the shells via steel hardware that enables their tuning. As with its cousins the congas, the bongos can also be fitted with either animal or synthetic heads. The very first bongos used mainly cow or mule hide for the heads, which was tacked on to the shell.
Today’s bongos still use cow skins, as well as water buffalo, steer, and other animals, in addition to synthetic heads. Wood choice profoundly influences the bongo’s tonal character, durability, and workability.
There are several methods of bongo construction:
- Stave Construction: Involves assembling vertical wooden slats (staves) glued and pressed together to form the drum shell.
- Turned Construction: Uses a solid block of wood that is lathed on a wood-turning lathe, resulting in a seamless, smooth shell with consistent thickness.
- Fiberglass Construction: Represents a modern approach, where shells are molded from composite fiberglass materials. Fiberglass bongos offer increased durability and resistance to environmental changes such as humidity and temperature fluctuations. Additionally, fiberglass shells tend to produce a brighter, more cutting tone with consistent sound quality over time.
Tuning and Technique
Traditionally, bongo drums were non-mechanically tuned percussion instruments. Just as with conga drums, up until the 1950s, the drumheads were secured to the wooden shells with tacks or nails. So in order to change the pitch, the skin needed to be either moistened or heated.
Moistening the drumhead lowered the pitch, and heating it allowed the drum to be tuned to a higher pitch. In the 1950s, the construction of the bongo drums was altered to include a mechanical tuning system made up of a securable rim, lugs, and adjustable lug nuts that allowed the bongo player to tune the drums with much more precision. This allowed the bongos to be tuned much higher and with more consistency.
Bongos are traditionally held between the legs, with the macho up against one thigh and the hembra down against the opposite calf. Most right-handed players place the macho in the upper left position, as the basic "martillo" pattern focuses on the macho.
Lefties can do whatever works best for them. Always strike the drums with the pads of your fingertips, never with your knuckles. Striking with the bony joint will make a louder sound at first, but you will injure your hands that way, and risk causing or aggravating arthritis in your fingers.
Bongo drums produce relatively high-pitched sounds compared to conga drums, and should be held behind the knees with the larger drum on the right when right-handed. It is most often played by hand and is especially associated in Cuban music with a steady pattern or ostinato of eighth-notes known as the martillo (hammer).
They are traditionally played by striking the edge of the drumheads with the fingers and palms. The glissando used with bongó de monte is done by rubbing the third finger, supported by the thumb, across the head of the drum. When playing son cubano and other popular genres, the macho is on the left and the hembra on the right. In changüí, the bongó de monte is positioned the opposite way.
Playing patterns are also different in changüí, where the bongó does not follow a steady beat. Bongos can also be played on a stand, as is the case with concert orchestras and bands. In classical music performances, bongos are usually struck with mallets or drumsticks.
Bongo Masters and Their Influence
During the sexteto era, son groups began performing and touring more than ever before, and for the first time, recordings were being made. It was in this context that the first great innovators of the bongo made their mark, and unlike their predecessors, their names were not lost in time.
Of particular note were Óscar Sotolongo of the Sexteto Habanero and José Manuel Carriera Incharte "El Chino" of the Sexteto Nacional, the two leading groups of the 1920s and '30s. By the early 1940s, Santamaría had become a master of the instrument, performing with the Lecuona Cuban Boys, Sonora Matancera, Conjunto Matamoros and Arsenio Rodríguez's "Conjunto Segundo" among others.
Arsenio had pioneered the conjunto format by incorporating a tumbadora (conga drum) into the rhythm section and having the bongosero double on cowbell. Arsenio's long-time bongosero was Antolín "Papa Kila" Suárez, who is often cited as one of the greatest of his time along with Pedro Mena of the Conjunto Matamoros.
In New York, many Puerto Rican bongoseros would go on to join the pioneering Afro-Cuban jazz ensembles of the time such as Machito and his Afro-Cubans, whose singles "Tangá" and "Mango mangüé"-considered the first examples of the genre-featured José Mangual Sr. "Buyú" on bongos. Mangual's prolific career was continued by his sons José Mangual Jr. and Luis Mangual, who played in a variety of salsa groups in the 1970s.
Other Puerto Rican musicians who made a name for themselves on the bongos were Richie Bastar of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Ralph Marzán of Johnny Pacheco's charanga, "Little" Ray Romero, Frank Colón and Roberto Roena. On the other hand, American master bongoseros include Jack Costanzo and Willie Bobo, the latter more active on timbales.
Other bongoseros who had more impact as timbaleros were Manny Oquendo, Orestes Vilató and Nicky Marrero.
Various techniques are used to extract different sounds from the bongo drums.
Bongos in Modern Music
During the early half of the 20th century, Afro-Caribbean rhythms had a huge influence on popular dance music and jazz worldwide. The bongo’s ability to create intricate rhythmic dialogues makes it a favorite among percussionists and an essential component of Afro-Cuban music ensembles.
