| Bongo drums, usually just called bongos, are | | | | the late 19th century, the heads of bongo |
| one of the most recognizable of percussion | | | | drums were tacked on and tuned with a heat |
| instruments. Due to the pervasive popularity | | | | source. But since the 1940s, metal tuning |
| of Latin music (thank you, "Dancing With the | | | | lugs have been used to allow for easier |
| Stars"), the sounds of these little drums are | | | | tuning. |
| familiar to people around the world. Bongos, | | | | |
| as the name implies, always come in attached | | | | The sound of the bongo drums is high-pitched |
| sets of two. One drum is slightly bigger than | | | | and as mentioned, the tempo is generally |
| the other; the larger is the "hembra" (the | | | | fast. When played, the drums should be held |
| Spanish word for "female), while the smaller | | | | between the player's knees; the larger drum |
| is the "macho" (the Spanish word for "male"). | | | | should be on the side of the player's |
| Bongo drums are capable of a great deal of | | | | dominant hand, which is usually the right |
| versatility and their music is usually upbeat | | | | one. The drum heads are struck with both the |
| and rapid. | | | | fingers, palms, and sometimes sticks and |
| | | | brushes, although these last are contemporary |
| Like some other drums of the Americas, such | | | | innovations. The sound of the bongo drum can |
| as the steel drum, bongo drums were | | | | be muted by placing part of one hand on the |
| originally brought to South America from | | | | drum head while striking with the other hand. |
| Africa via the Atlantic slave trade. The | | | | |
| African nations of Nigeria and Cameroon had | | | | Some of the most famous dance styles of Latin |
| fraternal organizations that utilized a trio | | | | America, including the mambo, salsa and |
| of drums called "bonko." When the Africans | | | | conga, utilize the music of the bongo drum. |
| were brought to the Americas, vestiges of | | | | The instrument's capacity for distinct |
| these organizations and their traditions came | | | | percussion is essential to these styles, |
| with them. The Abakua is a society of | | | | which showcase distinct and often rapid |
| Afro-Cuban men that evolved from those | | | | rhythms. In fact, the music of the bongos is |
| fraternal organizations. It continued to use | | | | often used as a solo instrument in such |
| the bonko drums, but the instruments | | | | music, a tactic that highlights the |
| eventually spread beyond the fraternity. It | | | | importance of a song's rhythm. |
| is believed that this was the origin of the | | | | |
| bongo in South America. The Abakua still | | | | On a side note, although bongo drums are |
| exists in modern Cuba and it still uses | | | | generally considered instruments of Latin |
| bonkos that, if joined together in pairs, | | | | America, drums resembling bongos can be found |
| very closely resemble bongo drums. | | | | in Morocco, Egypt and some Middle Eastern |
| | | | countries. These drums have rawhide heads |
| The bodies of bongo drums are usually made of | | | | like their American counterparts, but the |
| wood, metal or composite materials attached | | | | bodies are of a ceramic nature. Such drums |
| by a thick piece of wood. The head is | | | | can also be heard in some traditional Spanish |
| traditionally of animal skin, but as with | | | | music, such as flamenco, probably due to the |
| other modern drums, synthetic materials are | | | | Moorish influence in that country. |
| commonly used in modern times. Originally, in | | | | |