| Conga drums are an integral part of most Latin | | | | to the smallest as the "nino" and gives no names for |
| American music. In North America, everyone has | | | | the middle sizes. Still other names include the "segundo" |
| heard of a conga line and unfortunately, most of us | | | | and the "supertumba." Clearly, there is no standardized |
| have been forced to join one at one point or another, | | | | set of names. Even the term "conga drum" can |
| often during a wedding reception. But the music of the | | | | sometimes be confusing. While some experts maintain |
| conga is far too diverse to be pigeonholed as wedding | | | | "conga" may be used in both English and Spanish, |
| reception music. These instruments are used not only | | | | others aver that it should be used only in English and |
| in genres like salsa and rumba, but in Afro-Caribbean | | | | that "tumbadoras" should be used in Spanish. All and all, |
| religious music as well. Conga drums are a very | | | | it can be quite bewildering. |
| important facet of life in South America. | | | | But there is nothing confusing about the rhythms of the |
| The bodies of conga drums are "staved," or made of | | | | conga drums. To produce these rhythms, congueros |
| multiple strips of wood or fiberglass, similar to the | | | | use five basic tones and techniques: the open tone, the |
| construction of a barrel. Chances are that the | | | | muffled tone, the bass tone, the slap, and the touch. |
| ancestors of modern congas were, in fact, made from | | | | The open tone is exactly what its name implies-a clear |
| salvaged barrels. The drum heads are of rawhide or | | | | resonant tone with a distinct pitch created by striking |
| synthetic materials and are screw-tensioned. The | | | | four fingers near the rim of the head. The muffled tone |
| height of the average conga drum is about three feet, | | | | is like the open tone, but the fingers are held against |
| and the instruments are usually played in sets of two | | | | the head to muffle the sound. The bass tone is made |
| to four. They can be played from either a sitting or | | | | by striking the head with the full palm of the hand. The |
| standing position, although for the latter, the drums must | | | | slap technique produces a popping sound, and the |
| be mounted on a rack. An artist who plays conga is | | | | touch, again as the name implies, is a method of barely |
| called a "conguero." | | | | touching the fingers or the heel of the hand to the |
| Although the average height of a conga drum is about | | | | drum head. A final technique exists in which the |
| three feet, there is actually enough size variation to | | | | conguero uses his elbow to apply pressure to different |
| warrant different names for different sized drums. | | | | parts of the head. This is not a traditional method, but it |
| However, there is some confusion over these names. | | | | is commonly used in modern salsa and rumba. |
| One source maintains that the drums are called, in | | | | As mentioned, the character of Ricky Ricardo helped |
| order of largest to smallest, the "tumba," the "conga," | | | | popularize the conga, even though the instrument he |
| the "quinto," the "requinto" and the "Ricardo," the last | | | | played on the show was actually more similar to the |
| being named for Desi Arnaz's character of Ricky | | | | Cuban "boku," another type of drum. The music of the |
| Ricardo on "I Love Lucy." | | | | conga remains popular today, in part due to the current |
| Another source calls the largest the "tumba," but refers | | | | popularity of Latin music and Latin ballroom dances. |