congaplace.com

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Hello ...well u dont have to go to Cuba to study the drum...you can come to my home in Seattle and I will teach you what they teach in Cuba..Please go to the Congazine page on this forum and see my reviews/critiques and what i offer for a week here in my home....though the drum environment is great in Cuba, to learn there u have to go thru a few teachers as one teacher does not teach it all, as I try to do...even Tomas Cruz had 6 different teachers in 9 years of schooling in Cuba. email me privetly if your interested...Gracias/Thank you...Johnny Conga

RR,

Though never having studied with JC, I must tell you that from everything I know about this man and his technique from here on the forum and those who have studied with him, spending time one-on-one with him will be the best investment you can make if you want to immerse yourself in the drum. He is a TEACHER besides being a performer of the highest level. Avail yourself of this resource and you will be well served.

I think JC's intensive would be a great idea, as they've said. I myself still intend to do it someday (hear that, Johnny?). However, if you still want to go to Cuba, at least for a little bit, there is a company called PlazaCUBA which is organizing a 2-week percussion workshop in Havana in July. If you go to plazacuba.com you can find out more. You have to email them, though, and tell them you are interested in the percussion workshop this summer, and they will send more information.
Another non-Cuba-related option is the week-long Humboldt drumming and dancing workshop at Humboldt State University which happens every summer. Amazing players/teachers from Cuba and the U.S. go to this every year. And it's a lot more affordable than the plazaCUBA program.
Good luck!

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RR , I have a friend who organises 2 week intensive studies in Cuba Folkloric studies in the main .
Mail Christian for information . here is the website .
http://www.latimbala.com/

marco

It's really great to have access to a top conga teacher like JC in your own vicinity and I highly recommend you seek that teaching sometime. What I'm saying is these two modes of teaching are not mutually exclusive to your development on the instrument. You can do both.

To me, there's nothing like actually going to the source and experiencing not just what a teacher may teach you but also to hear, see and feel the music in its cultural context. Experiencing the culture, daily life and even the politics of a place gives you a whole different perspective to the music. There is a lot that you learn just from being in a place like that and being exposed to many kinds of musical situations.

Where else can you be where on any given night there are some amazing Cuban bands playing just a few minutes walk from where you might stay? (e.g. Los Van Van etc etc). I had the most amazing time there in Habana, I fulfilled a lot of things I only ever dreamed of.

If you really want to go to Cuba I say go for it!
The experiences you have musically and otherwise will stay with you a long, long time.

regards
pavlo

p.s. PM me if you are looking for places to stay in Habana.
I can also hook you up with a teacher from the Folklorico Nacional de Cuba.
You can also meet many other musicians there who can offer different approaches to teaching.
p.p.s. rather than a 2 week visit I would suggest staying for a couple of months if you can afford the time and money.

RR,

I've just returned from a trip to Cuba and took lessons from "el panga" in Havana. I really enjoyed my lessons and found panga to be an excellent teacher, passionate about his profession and a great guy . Very patient and made me feel relaxed (which for me is very important).
I asked him to give a short demo that I could upload onto the net here's the link (below). You can get his contact details (phone no and address) at the end of the demo. There are also quite a few other videos of panga on youtube so you can see him "in action".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz4gQHySTuw

enjoy

aA.

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A taste of what you would get from Christian La Timnala . I am studying here in the UK with Christian along wih a few friends .
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=H6E0icbH_co

A testament to the street culture of Havana where music is as common and pervasive a thread of daily life as the street sweeper.

The new guy promised to make travel to Cuba easier for US residents. Let's see how it works out.

I've been to Cuba twice to study and will tell you that nothing beats the experience (no offense to US based instructors) It's not just the instruction, it's the whole vibe, both the good and the bad. I studied with Alberto Villareal, he currently is the director of folcloric percussion for the Conjunto nacional, and comes from the lineage of Jesus Perez. Great guy, super family. His contact info is on the Afrocuba web home page. Like I said, there's a lot of learning to e done there in terms of the culture, the ability to see live music, not to mention Havana is a historical treasure chest in terms of architecture and colonial history. I just did a search on him and found he now has his own webpage, built by one of his French contacts.

http://albertovillareal.blogspot.com/



PC

Though I am of Cuban decent, I could in no way compare to the experience of learning in Cuba. Of course the vibe, history,culture, and music is ALL part of the learning experience there and comes once in a lifetime if u can make the trip...Just so everyone knows ANYONE can go to Cuba thru a another country , YOU DO NOT get ur passport stamped in Cuba , u pay an entry and departure fee..pcastag, can back me up on this..also u can go for religious as well as educational purposes and go thru (Mexico.Canada or the Bahamas, Jamaica,etc.).. to enter Cuba...you can also enter thru the "Hemingway Marina" as well for just 50bucks...if your going by boat...don;t live in fear , just go if u can....i know for a fact that at least 3 chartered flights leave out of MIAMI almost every week to go to Cuba,and thats been going on for years...de Pinar del Rio, Los Palacios.."JC" Johnny Conga