congaplace.com

Your right...

It is what it is, but then you wouldn't see Cleve playing a bembe with electronic bata, you'd see him with me and some other drummers bye his side.

However , there aren't many cats who can design, build and play those electronic bata with such virtuosity.
Keep in mind he is not missing a single part when playing the electronic set up.
That's pretty damn impressive.

Thomas : The drumming is just part of it, The religion come's into to play. There's a sequence of god's to play to and there in an order not like jamming on conga's and playing anything.I was told the religion goe's back B.C. As student's we were guest at some of these event's in The Bronx, New York and it was intence to say the least.

My father was the first person to introduce me to the conga, but his knowledge was very rudimentary. He's a guitarist and Cuatro player, mostly, though he started out as a rock drummer. The first teacher that really taught me the ways of Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican percussion was a percussionist in Western MA called Freddy Moreno. I was lucky to have met Giovanni Hidalgo at 14 years of age, and he taught me a few "Mano Secreta" techniques. From there on, I listened to a lot of records, watched enough instructional DVDs, and practiced enough American rudiments on Congas to get good on my own.

Currently, I'm taking Bata lessons with Victor Sterling and will be taking Conga/Bongo lessons with David "La Mole" Rodriguez in Puerto Rico this summer. Here's hoping my speed, complexity, and slap power improve under his tutelage!

I've been playing seriously (regularly practicing) for about 5 months, and I'm studying with Luis Orbegoso. He played bongos for Memo Acevedo and has performed with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Stevie Wonder just to name a few. Great guy, great player, great teacher.

My direct teachers (those I had direct contact with) were Kim Atkinson, Marcus Gordon, Kwaku Ladzekpo, C.K. Ladzekpo, John Santos and Mario Jauregui (I can only post 5 photos in a single posting).
-David

My other main teachers were Roberto Borrell, Regino Jimenez and Jesus Alfonso. There are so many musicians who helped me along the way as well. I didn't have formal lessons from all my teachers. Sometimes I can learn by watching and/or asking questions. It's all been very valuable and I appreciate them all very much.
-David

thomas newton wrote:Who DO I take lessons from?

Everyone. Good examples, bad examples, teachers, students, children who walk up and hit the drums... everyone.

Same here. The basics I learned from tutorials on YouTube but after that I've learnd (and I'm still learning) from "Everyone"!

My Teachers were
Henry "Hank" Fields-student of Armando Peraza

George "Sabu"Caldwell the 3rd- he toured with Katherine Dunham and learned from Fransisco Aguabella, Julito Collazo, and Chano Pozo. Also a member of Olatunji's Drummers and Dancers.

Ritchie "Pablo" Landrum- I met him thru Olatunji's Drummers and Dancers and gave me my first gig on jimbe in 1964 with Baba at the African Pavilion at the Worlds Fair in New York City. Studied African rhythms with Pablo at "Jazzmobile" I.S 201 in Harlem.. the program created by the late Dr. Billy Taylor

Yomi Yomi Awoldwo-my first jimbe teacher and mentor

Ubaldo Nieto- private lessons for timbales
Manny Oquendo-bongo lessons at Johnny Colon School of Music
and my the Bandleaders who taught me How to be a conga drummer in a performing situation and what is expected of me.
Joe Panama
Felipe "Phil" Diaz
Gil Suarez
Dwight Brewster
I left out my Bata teachers--Greg "peachy" Jarmon, Skip Burne, and Lazaro Alfonso de Cuba

I am grateful for what they gave me and passed on to me, which i now pass on to others...