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Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:10 am**

Rumbero plays mostly folkloric/ rumba
Conguero plays more salsa, jazz, funk, etc.
A Percussionist who plays a variety of percussion instruments including congas.

Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1202333509

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:28 am**

Conguero de rumba and conguero de banda are 2 different things, some can only do one profficiently, if you are adapt at both, that is very good.
Me, I consider myself equal in both rumba and band settings.

I also do mixed percussion gigs, but mostly congas.

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:06 pm**

I'm a conguero/precussionst, with very limited Rumbero skills...but trying to get better. I play mostly in funk, soul, and jazz situations.

peace,

tfunk

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:39 pm**

I think it all applies , you are a conguero if you play congas, the congas is a percussion instrument and you play rumba at times on congas. So if you do that you are all. If you just play rumbas then you are a rumbero de corazon , if you only play Salsa you are a Salsero 100% and if you play various percussion instruments in various settings, then you are an all-around percussionist and there is where I fall in. On congas the rumba was my foundation. An lately I mix it all in my Jazz.
PS: I prefer Tumbadoras, so what do you call someone who plays them? And if you play the rhythm conga are you a conguero? ???

Paz,
Olsongo

Edited By OLSONGO on 1202316046

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:17 pm**

I don't mean to put rumbero or conguero opposite each other, but playing in a rumba is a pretty specialized practice.

I've been involved in blues and jazz in other instruments, and when I started learning congas all the teachers around were teaching folkloric.

I never really intended to play this kind of music, but I've now fallen in love with it.

I find myself now looking for ways I can apply the folkloric rhythms I am picking up into certain jazz tunes and jams.

having a previous knowledge of jazz and blues helps me because I know when changes occur.

but jazz and blues didn't really help me all that much going into rumba, and I think it would take a while of adjustment for a rumbero to adapt to the changes and bridges of a jazz structured song.

then there's the conguero with the other rhythms and being more familiar with an ensemble with strings and horns and other percusion instruments.

Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1202321899

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:28 pm**

I consider myself to be a "well rounded" player
Rumbero,multi- percussionist, dance musician, Salsero, and "stylist" of musical rhythmic forms-pop/jazz/rock/r&b/etc.....Johnny Conga....

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:52 pm**

JohnnyConga wrote:I consider myself to be a "well rounded" player
Rumbero,multi- percussionist, dance musician, Salsero, and "stylist" of musical rhythmic forms-pop/jazz/rock/r&b/etc.....Johnny Conga....

Yeah JC, I almost put "I'm Johnny Conga" in as a category!

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:23 pm**

I'm afraid that participating in a real rumba battery is a very special thing, with all the competition going on, with the dancers you have to comment, and then today everybody plays with no space for the quinto. So I'm afraid I could not make it in such a situation. Although, whenever I played with Cuban dancers/singers, they seemed to be happy. The rumba has always been one of the foundations of my playing, but I do not consider myself a rumbero. The time is gone.

I do believe that for any modern/western percussionist in the pop/jazz/latin field, the conga drum (tumbadora) is the instrument that requires perhaps the most consideration - and practice! But I don't find that a percussionist is a person who plays congas primarily, and then a couple of other gadgets (like bongos, timbales, bata, djembe, tabla, timpani, marimba!)

Even classical percussionists decide for themselves on which instrument they are going to focus. I focus on congas, bata and drumset, and that's demasiado! But I just can't abandon any one of these.

So that's why I think this poll is not for me.

TA

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:50 pm**

Have to say I resepect Thomas Altman's style of playing very, very much and--like him-- must include myself out.

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:52 pm**

Not to hijack the thread but --- Thomas, was very impressed with the solo you once posted. Can you help me find it again?

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:32 pm**

I have done all 3, but I must say I feel more confortable in an orchestral setting playing conga or bongo' in a latin jazz or salsa format. I used to play with an African group out of Ft Lauderdale, ASANTE, and there I was free to play what I wanted , chequere, bata, conga, timbales,chimes,.......
I'm Cuban born, so I've played rumba / guaguanco, mostly salidor or 3 golpes. Quinto on a rumba setting is a different animal, reserved for only a very few well versed individuals. Great quinto players that come to mind: Daniel Ponce, Jesus Alfonso (Muñequitos), Papin,Puntilla,Tata,Mongo,Niño Alfonso,Pancho Quinto, Giovanni,Anga. To play quinto in a deep rumba setting you have to be well versed in secular music and you must posess a big arsenal of "toques". Like the saying goes, "si no sabes,no te metas,al quinto se respeta". If you are not proficient, don't go there. I know that in Matanzas,if you mess up a well orginized rumba you can pay with your life.

No Me Pares Esa Rumba !

Dario

Posted: **Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:35 pm**

For me, I play congas and bongos, but through practicing rumba, I've also picked up the various supporting instruments like the cencerro bell, shekere, clave, gua gua/ palitos and guataca hoe.

..but I don't consider myself a general percussionist.

Posted: **Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:34 am**

RUMBERO VS CONGUERO.

A RUMBERO PLAYS RUMBA, THAT'S WHAT HE DOES. AND IF HE IS A TRUE RUMBERO, HE MUST ALSO BE, A WELL VERSED CONGUERO; MEANING, THAT HE MUST ALSO BE ABLE TO PLAY ANY, AND All RHYTHMS, THAT ANY SELF RESPECTING CONGUERO SHOULD KNOW HOW TO PLAY. I MYSELF, AM A RUMBERO. BUT WHEN I'M PLAYING WITH A GROUP, WEATHER IT'LL BE SALSA, LATIN JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, OR WHAT EVER, ALL THAT WILL BE NOTICED, IS THAT I'M PLAYING THE PART AS IT SHOULD BE. EACH ONE OF US, HAS HIS, OR HER OWN STYLE. WEATHER IN RUMBA, JAZZ OR WHATEVER. ONE SHOULD ALWAYS ASSUME THE PART, AND PLAY IT WELL. :;):

CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1202588541

Posted: **Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:47 am**

I was born and raised as, 'Die Hard Rumbero', but thanks to my open/mind in music I have played almost anything,( I never thought I was going to do a Symphonic Recital,and even get into that...a lot of blessing as my Godfather used to tell me back in Cuba...and I have gave a lot of them to my students,(so I'm not even an 'egoista musical'

.Dr. Zaragemca

Posted: **Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:57 am**

DARIO,
LO QUE TU DICES, ES VERDAD!
(WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS TRUE).

THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN TO REAL ORGANIZED RUMBA'S, KNOW THAT IF ONE IS NOT READY, ONE SHOULD NOT STEP UP TO THE PLATE, SPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE QUINTO. FULL FLEDGED RUMBA'S ARE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY!

CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1202489621

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Rumbero vs Conguero - Which describes your style?