congaplace.com

Is there something I should use to condition the conga skins on my congas? I heard one guy say to put lanolin lotion on your hands and rub a bit of that in - anyone else know different?

Jill Dobis
Email: jilldobis@netzero.net

Well, from time to time (especially in the hot season) I pour a little amount of sunflower oil on the conga heads, rub it slightly in with a piece of cloth and let it dry - in the SUN ! (for ab. 1-2 days). But I have also used lanolin creme, -slightly more expensive, doing the same thing, I guess
Peace&oil,

Mike
Email: vethake@hotmail.com

In cuba they use manteca de corojo (brazil nut oil) on the bata drums.

Ben

There's a really thick lanolin called Lansinoh which I've been using. I put some on my hands, rub them together till they are HOT! then rub it into the head. Some people go overboard with head care, but it takes very little to keep them conditioned.

Steve
Email: mrlitho@hotmail.com

A cuban friend of mine told me to rub rubbing alcohol on the head and leave in the sun for 1 hr every 2-3 weeks. This loosens the head and proved to bring a more resonating glowing sound. If I told him about that lotion he'd say that'd be crazy. After all, he grew up in HAVANA CUBA. Send some feedback.

Kingguaguanco
Email: kongavibe@aol.com

I'am Cuban American born in NYC and taught buy a Cuban drummer. In Cuba they use Palm oil a finger tips worth on the skin and then rub it in with your hand in circular motion and then let the sun shine on the shin head for half hour and heat up the skin then work it again with you hand. I have been doing this for over twenty years, and I have been using it for made hands it great. You can find this PALM OIL in spanish it's called MANTECA COROJO in a Botanica store where they sell religious articles. Good Luck.

Mikey V
Email: handsoffire@juno.com

I use pure lanolin on my conga set. It is hard to use it because very dense. I think that lanlolin should be most compatible oil, because derived from wool (lana=wool in italian), so animal oil. I know also that is useful in africa the karité butter, is vegetal taken from karité plant. Ciao

Jacques
Email: jcentonze@ogs.trieste.it

MANTECA DE COROJO FOR ME IS THE BEST FOR YOUR HANDS AND THE DRUM HEAD.......THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME BY SUCH GREATS LIKE EDDIE BONGO,GIOVANNI HIDALGO HIMSELF,JERRY GONZALEZ,AND CACHETE MALDONADO. I USE IT EVERY TIME BEFORE I PLAY AND AFTER.MY HANDS ARE SOFT LIKE BABY'S SKIN.AND I HIT HARD.GOOD LUCK

Anybody know of common places in So. Calf. to get Palm oil?
Dry in the Mojave, ya know!