congaplace.com

I wrote this a few years ago: I welcome any feedback or ideas to update it. It's been
viewed over 10,000 times already. It used to have a list of the names to look for,
(Skin on Skin, Junior, Vergara, JCR, LP, Gon Bop, Valje, ....)
but most of you know what to look for already. I'd like to add he name ASBA
to the list. Today someone emailed me to ask
to ask about a set of vintage ASBA congas - handmade in Paris in the 1970s.
They are unique drums that have alternate Ash & Walnut staves. They tend to have
a more Brazilian or Comparsa sound. I have one that I love to use for Brasiian music.
I had a Camerounian teacher who played a set when he worked with Manu Dibango.(Soul Makossa)
If you encounter some, please consider them
a serious handmade instrument. Ringo Starr used to play them also.
The striped congas tend to make us think of
cheaper mexican drums, but these are not at all like those. I'll post a pic I received
earlier. They are for sale in the UK. ~ ISAAC

http://reviews.ebay.com/Vintage-Congas- ... 0000025507

Hey Isaac, the guy from Mano debango, is that the same guy that's in the fania show with them ?

Barrie

Not the same person I don't think. My teacher and mentor was the late
Amos "Emile" Bisseck from Cameroons. He lived and worked with Manu Dibango
in Paris. He also played Xylophone which Cameroons is famous for.
He eventually married a French Canadian woman and settled in
Montreal, then Winnipeg, where I grew up. I was very lucky to have him in
town. I eventually got to play in a band with him.
His mother was of a Pygmie background, so Emile was also short, but
very tough. In addition to being a master percussionist he worked as a boxer
and a metal chroming worker. We used to hang in his backyard, sip beers, hang fish
on a line for smoking and I watched him repair & weld some of his other drums.
He lived quite poorly but considered himself the luckiest man on the planet.
I was 18 years old and he made quite a lasting impression on me. He has two sons -
one a DJ in Canada, and one a leading Thoracic surgeon in Memphis, Tennessee.
A beautiful person.

It's a small world Isaac, I know of his son through the dance music scene, never met him but heard of him, he probably know's Victor's son too who also is a well known dj.

Barrie

Here is a photo of me and my ASBA congas in 1971, in Germany...I did not like them though they sounded ok..the problem was that if u tuned it to high the bracket to the shell would pop right out....which happened to the tumbadora...I eventually had to order a conga drum from Japan of all places but it was a smokin tumbadora, i have never seen another one like it...it actually had a "laced" skin hoop on it...with built in legs as well....Johnny Conga

My teacher Emile actually played the fiberglass ASBA congas.
They had a loud bright cutting sound with an immense bass.
They were extra fat, unlike the tapered wood ASBAs.
The had a tuning system and low profile comfort rim similar to the
Ecotones. I agree with you about the wood Asbas. They can't take
the high torque maximum tension that latin music demands.
I tune mine lower, and use it for brazilian only. The wood around the small
tuning sideplates would be too stressed otherwise. They also make
great comparsa drums. I still get a nice dry slap plus a deep low
with a lighter mule skin.

~ ISAAC

Hi Barry... or No2. Who is Number 1?

Yes Andre Bisseck, the DJ is the younger son. I spoke to his mother when Emile passed
away suddenly from a heart attack, a few years ago. I knew Andre
when he was still 5 years old, so I don't think he'll remember me.
Back then he told me to please humour his dad, who he said still believed in
Santa Claus !
He still lives in Canada. The older son is Marc, who played drumset and keyboard,
but became a doctor....a very musical family.


~ ISAAC

The Seller of these ASBAs is:

aronoliver@googlemail.com

JConga wrote:HI eventually had to order a conga drum from Japan of all places but it was a smokin tumbadora, i have never seen another one like it...it actually had a "laced" skin hoop on it...with built in legs as well....Johnny Conga

Afro-Directions-Germany 1970-1.jpg

Hola JC!

I remember those congas/bongos from Japan. Laced heads.. I got some Fuji tones-another Japanese maker that were awesome, I only have a requinto left. The Fuji's were built like any majors, with good hardware, even to have a comfort curve type style crown. The sideplates are rubber backed, and the skin hoop is encapsulated in a vinyl. I also had a 13" tumba, with verigated(light/dark) color wood, with gold crown, that was a great tumba!!
from the late 70's!!!

T

Isaac wrote:
http://reviews.ebay.com/Vintage-Congas- ... 0000025507

Very helpful so that the 'dramas' we have been seeing on this forum do not occur. Buyer beware, get all the info you can BEFORE purchasing.

Thankyou for sharing this again with us Isaac.

Great article Isaac! Thank you for sharing that with us.

isaac , whats up kid ,how you been , long time , give me a call so we can catch up, jaisen 201-920-0196 , hope all is well , call me.