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Posted: **Fri Nov 14, 2003 9:49 am**

Who is your favorite bongocero? My favorite is Armando Perazo. If you have ever listened to Cal Tjader's "RITMOS CALIENTE", you know what I mean (smoking solo's)!!

Posted: **Fri Nov 14, 2003 3:09 pm**

Favorite bongoseros?

Old school...Jose Mangual Jr, Pablito Rosario, Jose Mangual Sr., Roberto Rohena, Johnny Rodriguez.

New School.. Alberto Machuca, Ray Colon, Celso Clemente Jr.

Best Campaneros ever: Manolito Gonzalez, Roberto Rohena, Alberto Machuca, Ray Colon.

Saludos!

Posted: **Fri Nov 14, 2003 4:38 pm**

The late great Yeyo Iglesias,Papa Kila, Little Ray Romero, and my personal favorite Tony Fuentes, very underated but a bad MoFo. Yes Armando is also great and one of the greatest on bongos is also Candido Camero............JC JOHNNY CONGA

Posted: **Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:32 pm**

Johnny,

Is Tony Fuentes, Papy Fuentes of Tommy Olivencia fame? If it is, yes, he is great. If you listen to Tommy Olivencia old recordings, the tuning of Papy Fuentes used to be high for the times. Now, that is the norm.

I've heard there are some great ones like Candido and Armando Peraza but I have not listened to those that much. The ones in my list are more influences to me in their style of playing, specially in recordings. Some are not soloists. Willie Bobo was great too!

Anthony Carrillo is probably currently the most famous"killer soloist" bongoseros in the opinion of some here in Puerto Rico.

Saludos

Posted: **Sat Nov 15, 2003 6:01 pm**

Raymond wrote:Johnny,

Is Tony Fuentes, Papy Fuentes of Tommy Olivencia fame? If it is, yes, he is great. If you listen to Tommy Olivencia old recordings, the tuning of Papy Fuentes used to be high for the times. Now, that is the norm.

I've heard there are some great ones like Candido and Armando Peraza but I have not listened to those that much. The ones in my list are more influences to me in their style of playing, specially in recordings. Some are not soloists. Willie Bobo was great too!

Anthony Carrillo is probably currently the most famous"killer soloist" bongoseros in the opinion of some here in Puerto Rico.

Saludos

If a I am not mistaken Tony Fuentes played bongos with Ray Barretto back in the 70's and Tommy Oilivencia also. I think Ray Barretto produced one of them 70's lp's for Tommy Olivencia and probably brought Tony Fuentes onboard for the recording dates. Anyway some of my favorites bongoceros are Armando Peraza, Jose "Buyu" Mangual, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria (specially with sticks), Little Ray "Mosquito" Romero and Little Johhny (of Sonora Poceña fame) to name a few.

Posted: **Sun Jan 04, 2004 8:44 pm**

Of course there are a lot of Bongoseros from the Caribbean..Johnny Conga, I have a picture of Mangual Sr. when he was playing with Machito Band, beside the Conga player Carlos Vidal.

Posted: **Mon Jan 12, 2004 7:26 pm**

I love Anthony Carillo's playing. The bongosero on Eddie Palmieri's "Vortex" album is also a badass, but I forget his name right now.

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2004 9:24 am**

Was that "Choki Lopez".,Tomy Lopez'es son, who played with Eddie Palmieri in the early 70's.....JC JOHNNY CONGA...

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2004 3:02 pm**

yoni wrote:I love Anthony Carillo's playing. The bongosero on Eddie Palmieri's "Vortex" album is also a badass, but I forget his name right now.

The bongosero on Eddie Palmieri's Vortex is percussionist Paoli Mejias from Puerto Rico.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:28 pm**

Gracias Jorge, I don't have that recording so I didn't know who was on it, I just took a guess. But don't leave Choki out as one of the best bongoceros around, cause he is good too. He was like 16 when he startd with Eddie P, back in NYC in the early 70's. Paz.....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

Posted: **Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:14 pm**

Johnny Conga wrote:Gracias Jorge, I don't have that recording so I didn't know who was on it, I just took a guess. But don't leave Choki out as one of the best bongoceros around, cause he is good too. He was like 16 when he startd with Eddie P, back in NYC in the early 70's. Paz.....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

No problem JC! Don't get me wrong here, Chucky Lopez is a bad ass bongosero too. Vortex was recorded around 1996, with Richito Flores on tumbadoras, José Clausell on timbales, Paoli Mejias on bongó, and Robby Ameen on drumset, a killer percussion section.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2004 2:24 am**

This is going out of the topic but, Jose Clausell is playing more Timbales than Congas. Does anybody knows the reason???

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2004 1:09 pm**

RayBoogie wrote:This is going out of the topic but, Jose Clausell is playing more Timbales than Congas. Does anybody knows the reason???

Hi As far as I know with EP he always plays timbales and he has been doing so for quite some time now (since the late 80's or early 90's).

Posted: **Wed Jan 14, 2004 3:57 pm**

I remember back in the early 90's José Clausell was playing tumbadoras with Pablito Rosario's Grupo Orinoco in Puerto Rico. Then he left to NYC, and since he has been the timbalero and leader of the percussion section in EP's band.

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

Posted: **Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:10 am**

Tamb, I actually seen that performance on TV. The show is called "Latin Jazz Express". That was a really good performance. Jose was killing those congas.

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