World's best conguero?

[JohnnyConga]

I would say that when Mongo Patato-Tata Guines and other Great congeros got into the playing as a lifestyle,the last thought in their heads were "I am going to be the best conguero ever"!. And if any thinks that way today they are are in for a rude awakening. It's about the LOVE for the instrument and that is the main reason why anybody plays, for the LOVE,. So forget about whose the best,or the greatest and learn to play for the LOVE....and if you don't LOVE what your doing then leave it alone for the ones that do.
My 3 cents.....At your service...JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[120decibels]

I think that we are all in agreement. I have found in my 15 years of playing drums, and in my short time playing congas that when I actually think competitively, I loose track of the enjoyment of playing.

My point, which I think was interpreted very well, was that a little competition can cause us to excel.

Well said BongoBoy and Johnny! Let's let this topic rest now!

Zach

[Isaac]

A few people mentioned Anga. I think his
approach based on the original Conguero from
Irakere, Nino Alfonso is very sophisticated.
It allows more musicality, and isn't so much
based on "chops" in the way a stick drummer
would consider, but on taste and harmony.
By playing 4 or 5 tumbadoras one would be freer to
find their own unique voice. The point is not to
imitate in the end, but to grow and create music.
On a more practical level, does anyone know
how he tunes his 5 drums?

[muddy323]

I respest Giovanni and Changuito for technique and great instructional video, which have taught me alot, on speed and building speed. The Soul & Sound of the Conga belong to Poncho Sanchez. El Conguero have the sound that is so gifted. A must have DVD is Poncho Sanchez at Kimball's East (1991) where you can witness the sound. Im in Los Angeles, where i have a chance to see and hear Poncho in different settings, I have met Poncho at the Guitar Center in Hollywood (2002), where i had a chance to talk with Poncho about, why my Slaps dont sound like his ??? I was taught in 10 mins and now my (1978) Gon Bops slaps sound like fireworks, with the help of new heads and the lesson in sound. I thank Giovanni and Jerry Gonzales who help me with timing issue's. I love the way they change gears or apply different timing. When i play i hear James Brown funk, Poncho Sanchez Afro Cuban Fat Sound and Jerry Gonzales and Giovanni off timing, that remind me of the Drummer Elvin Jones and Art Blakey.

How could i forget Mongo and Barretto, the innovators



Edited By muddy323 on Jan. 10 2003 at 04:54

[Simon B]

What was Poncho's advise about slaps, Muddy?

Simon B

[muddy323]

I could not produce a open slap until i talk with Poncho. My slaps improve with heavy tape on my fingers and harder playing and my hand and mostly fingers produce a great open slap. I was a tender player with tons of open notes. Now im slap happy, open and closesed..i practice on one 11' gonbop with LP Handpick skin, and recorded it. Then i could hear the different sound. i found out that left hand was the weakest link, so i would alternate s s s s l o o o o
openslaps l open notes
left/right hand l left/right hand

[miguel Diaz vs. Giovanni]

i see alot of people talk about the comparison between Miguel
Anga Diaz and Giovanni, but if you really listen to both players there is really not that much to choose between them.. both are great players, with great technique. great speed, rhythmically, melodically their sense of timing and control is awesome... what i like most about them is their ability to create right on the spot without over playing...spontanetiy and intuition is always a key when playing with different musician and a latin/ jazz setting..Giovanni has a lot more exposure due to the fact, he played with Dizzy his is puerto rican and been living in the states longer, but Anga has played with some great people as well.. his videos are in some ways easier to follow due to the fact that his is a right hand
player.. i also notice that the camera-person shoots a lot of the video from a downward angle which is great because you can see exactly what miguel anga is doing... on the other hand Giovanni videos are in some ways easier because he speaks english.... really not too much to pick from...miguel is from cuba and they are about the same age... if you had to start a band and you needed a conguero either one of them will be perfect it will only come down to a matter of taste and
i love them both.......happy new year!

mucho ache from el barrio
spanish harlem nyc.

[Laurent Lamy]

This kind of comparison is useless. One should be delighted with to be able to listen to the two to show us the way.

[muddy323]

Francisco Aquabella:This man really impress me at Santa Moncia pier in Calif. summer 2002. This conquero soloed thru the entire song. What a show opener, I was blown away.Im still trying to locate that song and CD. If any Congaplace conquero's know this song. Please advise

[LatinSol]

Wow some awesome names you guys mentioned but I don't think I could really say one is the greatest as they all have brought something to the table, maybe some more than others as inovaters but there is too long a list. It makes us proud to see the new breed like Raul Rekow and Johnny Conga and such players as these showing how much they have taken and gathered from the masters..

[JohnnyConga]

Thanks for calling me "new breed" I have only been "on the scene " for 40 years. I am 54 years old and getting better all the time. I heard of a blind african drummer who plays up to 10 drums at once, is he the "greatest" drummer in the world? comparisons are useless as my drum brother Laurant said. there are too many "great" drummers in the WORLD! And the best has not been heard from yet, except for those mentioned. ........At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[KingKongas]

This is definitely an individual/exposure thing... if you havent heard alot of drummers in your 'hood then you only hear what's "commercially" available to us. But keep listening... there are drummers out there right now who are really good... Anga/Gio are "top-shelf" drummers... ANY QUESTIONS??? Absolutely NOT! Let's not forget the history either... mongo, etc.....

[yoni]

Got to agree with most here that comparisons are really useless. It's great that way because it's all matters of taste - it's art, not sport, right? And there are also plenty of "unknowns", as Johnny Conga and KingKongas point out. I've seen some "drum animals" who never got the exposure.

[door]

About speed... who's the fastest hidalgo? or Richie flores?
I saw him with jack bruce Horacio and Ameen. And I didn't follow it anymore.
But I think that every player can practising on speed

Everytime when I hear "Acid" from baretto I think this is all what you need. It's magic but I can't explain why, I don't know how you can learn playing like this, it is not just hearing and repeat what ray did. because it is more than thiming, notes en groove.

[JohnnyConga]

There is no contest amongst drummers. some are just faster than others and that's all there is to it. Gio-Anga-Roberto Quintero-Wendall Rivera-Ritchie Flores-Paoli Mejias-are all fast, and?..........there are more than you can imagine out there with fast hands, yours truly is still fast handed,not as fast as a Gio or Anga but I got speed too. It is just one small aspect of playing....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA....