In case you wondered...

[roberthelpus]

All those LPs they are playing are actually SE Asian instruments

Don't be a troll, congas originated in Cuba, and they are considered Cuban percussion no matter where they are made.

Not trolling. It's a joke, hence the smilies. And they were playing SE Asian made drums.

The initial post was not meant as a troll either. Go Go has it's own unique thing going on and I found it interesting. Did I just replace at ton of old Rumba and old school Son (or a bunch of old style Country for that matter) on my MP3 player with Go Go? No. But it does have validity and if somebody was playin' some of that at a club down the street I'd be going there to have a couple of cold ones and shake me some booty.

[Derbeno]

Yes they are, and people play funk on them, and venezuelan music on them, and cumbias on them etc. etc. etc. Drumset is an american instrument and people play brazillian rhythms on them, and cuban rhythms on them etc. etc. etc. Just becuase go-go music isn't cuban doesn't mean the dudes aren't rockin the pocket when they are throwing down. Now if you don't like it that's fine, but there's no denying that the folks in DC created a unique genre all their own that has been pretty enduring.

Good observation pc
I remember seeing a youtube vid where this guy was giving lessons on correct technique how to play go-go. I can't seem to find it again. Quite interesting to see how they developed all these strokes with the 'correct' way to play them.

What amazes me is that they seem to have longevity and do not appear to do their hands, wrist, elbows, arms or shoulders physical damage.

The thing to note is that drumset and other instruments played in a 180degree shift from their original music genre seems to roughly carry the same basic technique. I can't say that for go-go smackin.

[RitmoBoricua]

I like so many different percussive explorations and Go Go is just another. There's a lot of it I like and appreciate. One of the things I don't think too much of, is the Conga snob who only believes in the purity and sanctity of folkloric traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms, to the exclusion of appreciating other expressive uses of this wonderful instrument. All deference and respect to the pros on this forum and their craft and love for Cuban music. I open to all of it. Just sayin...

You hit the nail right on the head. I see the boys up D.C. having fun with it,
not everybody is into afro-cuban music. They have their very own style. That's
one thing I always liked about Miles Davis bands in the late 60's early 70's he
had percussionists on his band but they, it seems to me, did not play in any
traditional afro-caribbean way, they did their own thing, and those bands
kicked butt and took names, and some even say that they even changed the course
of music.In my opinion what makes Giovanni Hidalgo so great is that he can play
all the afro-caribbean shit like nobody business but also can play many other
rhythms from around the globe too. Anybody ever seen him with Mickey Hart and
Planet Drum?

About congas, bongos, batas, barriles de bomba, etc them drums
originated in Africa not in the caribbean like so many of the rhythms,
and chants.

Roberthelpus the funny thing about the so called Thai oak is that is not
really oak nor Thai is actually rubberwood brought to South-Asia from
Brazil there you have it the so called Thia oak is really a tree species
from the Americas.

[roberthelpus]

Roberthelpus the funny thing about the so called Thai oak is that is not
really oak nor Thai is actually rubberwood brought to South-Asia from
Brazil there you have it the so called Thia oak is really a tree species
from the Americas.

I knew about the Siam Oak = no longer producing rubber wood, but didn't think about the fact that the species was transplanted from the Americas. Thanks for that.

I do wish that the manufacturers would just come out and call it rubber wood. Most of them eventually say this if you read deeper in their literature but I just assumed it was some Asian species of oak for a long time. Meinl seems to be the most upfront about it stating "Two ply Rubber Wood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell.-Arg.)"

I have 3 congas and one set of bongos made out of rubber wood and 2 made out of oak oak.

[RitmoBoricua]

I would not be surprised if Martin Coen (LP founder) originally coined the term " Thai Oak".

[RitmoBoricua]

Africa the Motherland. Land of the drums, rhythms, chants and dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... VPLIuBy9CY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beCDpQ6JVDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPGYbg_CDgU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdcXZgj3nqI

[vinnieL]

Sorry I couldn't listen to 5 minutes of this crap. And it's not because its non traditional playing because theres a lot of things that are adapted and in a sense non tradition like funk conga grooves. But this is crap I'm sorry I listen to lots of different kinds of music but this?

[pcastag]

OK so the conga battle may not be your thing , but just in case you don't know much about go go you should check this out. This is the real deal when go go was really hitting hard

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zxfTySOB8D8

Then the man who started it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upWQ98xXB1o

ANd of course the one's who made it all popular with Da Butt. E.U.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e4FaNDczsY

DC got that go-go beat!

[vinnieL]

Yeah I guess they are doing their thing it's just not for me but hey they are enjoying themselves so

[pcastag]

Yeah, the drummer in the last band got picked up by Miles after he saw them play, sooooo

[rhythmrhyme]

I read somewhere that the go go clubs in DC had a reputation for being violent - any experiences like this from the board members?

From the clips I've seen it certainly seems embedded in a culture and feel of the 80's. I keep waiting for Paula Abdule to do a walk on "oh oh oh, did the hit and run" or however it goes. That was around the time Miles Davis developed his Doo-Bop album, and just before he died. I never cared for the Doo-Bop album, I really thought he lost his way with this final production. I understood the sentiment of trying to connect with the street culture and everything that was associated with the promotion of the album, but just felt like he missed the mark. The album has a very dated feel that I relate to the 80's, even though it was released in 1992. Most of his other work I feel is timeless, but not this one.

[RitmoBoricua]

After the long hiatus Miles took sometime in the 70's
I did not care for his music in the 80's and early 90's.

[pavloconga]

I think it's got its own groove and style, it's a movement in itself so there's no point in comparing it to what happens in Cuba or anywhere else. Just a completely different expression. Like anything, if people in that scene develop it for the next 100 years or so who knows to what level some of those dudes could take it.

p.s. I'd love to see Giovanni turn up at one of these gigs and blow them away!