Online 'e-zine'

[Bongo Boy]

From time to time folks ask if there's a "conga magazine" available, and generally the reply is no. I wonder if there's any practical way to use this site to publish a periodical that looks and feels like a magazine, but has all the advantages of web-based delivery (intergalactic distribution, for one). Probably would be named "CongaZine", I'd think

Benefits would include indexibility, cross-referencing, hyperlinking, etc. I don't know who would contribute, but think what the greatest conga magazine in the world would look like!! Just imagine if professional congueros (or percussionists in general) could be persuaded to publish an article every, say, 3 months. You might even find folks who would volunteer to do editing, etc.

Now suppose a big-shot headliner would make a guest appearance, or do interviews, etc., from time to time. This IS possible--I'm not sure where one would begin--I have no experience in this area (except as a published magazine writer--different topic).

Most folks seriously underestimate how much work this kind of thing is, but it's an idea. The toughest first step is to decide what the 'mission' or 'charter' of the magazine is (scope, purpose, intended audience--all that marketing stuff essential to maintaining focus).



Edited By Bongo Boy on May 13 2002 at 18:09

[tamboricua]

Hola Bongo Boy, hope all is well! This is an excellent idea!
Let me know if I can be of further help! I'm familiar with music
notation engraving.


Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

[CongaMan]

Hi both!
THIS IS JUST A GREAT IDEA!!!!!
I wish I could have time to reply as I would but I'm very busy at the present time ....

I invite you all to start thinking about the structure of the Congazine and to write down some ideas.

I have to go now but I hope to be back this week-end and discuss furthermore with you about this great new project for CongaPlace..

CIAO!

[Bongo Boy]

...hmmm. Looks like we succeeded in getting CongaMan all spun up!

I think we need some ideas from the Conga Collective as to what the PURPOSE of a periodical would be. Why do we need it or want it, what will it do for the reader that the rest of the forum does not (or how will it do it differently).

Here are some of my ideas--I think they are all subject to argument, criticism and differing opinion.

A periodical is a good place to put information that's transient in nature, such as:

Upcoming workshops & seminars
Upcoming live shows & tours
Ensemble changes (musical genre, lineup, etc)
Product & gear reviews

It would also be a place to introduce:

1) New artists/bands,
2) Tips from the Pros (which could later be archived elsewhere on CongaPlace).
3) New clubs, closed clubs, etc.

...and, it should probably have some 'philosophical' constraints too, such as:

1) International scope (try to balance coverage)
2) [maybe] the focus is on the instrument more so than on the genre of music--any use of a conga is fair game (except as a feta cheese repository, of course).
3) [maybe] the focus is on everything that is NOT a drumset, since drumset is covered by so many magazines already.

Here are also some ideas for regular columns:

1. Tips from the Pros (self-explanatory)
2. Rhythm of the Month/Quarter (self-explanatory)
3. Day-in-the-Life (some magazines do this with folks who are viewed as successful in their particular field--basically a diary of a typical day for, say, a professional conguero (not necessarily a big-shot headliner, just a working conguero), a professional instructor, whatever).

Just ideas guys...don't shoot me!!



Edited By Bongo Boy on May 15 2002 at 15:50

[CongaMan]

Good starting point BongoBoy....
I will open a new forum soon to discuss further and more deeply this matter...

Talk to you soon!

[JohnnyConga]

I would be more than happy to participate in the CongaZine. idea. As an Artist,writer,critic,composer,teacher,etc. At your service......JC JOHNNY CONGA.......................

[CongaMan]

That's GREAT JC !!!
Being such an experienced conguero Your role into the CongaZine will extremely important, valuable and necessary!!

You are a GREAT MAN!!!
I hope to have time to work something out this week-end... I will let you know!

Bye!!

[Schlonga]

Great idea BongoBoy! I'd love to help out with the Conga Zine - apart from my passion for the conga, I can offer web design and article editing services, should they be of any use.

[tamboricua]

Hi Congaforum, hope all is well! We have to keep this conga e-zine idea rolling. I just find out through my friend Víctor Rendón, that the Latin Percussionist Newsletter has been discontinued. Surely it will be missed.


Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

[CongaMan]

Hi there,
i'm happy to see that this project is still in our minds and I agree with Tamboricua we should keep it rolling....

I did not see before the post made by Schlonga but I can confirm that any kind of help to develope the site is absolutely welcome especially on the web design side where I'm the only one working for CongaPlace....

I've been thinking a lot about the CongaZine and I came to the conclusion that this project has to be realized step by step otherwise we will never start!

The Bongo Boy post gives us already a lot of good ideas, what I suggest now is to choose one of them and discuss it more deeply....

For example:
Upcoming workshops & seminars
Upcoming live shows & tours
1) New artists/bands,
2) Tips from the Pros

Which one of them would you like to see in force first?
... and then "who makes what and how?":

Who's going to realize the web design and database support? (Schlonga and me for the moment)
How this feauture will work? (anyone can add an upcoming workshop or only us? How we want to orginize records? - by country, by genre).
Who and how is going to update, for example, "Tips from the Pros" or any other feature ? (JC for the moment)....

I cannot be in charge of any updates of the CongaZine (because i just couldn't find the time to do it) so we have to create new tools for anyone of us to operate indipendently on the congazine...

I want, for example, JohnnyConga to be able to add his "Tips from the Pros" on his own and when he wants!!

I look forward to your comments and all the best to all of You!