MANTECA DE COROJO

[juancho]

AM GOING TO HAVE TO ORDER THIS PRODUCT ONLINE SINCE I'VE SPEND ALL MORNING AND AFTERNOON LOOKING FOR THIS IN BEAUTY SUPPLIES AND FOUND NOTHING NOR THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PRODUCT. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHAT MANTECA DE COROJO DOES TO THE SKIN? I KNOW IT TAKES CARE OF IT BUT IN THE LONG RUN DOES IT MAKE IT SOUND BETTER? ALSO I WAS TOLD FROM SOMEONE TO CLEAN THE HEADS I CAN USE SADDLE SOAP..........DOES THIS WORK?

[vinnieL]

You can easily get it at a Botanica it is also known as palm oil.

[juancho]

Thanks Vinnie,
Hey........how's the beach crow at Las Olas?

[Tonio]

Personally, I wouldn't use saddle soap. I use a damp cloth and wipe the excess grime off a skin. It usually comes off easily.
Take it easy with manteca de corojo, you don't need much of it for treating dried up skin. sometimes-depending on the skin, it make the tone somewhat dampened-loosing the high end snap.

T

[vinnieL]

The Las Olas crows ias well you know eye pleasing! theres a lot going on and its been through a lot of changes over the years so theres even more going on now. Unfortunately not much in the way of Latin music going on. But like i said there are plenty of sights to keep you visually entertained.

[goingquinto]

I only use a damp cloth as well. It takes off the dirt, but doesen't take away the oils from the head. I just wet a washrag with warm water, then wring it out really well. I wipe the conga headwith the wet cloth, then wipe again with dry cloth.

[vinnieL]

The manteca/palm oil goes a long way no need to put too much on the head it is actually enough just o put it on your hands and just play the drums it will work its's way in. Some people like Omelenko like to put it on and leave the drum in the sun for a while. There are different methods to play with. It's up to you.

[yambu321]

TRUE ABOUT DIFFERENT METHODS,
I MYSELF LIKE TO FIRST WIPE THE HEAD DOWN WITH A LIGHTLY DAMP CLOTH, THEN PLACE A FEW DROPS OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL ON THE PALM OF ONE OF MY HANDS, THEM RUB BOTH OF MY PALMS TOGETHER AND EVENLY SPREAD THE LIGHT COAT ALL AROUND THE HEAD. THEN JUST BEFORE I PLAN TO PLAY MY DRUMS I'LL WIPE OFF THE LIGHT COATING WITH A DRY CLOTH. IT'S ALSO GREAT FOR THE WOOD AS WELL. ( SALAD ANYONE? )

PS: TONIO IS RIGHT. TOO MUCH OIL ABSORBED BY A SKIN WILL CAUSE IT TO SOUND FLAT AS OPPOSED TO LIVELY, NOT A GOOD THING. SO PLEASE DON'T OVER DO IT.

CHARLIE.

[jorge]

I use manteca de corojo to keep the skin on my hands from drying out and cracking, especially in the winter time. I haven't found over years that it does much to help the sound of the drum skin, and too much may make some skins sound duller. What I do use it for is to replace the natural oils of the drum skin after I clean it. I clean the drum skins with rubbing alcohol (rum works pretty well too), especially if there is blood on it. The alcohol takes some of the natural oils out of the skin, and I use manteca de corojo to replace the oils and keep the skin from getting too dried out.
The big problem with manteca de corojo is it will permanently discolor white clothes if you let it get on them. Some people prefer shea butter, olive oil, or other vegetable fats for that reason. I have even seen one of the top drummers in NYC use butter on his hands when he had nothing else in a winter time restaurant gig.
You can get it online. One of the biggest online botanicas is at:
http://www.folkcuba.com/stores/hm_lucum ... ubCatID=30
You can get a half pound for 2 bucks plus postage, or a 55 gallon drum for $520, your choice. It does go rancid in the heat, so I the smallest quantity will be fine.

[Tonio]

Butter huh Jorge? Learn something new everyday I never tried butter LOL. I tend to keep a little bit of hand lotion in my gig bag at all times.

I hear you about winter and getting dry, like a snake . It doesn't get too cold here in SD, but the skin (ours and the drums)does go through a change during colder months.

Agreed about Manteca de corojo staining. I might have to try some olive oil. evoo(extra virgin) right Charlie?

T

[vinnieL]

olive oil works well i used it on feshly mounted skins to put some oils back in the skin. It's good stuff.

[GuruPimpi]

Hello!

Myself i use 100% shea butter since i can't get palm oil here, and lanolin is also great. Shea butter a bit warmed up becomes liquid and is very easily to soak in the skin and doesn't leaves the skin to be sticky like lanolin...

PimpS

[caballoballo]

Mi gente, you have to be carefull with any of the recomended product on this post. They are not to be use everytime you tune because the skin could be soften too much and it may breake. The skin need to have some resistance to provide the high tone on the macho. I use the manteca about twice a year. Just my 2 centavos.

[KING CONGA]

I am currently treating the skins on my congas, I am using Olive Oil. how long should I leave it on before wiping it off and tuning the drum?

[Mike]

I am currently treating the skins on my congas, I am using Olive Oil. how long should I leave it on before wiping it off and tuning the drum?

A couple of hours in a warm place should do if it is a freshly mounted, thoroughly dried skin.
Just my 2 cents.