Cuban Heat Up Bongos: Real instrument, or just souvenir?

[congabluedog]

Cuco can you put a date on it by the stamp and #73?

[Omelenko1]

Jaquie'e hardware Requena is one of the best sounding bongos I ever had. Its small but packs a powerful sound. I had it for over 20 yrs. Diego Iborra (Mofeta) Dizzy's first tumbador before Chano brought it from Cuba in the early 50's. Mofeta and Requeha played together with Orquesta Riverside in Havana. I bought it from Mofata many years ago. Every one who saw it and played it loved it. Mongo loved it because of its incredible big sound, it only weighs like 4 Lbs. Mario Galagarza my good friend and Willie Colon's original conga player, loved the sound they have. Here is a photo of him sunbathing in my backyard. Also see a photo of Diego Iborra (Mofeta) Dizzy's first conga player with the bass King, Cachao.

Dario

[Anonimo]

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[congabluedog]

Dario I still love these bongos.....beautiful drum with an amazing history. Thanks.

[Omelenko1]

Jaquie, see a photo of Mofeta with Cachao on my post above.

[dende]

Dario's hardware Requena: 51/2" and 7"
The tack head Requena: 61/4 and 71/2

Any comments on it would be appreciated. Was this tack head also meant as a souvenir? The wood is a little thicker than the hardwared Requena....but they have many similarities. Do other people think it is Requena? OK..here are the pics. The Made in Cuba as well as the inside stamp are on the tack head.

Requena 1.JPG

Requena 4.JPG

you say that the shell of the tack head is thicker, but it just seems to me they are the same. its just the bottom was lathed out for the bottom hardware ring to rest in.
many on here are throwing around 1& 1/2 and 2& 1/2, what does that jargon mean?

[congabluedog]

Good point Dende. I measured taking that into account and they are actually similar in thickness....The hardware Requena being just a little thinner.

[Anonimo]

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[congabluedog]

Leedy it is a little hard to read because faded but I am pretty sure it says" MATADERO No. 73". There is writing on top of this but you can't make it out. When I looked closer at the stamp with a flashlight I saw written in pencil "MAMBO". ....all capital letters.

[Anonimo]

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[OmarFuzz]

Hey All,
Boy, you stay away for a couple days and miss a lot! Things move quickly around here in the forum!
OK, so first of all THANK YOU ALL for your amazing input, stories, advise, photos, and opinions! I could have never in a million years expected a little set of Cuban bongos to be the fuel for such a stir!

Psych1- For sure I will entertain any deals for any of your 2.5 Requenas! please hit me up when you're back stateside.

Jacqui- I have no doubt that your bongo and my bongo are definitely from the same family, the similarities are too striking. I only wish mine were full size like yours. Have ever tried tuning them, with a can of sterno ala Mangual??

Finally, I've posted a few more pics of some of my pieces, including a pic of my mini Requenas along with my solid shell Cubans with Jay Bereck hardware. Can anyone shed some light on these old guys...all I know is that the person I bought them from may have bought them from one of the Rodriguez brothers back in the early sixties, they are solid shell and at some point they were outfitted with SOS hardware...

[Omelenko1]

Matadero #73 is a street in Old Havana. Matadero numero 73. That's where Requena had his workshop in Havana. Vergara had his shop on Calle Someruelos, also in Old Havana

[Omelenko1]

Those on the photo above were made by Gonzalo Vergara, solid Caoba wood. A higher class bongo' than the Requena, soundwise they sound pretty much the same, both excellent sound. The issue with both Requenas and Vergara in this day and age is that the hardware is pretty weak, after all they are 60 year old bongos. Hardware needs to be reinforced with additional welding or a new set of hardware need to be made.

[OmarFuzz]

Hola Dario,
Thanks again for the info!
So if that stamp inside of Jacqui's tac-head reads Matadero 73, and this was where Requena had his shop, then is there any doubt that my mini set of bongos was indeed made by Requna? I guess I have a Requena pequena!

Also, thanks for the info on the other set! I wondered if they could possibly be Vergara, and yes, as you can see at some point Jay Bereck was brought in to make new hardware for it. That bongo sounds unbeleivable, but it is very fragile and old, and has been repaired (rather roughly) many times in its past. I strictly only use it when i'm playing along to very old school tipico Son Montuno and Charanga. I absolutely never crank it up way high and never beat on it at all...I bought that bongo from a very dear special friend who basically did me a favor by even selling it to me. That bongo has been played by masters, appeared on historically important records, and been on the most famed stages of New York and Habana...a true relic.

THX
Omar

[Omelenko1]

Back in the late 40's and 50's most of Requena's production (bongos and congas) were sold through SOLIS Music Store in Old Havana, that's why on a lot of them you see the SOLIS sticker on the inside, but musicians went direct to Requena's workshop and got their goods direct. Vergara had his workshop in Calle Someruelos and people like Mongo, Patato, Armando, Candito, Yeyito and Tata went to Vergara direct. This was told to me by Alfredo Farach (RIP) an artisan friend of mine who passed away a couple of years ago and was in his 90's. Farach was a trap set drummer who made drum sets in Cuba and made awesome timbales. Here in Miami he made timbales for Pacheco, Fajardo, Orch. Broadway, Walfredo De Los Reyes.... he told me he made a total of 10 sets outside of Cuba. Mongo recalled going to the Vergara brothers to get shells made for both bongos and congas and then took them to a welding shop in Calle Zanja (Chinese district in Old Havana) to have the hardware made.