MAKE YOUR OWN BONGO DRUMS WHAT ARE BONGO DRUMS? Bongo drums are a great instrument for exploring rhythms and beats as well as Latin American culture with children. Originating in Afro-Cuban culture, bongos are a pair of small hand drums, attached to each other and open at the bottom. The large drum is usually about 7 inches in diameter and the smaller one is generally about 5 inches across.

In Cuba, a bongo player is called a bongocero.

HISTORY Like many folk instruments, the exact origin of the bongo drums is not entirely clear. Music historians mention that bongos resemble both a drum from North Africa, called the tbilat (or tanan) and traditional drums from West Africa as well.

Historically, bongos became popular in the 19th century in the Eastern region of Cuba accompanying song styles called “son”, “nengon”, and “changui”. In the Cuban “son” the bongos were originally used during the quiet parts of a song and the bongocero used a cowbell to keep the beat during the louder parts. Later, “son” music became so popular it spread to the capitol of Havana and the Western part of Cuba. Bongos quickly became a standard part of Cuban big bands. Then, as Cuban dance bands and big bands traveled all over the world, the bongo came along as well!

MAKE YOUR OWN BONGO DRUMS It’s easy to make a good working bongo drum at home. All you need are these basic materials:

SUPPLIES Two round containers of different sizes. (Coffee cans, oatmeal and corn meal containers work well).

Materials to decorate, such as construction paper, colorful tape, markers, stickers, glitter and glue, etc. Sturdy tape – such as electrical tape or duct tape Start by decorating your two drums. If you have construction paper, cut out a cover for each drum making it easier for a child to design their drum on a fl at surface. Then, tape the cover into place around each drum. If not, feel free to allow the child to decorate the rounded surface of the drum. Stickers work well for this type of approach.

How To Play The Bongos Here are some tips on learning the basic techniques for bongo drums.

Start by tapping the larger drum with your hands, using the upper part your palms (toward the base of your fi ngers). Tap the center, then other areas on the drum head and notice the difference in the sound. Then do the same with the smaller head. Play back and forth Once you’ve completed the decoration process, take the electrical tape between the larger and smaller head. or duct tape and secure the drums to one another. Do this by wrapping the tape around both drums several times. Now, you’re ready to play! Next, try tapping the large head with one or more fi ngertips and you’ll hear a quieter sound. Do the same HOW ARE BONGO DRUMS HELD? on the smaller head. Now you can If you see bongo drums set up as part of an orchestra or percussion mix and match the sounds you’ve ensemble, they are probably mounted on a stand. However, traditionally just discovered and form them into bongo drums are held between your legs, with the smaller drum to your patterns. Start simple and fi nd patterns left. you enjoy or put on Latin American music and try to match the patterns If you are playing bongos with a child, feel free to place the bongos where from the song. You can also create new it’s easiest for the child to experiment with them. This might be on their rhythm patterns that fi t with the music lap as they sit cross-legged, or on the desk or fl oor in front of them. you hear as well. If you were playing traditional Afro- Once you’ve made your homemade bongos, feel free to use your new Cuban bongos or similar Latin American drums to “just jam” or to learn and play some of the great beats from music, there would be many specifi c these timeless traditions! techniques and patterns you might like to learn. Serious bongoceros play some really elaborate beats and have signature techniques, including one that See bongos and conga drums live on almost everyone recognizes called “el DARIA’s website – multikidsmusicvids.com martillo” or “the hammer”.

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