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Bongos

Bongo drums or bongos are a percussion instrument made up of two small drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size. The larger drum is called a hembra (Spanish: female) and the smaller drum is called a macho (Spanish: male).^[1]

The Atlantic slave trade brought bongos to South America from Africa. The history of bongo drumming can be traced to the Cuban music styles known as changui and son. These styles first developed in eastern Cuba (Oriente province) in the late 19th century. Initially, the bongo had heads which were tacked and tuned with a heat source. By the 1940s, metal tuning lugs developed to facilitate easier tuning. Some of the first recordings of the bongo can be heard performed by the groups Sexteto Habanero, Sexteto Boloña and Septeto Nacional.

It is believed that bongos evolved from the Abakua drum trio 'Bonko' and its lead drum 'Bonko Enmiwewos'. These drums are still a fundamental part of the Abakua Religion in Cuba. If joined with a wooden peck in the middle, such drums would look much like the bongos we know today.

The two small drums that make up Bongos are typically made of wood, metal, or composite materials, attached by a thick piece of wood. The drum head can be made of animal skin or it can be synthetic. Some bongoceros prefer the sound of X-ray film as the head on the macho.

Bongo-like drums with ceramic bodies and goatskin or rawhide heads are found in Morocco where they are known as tbila, as well as in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. They can sometimes be found accompanying flamenco and other traditional Spanish music, partially because of the Moorish influence in Spain. Ceramic bongos are more common in the Middle East and Asia than they are in South America; this is because wooden bongos were brought to Cuba during the slave trade.

Bongo drums produce high-pitched sounds, and should be held between the knees with the larger drum on the right when right-handed. They are traditionally played by striking the drumheads with the fingers and palms, although some contemporary compositions require sticks or brushes. Bongos can also be muted by placing part of the hand on top of the head while striking it at the same time. In Cuban music, bongos are usually played by the same musician as the cowbell (Spanish: cencerro). These drums can also be played on a stand, as is the case with concert orchestras and bands.

They have also become a popular instrument among soundtrack writers for movies and television, because of their versatility and high-pitched sounds.

• DK Bongos: bongo-like game controllers for the Nintendo GameCube video game console

1. ^ Bongomania bongos bongo drums

• Bongo Mania article
• Collection of Bongo Videos
• Worldwide Bongo Group
• online community for bongo and other world percussion
• the Rhythmweb Bongo Page