What are bongos made from?

The modern bongos, or bongó as they are called in Spanish, are a set of two drums with shells typically constructed of a hardwood such as oak or mahogany, or of fiberglass.

1. What animal skin are bongos made of?
2. Where was the bongo made?
3. Why are bongos so expensive?
4. What animal skin is used as head of drum?
5. Why are bongos called bongos?
6. What does the bongo eat?
7. Are bongos from Spain?
8. Who is the best bongo player in the world?
9. What should bongos be tuned to?
10. What is the difference between congas and bongos?

What animal skin are bongos made of?

Bongo drums with animal skin drumheads are most typically made with goat or cow skins. Although they share the same name, bongo drums are not typically or even traditionally made from the skin of a bongo antelope.

Where was the bongo made?

Bongo drums were created about 1900 in Cuba for Latin American dance bands. Other Cuban folk drums are also called bongos.

Why are bongos so expensive?

The more custom your bongos, the higher the price. Furthermore, often bongo professionals will fit and use their own drumheads to match their style of playing, which adds to the cost (not as much as you would think, though.

What animal skin is used as head of drum?

Animal skin drum heads are produced from the hides of goats, cows and other livestock. Some drums are produced with the imported skins of animals native to their origin, such as the goat skin on a Djembe, giving the drum an authentic look, feel and sound.

Why are bongos called bongos?

Ethnomusicologists have theorized that the origin of the word “bongo” comes from the Bantu words ngoma or mgombo, meaning drum. The bongo's earliest musical roots are found in the Eastern provinces of Cuba in the Changüi and Son, two musical genres that feature the bongo as the sole percussive drum.

What does the bongo eat?

Mountain bongos are both browsers and grazers, eating a variety of leaves, shoots and grasses. They sometimes reach leaves by using their horns to twist and break the branches of trees and shrubs. Bongos will eat mineral-rich soil and drink muddy water at mineral licks, which are often created by elephants.

Are bongos from Spain?

Bongos (Spanish: bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed drums of different sizes. In Spanish the larger drum is called the hembra (female ) and the smaller the macho (male).

Who is the best bongo player in the world?

One of the most noted Bongoceros is Jack Costanzo, or, "Mr. Bongo," who played at nightclubs featuring noted celebrities such as Peggy Lee, Betty Grable, Tony Curtis, Xavier Cugat, Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, and Eddie Fisher and is credited with introducing the bongos to American jazz music.

What should bongos be tuned to?

When tuning your bongo, you should tune the hembra and macho an octave apart, with the macho tuned at B through D, or about two octaves above middle C and the hembra (or larger drum) tuned at A octave, or, again, two octaves above middle C.

What is the difference between congas and bongos?

The biggest differences between congas and bongos are their size and sound. Bongos are small and easy to carry around while congas are much larger. Congas have a deep depth that gives them a low and warm tone. The diameter of the congas is also larger with the most common sizes being 11” to 12.5”.