Bongos are accessible instruments and learning the basics of bongos is easy. Played with the hands and fingers, the drums are yoked together to help the performer execute lively rhythmic dialogues. Bongo drums were created about 1900 in Cuba for Latin American dance bands.
The larger of the two drums, referred to as the “hembra,” is typically between eight to ten inches in diameter, while the smaller drum, the “macho” is about six to eight inches in diameter. The two drums are held together by a small bridge normally made up of composite wood, regardless of the material of the shells.
Since I've played them since 1957, I am an accomplished bongo player or what the Spanish call a "Bongo cero."
At 77, I'm the oldest Bongo cero in Reno NV.
