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Candido: Father Of Modern Conga Drumming

There isn’t a conga player or multiple-percussionist today that doesn’t play something that Candido did first. His innovations in coordinated independence, using two and three drums, melodic playing, tuning drums to specific pitches, and multi-percussion technique were all harbingers of what players do today.

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Poncho Sanchez, George Ortiz & Joey De Leon

Latin Jazz Roundtable

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Suphala: Ancient Sounds For The New World

Suphala has been on a mission to break barriers and educate the uneducated. She’s got her work cut out for her – a female tabla player tends to be the exception to the rule in countries where the instrument is popular and in some countries is simply unprecedented – such as when she performed in front of hundreds of people in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2005 as the first female musician to play in public since the fall of the Taliban. Add that to an already impressive résumé listing collaborations with alt-rock god Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and actor-singer Antonio Banderas and you’ve got some serious barrier-breaking abilities. Talk about dispelling assumptions.... MORE »

Features

From The Archive: Glen Velez Profile

In this 1997 interview, the hand drumming virtuoso explains how he was introduced to frame drums, mastered their subtle intricacies, and passed along his passion to the next generation of drummers.... MORE »

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Arturo Stable: Outer Limits Of Latin Jazz

There are a number of great hand drummers out there, but Arturo Stable is different — he’s a great musician who plays hand drums. And while the signature rhythms of his native Cuba provide a starting point for the 33-year-old conguero, the depth of his talent has long ago played over those bar lines.... MORE »

Features

The Hottest Conga CDs Of All Time

Clearly, we like to cause trouble. And nothing is more inflammatory than a list like this — of the greatest conga drumming CDs of all time — for the simple reason that it’s impossible to please every percussion fan on the planet unless you include every conga CD ever recorded. We didn’t, and we’re ready to take the heat. So check out our list, and bring it on.... MORE »

Valerie Naranjo Presents West African Rhythms

Vic Firth and Pikes Peak Community College offer Colorado drummers a chance to experience one of the best percussionists on the planet this weekend when Valerie Naranjo, of the Saturday Night Live Band and Broadway's The Lion King present hand drums from West Africa. In addition, the PPCC Percussion Ensemble will perform as well as the Bruce Anderson Drum Circuit Community Groups. This event is sponsored by Vic Firth, Zildjian, the Green Room Music Complex, PPCC Music Department, and the Bruce Andersons Drum Circuit.

Drums of Illumination

Shrouded in mystery, the frame drum can be traced back to the Paleolithic era, and has been historically used as an ancient technology to alter consciousness in spiritual ritual. Images of women playing the frame drum are pervasive in artifacts of goddess traditions from ancient civilizations in the Near East, India, Greece, Rome, and other parts of the world.

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Luis Conte Signature Congas And Bongos

Grammy-winning percussionist Luis Conte has put his years of experience and insight into the design of these MIPA-award-winning signature congas and bongos. Conte and Meinl have gathered the best components of old-school Cuban drums and coupled them with some hip modern innovations. These instruments offer top-notch craftsmanship and an incredible sound. And besides being great drums, they’re also cost-effective. So you get value, great sound quality, and attractiveness — what more do you need?

Features

PAS Creates Non-Western Percussion Contest

Non-Western percussion-based performing ensembles from around the world are invited to enter the Percussive Arts Society's World Music Percussion Ensemble Competition. The winning ensemble will be invited to perform at PASIC 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Cover StoryGear

Pearl Jingle Cajon

Pearl has long been a driving force in the world of drum sets, hardware, and drum-set accessories. But over the course of the last several years the company has been steadily branching out, expanding its percussion catalog with products that seamlessly meld hard-won traditional wisdom and forward-thinking design innovations. Enter the Pearl Jingle Cajon. Designed alongside Los Angeles percussionist Pete Korpela, the Jingle Cajon takes what is fast becoming the percussion-instrument innovator’s preferred palette to a whole new level.

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All In The Mars Volta Familia

You would be unlikely to point to Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez as the little brother of Omar, the notoriously ironhanded leader of The Mars Volta. Seven years younger with a mellow drawl punctuated by hip-hop-style damns and surfer-dude fer sures, Marcel is the Texas-bred prog-rock group’s wild card — the guy who does a little of everything in a way that couldn’t be done by just anyone.

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