What is Songo?

Kevin Moore is performing an important yet thankless task over on the timba.com site these days - namely he is trying to define what Cubans actually mean by the term 'songo', and how this rhythm came about. Like any genre description, ('fusion jazz', 'country blues', 'alternative'), the words end up having a multiplicity of meanings which only people with serious geek tendencies have the capacity to explain.

Me, I'm just a rock and roll drummer by background, so I offer this simple observation. Next time you see Los Van Van, Manolito Simonet, or any of the other great Cuban bands, pay attention to the drummer. Inevitably, he will have a set of timbales parked over his left side of his drum set. If you watch carefully you'll see that at times he will be playing the timbales only and at other times he will be playing the drum set only.

But mainly, he is playing a combination of both, flowing freely from one to the other in an seamless flow that drives the entire rest of the band.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is yet another one of Cuban contributions to the world of music. A man called 'Changuito' invented this style when he joined Los Van Van in the 70's (under the leadership of Juan Formell who was looking to update the traditional Cuban band), and it is what Cuban drummers learn as their basic set-up to this day (although to be sure there are many variation)

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Comments

[Rob]

Tomorrow i'll see Manolito y su Trabuco in Amsterdam. Yeah !!!Roicel RIVERÓN Mederos will have my extra attention. I am up for a Timba Boost.

[Rob]

Billy,

How about this ? !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79geSY9jQLQ

Riveron in action !