Bong
drums are interesting instruments that produce a unique sound that
you cannot hear anywhere else. But aside from this, these drums also
have an interesting history. While the history of many musical instruments
can be kind of bland, one of the things that makes bongos so interesting
is the ties that it has to the culture from which it came.
It is believed by many that the Atlantic slave trade is what is responsible
for bongo drums first being brought to America. These drums originally
were brought to South America and gradually worked their way north.
Perhaps the fact that they were first introduced into South America
can account for why bomgo drums are so prevalent in Cuban music. Just
as is the same with most cultures, there are different kinds of Cuban
music styles. The two styles that use bongo drums the most are called
“changui” and “son.”
These styles of music first became popular in Cuba in the latter
part of the 1800s. At this time, these drums featured heads that were
tuned by a heat source. A few decades later, things started to change
a bit. By the 1940s, metal tuning lugs were developed. This helped
to facilitate easier tuning of bongo drums.
There are many who believe that the term “bongo” derived
from the Abakua drum trio “Bonko.” These kinds of drums
are among some of the most fundamental items for the Abakua religion
in Cuba.
Bongo drums have evolved over the last several years, but the evolution
has only improved the clarity of the sound. The core sound is still
unchanged. Because these drums provide a sound that few other instruments
can even come close to matching, chances are that bongo drums will
likely be used for many years.