Congas for Hire

Congas are the modern equivalent of the African Atumpan. The largest drum in the Latin American family, congas are as recognisable as bongos in the who's who of Latin American percussion. Congas are generally played in two's or threes, although is not unknown for specialist conga players to have more around them at the same time. The modern conga is generally split into 4 different sizes with the names tumba (the largest), conga, quinto and super quinto. Wooden congas are constructed out of Ash, Beech or Siamese Oak and effectively are long strips glued, clamped and then finished. Fibreglass congas, which became popular 1960's are extremely strong and the newest of fibreglass congas are perfect for touring bands. Like bongos the technique for playing congas takes years to master and in modern settings the sound is somewhat let down when composers ask percussionists to play congas with sticks. This act makes the sound very thin and does not use the depth of the drum to its full potential.