How to Play Calypso on the Bongos--A Lesson for Beginners
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- This is one of the first lessons in the video "Bongo Grooves for Beginners" by Alan Dworsky, available as a download or a DVD at www.dancinghand.... Designed for the first-time hand drummer, the video teaches fun, funky grooves--including The Habanera, Calypso, Tumbao, Bombo, and the Backbeat Groove--that fit with all kinds of music. The video features clear, step-by-step instruction, a non-traditional approach, techniques that are easy on your hands, play-along tracks, a PDF file with charts of all the patterns, tips on tuning and how to hold the bongos, and examples of how to use the grooves to play along with recorded music or jam with your friends.
Just started playing. So far, I love them. These videos are helping me in so many ways.
I'm the backup drummer for a big band. They've asked me to play aux percussion. Your lessons are GOLDEN.
wow thats so cool how did you get that gig
I feel so good
Excellent instruction style! Nicely broken down!
these lesson/videos are really helping me and i love playing the bongos even more!
As A teacher myself I appreciate your relaxed lesson technique I will pass this lesson on to my students.
I love your channel and the kids in school love playing along! :) Primary school says hi from Berlin!
Great lesson,relaxed and easy to follow!
Hey you are a great teacher! keep it up. Those sounds you call touches we call in set drumming (Ghost notes).
Just wanted to let you know. Looking forward to more great video's from you.
Again, your videos are a pleasure to learn from. Cheers!
Thank you, Al! I'll be getting your dvd soon. You explain things very well. And Thank You to Click186 & Mingoao for their interesting history lessons! It makes me want to delve deeper into the differing caribbean styles of music. So rich!
Mingoao The riddim what we here today in calypso/soca is not based on orisha drumming, or tassa riddims. The calypso/soca riddim has his origins in the kingdom of kongo. Its the riddim, which was played on drums in stick fighting ceremonies (which is definitely a congo input). Later the griots of trinidad used this kongo riddim for their kaiso songs. And this is also the riddim which is used in calypso/soca. The ibibio contribution to kaiso is only the name itself. The congo contribution to kaiso is the riddim. The contribution of other west africans lay in the lyrics. Very much Peace.
Hi Click186 . . Thanks for your comments, but I respectfully disagree with you. As I have stated in my reply to Chrictobailar, Soca and Calypso rhythms "*As it Exists Today*" evolved out of many cultural rhythms. As *_Ras Shorty I_*, the originator of Soca, has stated that the Rhythm for soca a genre he created evolved out of African Orisha rhythms and Indian rhythms especially the Dholak. Who am I to say to the inventor of Soca that he is mistaken, and his rhythms are really from the Kongo, after all he invented the genre.
As for calypso, it's rhythms has been strongly influenced by the Yoruba peoples of West Africa and their religion (Orisha). These people had/has great influence in the shaping of Calypso rhythms in Trinidad. The dominant slave community in Trinidad were of West African Yoruba origin and not Central African as is the Congo. As a matter of fact one of the first Yoruba communities/Villages to be established in Trinidad was in "*Freetown*" a community you may know today as *Belmont*. I was born and raised in this community being nurtured on the culture and drums of my ancient Yoruba and Orisha past...
*Just a Little More Info on Freetown - Belmont*
Belmont was the birthplaces of the *Rada* movement which started in 1868 following the arrival of Abojevi Zahwenu, of Dahomey (now Republic of Benin) in 1855. Zahwenu, also called Papa Nanee, and Robert Antoine, purchased several acres of land for $135 at what was to be named Antoine Lane. There he built a *Vodunkwe* (a covered area for religious dancing), a house for his family and established a cemetery for burial of his followers.
The entire religious complex was dedicated to Papa Legba and Ogun, two Orisha deities of the Dahomean people.
I enjoyed the debate . . . Thanks again
Much Peace - Much Love - Nuff Respect
-Ming
Mike you're welcome, and you my friend are a class act. Wish you all the best . . Keep doing what you're doing, -Much Peace
Your really really good at this ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I have all his bongo DVDs Very enjoyable.
Great lesson, Al. I look forward to getting the full DVD.
That is fantastic!, Cristal clear. Thanks Master , God bless you, Thanks!.
Thanks for all the help... some of us really need it.
Thank you Al.
Maybe you should lookup "Ogun berelea ami oh" and "Shango" by Ella Andall as examle of the origins of Trini Drumming. These rhythms are at the root of all Trini Rhythms.. from Soca to Calypso and everything in between ... Hope as a drummer you find some value in this; It's a good place for you to start ... Much Peace - Much Love ....
nice work al
Amazing!
Good vid al. Nice and clear and easy to follow.😀
very helpful
What I've sincerely expressed here, have been my own experiences, insight, education and immersion into a culture and history to which I was born. One which helped made me into the person I am today, that's probably why I defend the culture so vociferously, I owe the culture a lot, and, have much to be thankful for. Maybe you think debate is about insults, I happen to think it's about cultural and idea exchange, people getting to know people, but, I could be wrong. -Much Peace
Trevor, you should've read what I wrote carefully.. Not only isn't the Bongo played in Trinidad Calypso/Orisha drumming but the Congas isn't played either. Authentic Trini drumming for Calypso is played with the following drums. Bembe, Umele, Bo. So you see my friend the beat as described could not have been adapted from the Conga drum to Bongo, as Congas also isnt played to carry a calypso beat. Bongos and Congas are Latin precussion. What's up with the namecalling . ?
wonderful i had heard gis rhythm b4 and i love it
Super helpful!
thanks you take it nice and easy for beginners
Amazing! Thank you
Thanks buddy!
very well. Also teach how to play fast rolling bits on bango drums please
Very helpful!
LOVE love this..what size heads are you playing here??
you're good instructor
good..... is very nice
Oh yeah!!!, rocking ma Bongs!!!!!!.... xoxo 😂
thank you
Sir, I'm starting my learning with Bongo. Which one should I buy? The best quality Bongos that would keep my interest intact for years to come!
Looking for recommendations for a moderately priced set of bongo drums for a beginner
Cool!
Gratidão ♡
THANKS GOOD
What is said was Kaiso was not sung in French in the 1900's, and as for the orgins of the word "Kaiso" It's of Hausa and Ibibio orgin of SouthEastern Nigeria.Captured Ibibio peoples from the Niger Delta were enslaved and brought to the islands of T'dad and Tobago , they brought their music, language, and traditions with them.The word Kaiso survived slavery and was transposed into its eurocentric form Calypso. Kaiso however is defineitly West African(Hausa, Ibibio). Like you said . Nuff Said..
Please watch 'bongos at your fingertips' and see the difference. Regards
Christobailar, no disrespect taken.. this is just a friendly discussion. that said. I born and raise in Orisha(shango) grow up in Cocorite and Belmont, played pan with Starlift, Renegades and Pandemonium(Ray, Hollman and Boogsie). I suckled on drums from the age of 2. So when I tell you I never played a conga or a bongo to initiate any kind of calypso rhythm , brother I aint joking.. I again reitereate what this guy is play has no resemblance nor foundation in Calypso.
BTW...is that music track he played the bongos over [@ the end of the clip] actually considered 'calypso'???
Ishaan Sharma playing calypso on the bongo
I have no problem with the beat, its a good beat, accompanied by sound instructive tuition. I think this guy is a great teacher, just don't call the beat Calypso, it's misleading. People who learn this as a Calypso beat are being misinformed, that's what I have a problem with. This video was titled "How to Play Calypso on the Bongos" not , "How to Play an Interesting Beat on the Bongos".
You know of course, the late Ralph MacDonald played the congas, and was the greatest practitioner of the art of calypso conga drumming? Search RUclips for "Calypso Breakdown," as well as "The Path."
Show us where Ralph played the pattern in this video
que buena afinacion!! aun me cuesta un poco a mi :C!! saludos
what is the name of the song in the intro??
Debate is not about insults. But when every argument you've made for your position hinges on authenticity and being Trini and only you're in a position to know because of who you are and where you come from, you're the one being disrespectful to the conversation. Because you're in fact saying you're the authority here, not the facts not the argument. No one has questioned the sincerity of your beliefs and that ought to never come into play. But what the dude played on those bongos is calypso.
Yes of course someone from the culture has more authority than someone from elsewhere, who is teaching a pattern that is not actually played in the music culture under discussion.
I say again the roots , orgins, history of a rhythm(music) is very important to a culture. I'm proud to claim that heritage for Soca and Calypso.. which came out of the the rhythms of slavery and indentureship. Any Trini will tell you that without JabJab, JabMolassie, Orisha, Tassa (Beats), there will be no Soca/Calypso as it exist today So you see my friend , origins and history is important. I defend our culture, This here, that is portrayed as Calypso drums is bogus.. Much Peace.
i dont like the sound of my bongos how can i make them sound like yours
Thank you for your comment...too bad it got "too many negative votes"...
I guess we can agree to disagree, for me it does matter. Again there is nothing Soca about this beat. I'm almost certain that if you go to a restaurant that claims to sell Old Fashioned Pancakes, and they serve you pancakes made from pre-packaged frozen ingredients, topped with corn syrup and magarine, instead of homemade hand battered and topped with maple syrup and farm fresh butter, you'll be royally pissed. Well this is how I feel about this issue. Authenticity has value, this is my Culture
your own culture. As an example, Belasco's "L'annee passe," later revamped by the Andrews Sisters into "Rum and Coca Cola." But I'm sure you are aware of this since you're so informed. Even Sparrow paid homage to the French influence with his "Sa Sa Ye." But I'm guessing you already know this. Maybe you've also heard of the Roaring Lion and Tiger. They also sang in French. But you are right, Sparrow was born in Grenada and not Barbados as I wrongly stated. But you know, in this day and age
The lyrics were written by Lord Invader .ruclips.net/video/nMWUF3LYd88/видео.html
thanks 4 the pulse pulse pulse thanks 4 the pulse pulse pulse
As a sidenote, Trinidad Drumming do not use bongos.
quiero toque mas completos para combinalos conm los toquess de la cumbia peruana mas jugadas mas repiques para aprender
🌹🌸🌺❤️🇱🇰❤️🌺🌸🌹
but the music in the background is afrobeat, not calypso, I don't get it, why?
NO . . That is not Calypso by no stretch of the imagination. If you are really interested in what real calypso rhythms sound like , just search Soca, Calypso, Trinidad, Ella Andall, right here on youtube and you will discover a very interesting world of music. You can check Arttsts like , Bunji Garlin, 3 Canal, Destra Garcia, Ras Shorty I, Merchant, Maestro etc. etc.
Man, Whatever that is. It ain't Trini calypso drumming. Trini calypso drumming evolved out of Orisha drumming, what we call(Shango Drums) and Tamboo Bamboo. Later it incorporated rhythms from our Indian brothers. Calypso drumming although having roots directly from Africa and spiced a bit with Tassa. Is still unique to Trinidad and Tobago. And that stuff you showing just ain't it.You are a good teacher, but that which you're teachng aint authentic and not from Trinidad, that's not a Trini rhythm
To continue. You omit the strong influence French culture has had on the development of calypso. All of the early calypsos up until about the 40's or so were sung in French. You omit the influence of the contredanse in the formation of calypso rhythms, and this has nothing to do with slavery or indentureship. It had to do with the times. This is why so many early calypsos were just song to the accompaniment of a guitar, not drums. By the way, Sparrow is not "really" Trini. He's from Barbados.
I don't think this what I have heard as a calypso rhythm. Sounds more afro-beat. Good instructional video tho!
even im only 8/1/2 i even play it
Mingao, no disrespect, but you're wrong on this point. It is calypso/soca. He's simply playing the typical rhythm stripped down. And never mind the origins of the rhythms, since the 50's congas and bongos have been utilized in Calypso when the music began to be more overtly rhythmic. In the 20's and 30's calypso was for the most part driven by melody, especially played on stringed instruments like violins/guitar/cuatro as well as flute/clarinet. The most famous practitioner being Lionel Belasco.
I studied with Masters from Trini and played professionally , for 40 years. The bongo pattern in this vid, is not Calypso
@@sambac2053 Dude, the onus is on you to make the argument. All you have done is made an unsubstantiated claim, that this is not calypso. Fine. Tell us why not. Further, the argument from authority doesn't wash here. Maybe you studied with the wrong Trini masters, whatever that is. 40 years? This is an art form that goes back over a hundred years. Go back to 1914 and have a listen to what Lionel Belasco played then. You would be hard pressed to call it calypso. Even the kinds of things The Roaring Lion played wouldn't be described as calypso day, and he comes much later than Belasco. Soca only reaches as far back as the early70s with people like Shorty. Now, from a formal perspective. And I will end here. Just annotate the pattern or tap it our rhythmically and it will be made clear to you that this is a rudimentary calypso pattern. The end.
@@christobailar Your apparent assumption that writings by un-named journalsists,and wiki editors are sources, much less primary sources, is not in accord with the form of logic you seem to extol. Treating what is published ,text or recordings ( and commercial recordings at that) , as foundational or primary is an unfortunately common logical error in some academic circles. You can see this distinctly in etymologies of vernacular words and phrases. The earliest known publication will be treated as definitive. But suchusages are more often than not very well developed , before any literary people pick them up. This was especially true in earlier eras when few were formally educated ,and those who were hung tight to their class perquisites and prejudices. That approach can provide corroboration ,in certain contexts, but for art forms that arise as "folk arts" in oppressed underclasses this appriach decontextualizes past the point of distortion. For understanding roots music, it is necessary to understand the cultural and social context in which it arises. In "new world" African diaspora cultures hanging on to what has been preserved of traditional rhythmic knowledge is Very serious. The rhythm in question is a variant of what is called Tresillo in Afro-Cuban/Afro Puerto Rican music, there are many names , because it is a foundational isomoprh/motif/ostinato/ride in many many African and African derived music traditions. The distinct Trini variant which IS Calypso is to play 2 16ths on the first hit ,where 1 hit is more common in other rhythm cultures.This vid is from Trini Carnival 2022. 4 months ago, is pretty current.And the traditional Calypso Rhythm is distinct.Tha pattern played in the above bongo video is not present. ruclips.net/video/Udo_RilxGm0/видео.html
Trinidad isn't an island, Tobago is.
there is really no reason to remain uninformed. The recorded evidence is there of many early calypsos sung in French, I even have a few of these early recordings myself, so I am sure you can gain access to them as well. But just to reiterate, try and speak to the facts and not argue from the belief that being who or what you are grants you a special authority, in this case being Trinidadian, because as you yourself ought to know, that is a term that means different things to different peolpe.
I almost forgot, Ralph MacDonald was an American born and raised. Born in Harlem of Trini parents.His playing congas just proves my point, it was not authentic Trini Calypso.As authentic as Harry Belafonte singing Calypso. He played with and Harry, Bill Eaton and William Salter, which further my argument "it aint calypso he was playing". I do say he was a talented musician, but not expertised, as was true Trini practitioners of the art of his generation. Like Bomber, Preddie, Kitch, Sparrow.
THIS NONSENSE IS NOT CALYPSO ..I am a trinidadian and i can only dismiss your scribblings as the libelous drivel of an unbalanced mind.
I would counter that you're placing too much emphasis on the concept of "authenticity" and something being "true" without explicating these terms. I can bang out a shuffle pattern on my desk or a cup or a drum machine, that doesn't make it less of a shuffle rhythm. Same with this dude banging out a soca rhythm on the bongos. They're just as valid. Also, because a cultural pattern has its origins in a specific time and place doesn't mean it's tied to those conditions forever.
It's not the instrument that's not authentic- not that it's part of that tradition, but since people were stolen from their home,and brought to the new world, adpating to what is availabe became traditional =thus the steel pans were made from oil barrels. But the pattern being taught is not quite right, it;s not what musicians in Trini actually plays on Caypso ,or Soca
@@sambac2053 I get your point, a decade later he says. Because those musical patterns have not stood still. They have evolved over time. Let's split the difference and say he's playing or sort of playing what might be described as a traditional calypso pattern. Those patterns, however, have changed and don't really form part of present day calypso or soca, although they are still recognizable.
@@christobailar The musical compositions and arrangements in Trini develop and change . We're talking about the rhythm called Calypso, which is played under Calypso songs, Road Marches, for Panarama steel orchestras, for Bachannal , for smaller pan combos, in Chutney music etc. It has not changed. Listen to any of the performances from Trinidad Carnival 2022, Feb of this year, and you'll hear the basic calypso rhythm. You will not hear, is the pattern played on bongos in the video above. I say you cannot find any recording of music from Trini using that pattern. It is close. But if you played it with Trini musicians, you'd either be corrected, or not invited back. Maybe both
Sure nuff said on what ought to have remained a conversation about calypso rhythms. But really, dude, are you just cutting and pasting Wikipedia stuff? Come on, and here I was thinking that you were serious.
Moingoa, this is getting a tad boring, since all your arguments are derived from an anomalous concept of identity, which you never pause to explicate. The word Calypso is Greek. Kaiso is West African? Which country and which language, which ethnic group. Even if it is how come it doesn't exist in other countries with large African derived populations? Now do I have to be "Trini" to make these points? For you to claim that no one sang calypsos in French shows that you inadequately conversant
smh this isn't even calypso, sounds more like funk
Bro ... Really . ? are you Trini . ? The word Calypso is derived from the West African "Kaiso" not french.. Kaiso as commentary and news was sung by griots during slavery and after emancipation(1834) in French, as French(Patois) was the Lingua Franca in T'dad at the time. No one spoke or even sung calypso in French in the 1900 far less into the 40's, and for your info, Slinger Francisco(Sparrow) was born in Grenada not Barbados, he came to Tdad when less than 1 year old. He's trini to da bone.
very good