Online conga lessons

Percussion Profiles: Francisco Aguabella

Percussion Profiles: Francisco Aguabella

Francisco Aguabella (1925–2010) was one of the most revered Afro-Cuban percussionists ever to bring the sacred and secular drumming traditions of Matanzas to the world stage — a master conguero and batá drummer whose depth of knowledge Dizzy Gillespie once compared to John Coltrane.

Chano Pozo

Chano Pozo

Chano Pozo (1915–1948) was the Cuban conguero, composer and dancer who brought Afro-Cuban drumming into Dizzy Gillespie's big band, co-wrote "Manteca" and helped give birth to Latin jazz.

Percussion Profiles: Ray Barretto

Percussion Profiles: Ray Barretto

Ray Barretto (1929–2006) was one of the most recorded congueros in the history of Latin music — a percussionist whose hard-hitting style and restless musical curiosity left an indelible mark on jazz, salsa, and everything in between.

Percussion Profiles: Armando Peraza

Percussion Profiles: Armando Peraza

Armando Peraza (1924–2014) was one of the most traveled and widely heard percussionists in the history of Latin music — a Cuban master of conga and bongo whose career spanned nearly seven decades and ranged from Havana's conjunto scene to the stadiums of Santana.

Mongo Santamaría

Mongo Santamaría

Ramón “Mongo” Santamaría (1917–2003) brought the sound of the conga drum from Havana to the world stage. His work with Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, and Herbie Hancock helped define Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban percussion for generations to come.

Tata Güines

Tata Güines

Tata Güines (1930–2008) is hailed as the godfather of modern conga playing: a Cuban master whose sound, vocabulary and technique shaped generations of congueros.

How to Tune Your Conga Drums

One of the first, and most important steps in learning to how to play congas, is learning how to tune them properly. Tuning a conga drum, like tuning any drum, is an oft-overlooked art form, despite the fact that it can be the difference between sounding like a seasoned conguero vs. sounding like a complete beginner.

The History of Conga Drums: From Africa to Cuba

Along with learning how to play the conga drums, or any instrument for that matter, it’s important to have a general idea about where those instruments come from, and how they’ve evolved over time.