Conga is a danceable and singable genre, full of joy, rhythm and Cuban music taste. It is a musical support for the carnival comparsas. Its roots comes from parties celebrated by African slaves, during the period of Spanish colonial domination in Cuba.

These parties were celebrated in the ocassions in which the authorities allowed slaves certain distractions: during Hábeas festivities, on Sundays and mainly during the Days of Kings. It was a social and musical event flooding cities of joy, full of chants, drum beats and fabulous choreographies in a revel, contrasting to salon dances for bourgeoisy's delight and also cradle dances where diverse social groups were entwined.

As instruments we can mention different kinds of drums (conga, tumbador and quinto), bombo, cowbells, pans and other metal objects.

Conga has as main feature its massive character, above all, since slavery abolition when free criollos, negroes, mulatos and certain white elements incorporated it to carnival. In cities such as Havana and Santiago, conga was a huge cultural manifestation very important for the Cuban forge process.

An epoch chronicle stated how ''congos were the funny note, imposing their drums, how their music, their dances and songs built a kingdom around villages and cities''. These chants and dances were certainly incorporated through an interaction being eased by the high-maleable feature of Bantú groups with congas and comparsas from urban populations, offering a marvelous art popular spectacle.

The Conga spread its Afro Cuban instrumental composed by drums, quintos, cowbells, plow grills, pans, bells and bombos in a rich sonorous arsenal. In the oriental variant, is clear the fact that along its development process were intervening musical influences coming from Haití, from which many immigrants came and settled in Cuba since XIX century.

The Bakú drums, mainly at congas from Santiago, are different regarding to form and use from those tumbadoras used in congas at the occidental part of the country. Some of the percussion instruments in the oriental part are likewise exclusive having a more original sonority. Regarding to rhythmic base, it is very different. Figures made by drums and above all, bombo -the folk craker- are different having a syncopated character. Dancers' march is also diverse. Forms coming from Haití such as French Rumba or Thona had to do with this specific development.

The Conga played at carnival environments was also used by some republican candidates as political campaings promotion in pre-electoral period around the 20s, 30s and 40s, to move popular masses after its rhythm and chant. A good example is La Chambelona, the inmortal conga brought to Havana in 1917 from other land in Las Villas on the hands of Rigoberto Leyva, in search of quintos, tumbadoras, cowbells which was followed by a group from the last Liberal Party as an hymn.

Undoubtedly, as genre, Conga occupies a major place within the Cuban music historical process and its rhythm moved thousands of dancers in charangas and barrandas. As dancing structure, it has a general popular character, richness in multi-articulated movements, outcome of the collective talent, not only in its professional form reflected in circles or lines but also in its individual projection having in adittion, validity and trascendency making of it one of our national popular dances that best express our Cuban identity.

This Cuban genre has been taken to dance salons by orchestras with elaborated instrumentations, being assimilated by stylized dances forms and used in numerous spectacles, even in Cinematography.

Source: Cuban Music Dictionary by Helio Orovio and presentation of CD ''Conga tu carnaval, Hermanos Bravo'' from Tumi Music Record Label.


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