The World's Best Congueros

While he was alive, Miguel 'Angá' Díaz, a Grammy-winning Cuban percussionist, played five congas with unparalleled brilliance and mastery. He died unexpectedly last August, in Spain, at the age of 45. What a loss!

Here he is soloing with Irakere in 1994.



The reigning King of the Conga now is Giovanni Hidalgo. Check out this mindboggling solo from the Festival Jazz Plaza 2000, in Havana, Cuba.



Related links:
Ray Barretto
Salsa Night
Jammin'

"Guardians of the Groove"

"Guardians of the Groove" percussionist2
Originally uploaded by offshore.

Spotted this cool pic of a conguero on Flickr, from offshore's collection.

Ray Barretto (1929 -2006)

The world of music lost one of its greats today. Ray Barretto died today in a New Jersey hospital. He had had two heart surgeries within the last month. For nearly 40 years, conguero and bandleader Ray Barretto was one of the leading forces in Latin jazz. In 1957 he replaced Mongo Santamaria in Tito Puente's band and performed with them for four years. He performed and recorded with many jazz greats, such as Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley , Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.

This makes me sad.

Jammin'

Just listening to friends jammin' in a hole-in-the-wall bar. Something a blueberry living in a red state has to do for her sanity. That's Angel Pagán on the congas, Renée Solis on guitar and vocals, and Troy Solis on sax.

"What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch?"--W.C. Fields