Bongo drum

A bongo drum is one of a joined pair of small, open-bottomed drums of different sizes, played by hand. The pair is especially associated with Cuban music.

Hembra and macho: The hembra is the larger bongo drum, and the macho is the smaller one. Their contrasting sizes give the pair its characteristic high-and-low pitch range.
Son cubano: A Cuban music genre combining Spanish and African musical traditions. Bongos became a defining percussion instrument in son ensembles.
Conga drum: A tall, single-headed hand drum used widely in Afro-Cuban and Latin music. Conga drums are larger and played differently from the joined, compact bongo pair.
Salsa music: A dance-music genre developed from Afro-Cuban and other Caribbean and Latin American traditions. Bongos commonly supply a supporting rhythmic voice in salsa ensembles.
Bongo bell pattern: A repeated high-register rhythmic pattern played on a bell in Afro-Cuban music. Bongoceros often switch from the drums to a bell during an ensemble’s louder section.
Changüí: A rural music and dance tradition from eastern Cuba, considered a precursor to son. Its ensembles use bongos in a style closely tied to the instrument’s Cuban roots.
Timbales: A pair of shallow, metal-shelled drums played with sticks, often in Latin music. Timbales provide a sharper, stick-played sound alongside or instead of bongos.
Latin jazz: Jazz that combines jazz improvisation with Latin American rhythms and instruments. Bongos contribute Cuban percussion colors to many Latin jazz settings.
Martillo: A recurring bongo rhythm whose name means “hammer” in Spanish. Its steady pattern is a basic way to accompany Cuban son.
Havana: The capital and largest city of Cuba. Bongos gained prominence as Cuban music circulated through Havana’s urban dance scenes.

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DjembeCompared with: Bongos contrast with the djembe in paired construction, size, and musical tradition.