Conga Kings - Conga Kings

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Free Music Notes for Conga Kings

Free Music Review: Long live the Conga Kings!
Hit: 5 Stars

Producer David Chesky came up with the idea of featuring three of the greatest conga players in the world. Musical director, Ray Santos who has had a previous working relationship with all three of these outstanding musicians over the years made the project a reality.

In addition to the Conga Kings there is a "who's who" of seasoned musical veterans here to support the masters. Joe Gonzalez on bongos, Guillermo Edghill on bass, Nelson Gonzalez on tres and chorus, John Benthel on second tres, Mauricio Smith on flute, Jose Francisco Valdes on claves, Herman Olivera Jr. and Luis Rosa on chorus (or coro if you prefer.)

Candido, Patato and Giovanni play a total of ten congas! This does not include auxiliary percussion and the rest of the band. This presented special problems which resulted in a never before used recording technique. The performances were recorded live with no multi-tracking or overdubbing, fed directly into one microphone that in turn feeds into a digital recorder. This allowed the musicians the freedom to create their own natural dynamics and resulted in a unique recording (you can hear Giovanni in the left speaker, Candido in the middle and Patato on the right speaker.) Did I mention that this recording took place in a church? Yep, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in New York City! One could say this recording was blessed!

I have been fortunate enough to see all three of these Conga Kings live. Candido is known for his exciting solos and incredible showmanship, Patato is known for his unique, melodic combinations and Giovanni is a child prodigy who has grown up to be a world class drummer.

El Maestro Tito Puente left us at the age of 77. Candido is 79 and Patato is 74. In comparison, Giovanni is still a whippersnapper at the age of 36! It is gratifying to see these masters receiving the recognition they deserve while they are still with us. Long live the Conga Kings and thank you David Chesky for coming up with the concept!

Que Viva La Musica!

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