BONGO CLASSES IN MEDELLIN

Learning to play the bongo (“bongó” in Spanish) is an excellent way to connect more deeply with Latin music, especially salsa and bachata. In Medellín, Colombia, interest in percussion has grown alongside the city's love for salsa and Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

Before 2020, bongo instruction in Medellín was somewhat limited, mostly offered informally through local musicians or university music programs. Many salsa and bachata enthusiasts and dancers appreciated the instrument's sound, but didn’t have access to proper instruction or didn’t know where to start. With Medellín's salsa and bachata communities growing, DANCEFREE saw the need to offer classes for aspiring percussionists and casual and professional dancers who want to improve their understanding of rhythm and the music they dance to.

DANCEFREE began offering private bongo classes as part of its expanding music and dance curriculum, recognizing that music lovers, dancers, and even casual salsa and bachata fans wanted to participate beyond just dancing. Today, DANCEFREE is one of the few places in Medellín that offers bongo instruction in a relaxed, supportive environment.

Bongo classes at DANCEFREE emphasize technique, musicality, timing, and improvisation. Students generally begin by learning how the bongo functions within a salsa ensemble, including the role of the martillo rhythm, how to accompany clave patterns, and how to integrate with congas, timbales, and other percussion instruments.

Here is some basic information about playing the bongo, to get you started:

  • The bongo is a pair of small drums attached together, traditionally played with the hands. It consists of the macho (smaller drum) and hembra (larger drum). The bongo player, or bongosero, typically sits and holds the drums between the knees.

  • The main rhythm used in salsa is the martillo ("hammer") pattern. It's the foundation of salsa bongo playing and requires coordination, control, and a strong sense of time.

  • Key elements of bongó technique include the martillo pattern (the basic groove used in salsa, played with alternating finger strokes and slaps), fills and variations (short rhythmic flourishes that add flavor between phrases), improvisation (learning to vary rhythms on the fly to complement dancers and other musicians), bell playing (advanced bongoseros also play the cencerro, handheld bell, during the montuno section of a song).

  • Bongo playing improves rhythm, coordination, listening skills, and appreciation for the musical structure of salsa and Afro-Caribbean genres. It also provides a powerful form of musical expression and a deeper connection to Latin music.

  • Once you gain confidence with the martillo and other patterns, you can begin exploring more complex rhythms, syncopation, ensemble playing, soloing, and even fusing bongo with jazz, funk, and world music influences.

DANCEFREE offers private bongo classes in person in Medellín, Colombia, and online via Zoom and Google Meet. Our in-person classes are available 7 days a week, and online classes are available on weekdays, depending on instructor availability. If you would like to take private bongo classes, click here to view the steps for beginning private classes.