overall: .907 cm x 27.1463 cm; 3/8 in x 10 11/16 in
drum: 10 5/8 in x 5 1/4 in; 26.9875 cm x 13.335 cm
large stick: 13 in x 2 15/16 in x 1 7/16 in; 33.02 cm x 7.46125 cm x 3.65125 cm
small stick: 12 3/4 in x 3 1/8 in x 5/8 in; 32.385 cm x 7.9375 cm x 1.5875 cm
Object Name:
drum
Date made:
1980s
Description:
<p>This drum was made by an unknown maker, provenance unknown, 1980s. It is a Talking Drum, made of wood carved in an hourglass shape, with two drumheads, connected by cords, and two wooden curved beaters. Previously used by Afro-Latin jazz percussionist Ramon "Mongo" Santamaría.</p>
<p>Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (1917–2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and boogaloo dance crazes of the 1960s. From the 1970s, he recorded mainly salsa and Latin jazz, before retiring in the late 1990s. Santamaria made several recordings as a leader of his own group, as well as a sideman with Fania All-Stars, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ray Charles.</p>
