Bob Conga’s Artistic Passion Allows Him To Do Professional Music His Way To Keep Him Going Online Interview by Van Stone, Editor/Publish Philadelphia Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com
Bob Conga
In 2016 we catch up with Bob Conga talking about his artistic passion that continues. Because when it comes to radio, Conga is getting significant national airplay for his independent record-airplay online.
And his passion for music allows professional music and he to happen his own way- it also feels easier to digest and exude a more cohesive sound and story.
Philadelphia Front Page News: How did you become so good on percussions?
Bob Conga: I listened to any album that had
a conga drum on it! Plus I would practice six hours every day!
PFPN: What was your first professional
paying job, and how did it come about?
Conga: While in the service (Air Force),
I spotted my first conga drum in a pond shop window. I was stationed in
the Topeka Kansas. They were called tack heads, because it didn't have any
tuner pegs. You had to tune it by holding fire to the head of
the drum.
I believe
that I paid $20.00 for it.
I took
that drum back to my barracks, sanded it down
and painted it black. I then proceeded
to listen and played along with hundreds of albums for the next two years.
After my
intense period of shedding in my room on base, I went in town encouraged to do
so by another musician friend of mine, who also was from Chester, PA. And he was a jazz drummer, meaning he still
is drumming here in Philly. His name is Wayne Morgan.
I began
playing with a band for free for the next six months. I wanted to get the
feel of performing live, and I was allowed to do
that as long as I was doing it for
free!
However, after
six months, my skills had improved greatly! Not only that, I had developed a
strong following. So after two years, I thought that I was more than
ready to get paid for my performances! I approached the band leader and
said that I think it's time for me to start getting paid for my services. He
agreed, and in 1968 is when I began getting pay as a professional.
PFPN: What else did you do to
sharpen your skills?
Conga: My roommate and I would enter
talent shows and travel from base to base, representing our home base
Forbes Air Force base, which no longer is open.
Every time I would win, I would run to the judges and ask questions like, what was I doing and how can I improve? Until I came across one judge in Phoenix, AZ who let me use his conga in the contest that had a snake skin around the head of the drum. When I asked him what was I doing? He said that he couldn't tell me what it was I was doing. But whatever it was, keep doing it, because the people loved what I was doing! Statements like that are what kept me going!!!
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