Double Strokes on Congas 

I will check them out! And, yes, Giovanni is amazing. I credit him for many of the advanced techniques I use, learned during my 4 years studying with him.

I totally agree Pastor Jeremy! When playing a traditional instrument, one needs to go to the source. Learn the proper techniques, learn the history, listen to the music, learn the culture, and do your homework... Not only listen to the popular or modern stuff, but all the music that was a predecessor and which directly influenced what we hear today. In regards to Afro-Caribbean music, I feel it is important to go beyond this hemisphere as well, since the rhythms are directly descended from Africa. If it is Cuban music, then definitely become knowledgeable about the music of not only the Yoruba, but the influences by the Congolese, Calabar/Efik, Dahomey/Fon, and Bantú. When I first started learning Afro-Cuban percussion in high school, I had limited resources other than learning the basics and playing in a salsa band and Latin-Jazz ensemble, but thankfully I had a teacher that exposed me to the folkloric styles through recordings and videos of traditional Cuban groups like Los Papines and Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, as well as great tumbadora technique architects like Tata Güines and Latin-Jazz icons like Mongo Santamaria. I was definitely blessed that only a couple years later (when I got to college) that master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo ended up being my private teacher for four years, and then a few years after college I was able to study in Havana for a month with the master Changuito . Both experiences left such an indelible impact on me to this day, and those techniques (some of which I post on RU-vid) have been the building blocks of what I have built my career on - a world percussionist playing many of the traditional instruments of the African diaspora , and often called to do so in non-traditional settings. All that to say, if you can, go to the direct source (or as close to it as possible), so that you can forge your own path in music with the best tools possible. Make a point to learn the history and lineage of not only the music, but the instruments. You owe it to the craft, the instruments, and the lineage of artistry to pay reverence . Thanks so much for your message, as I think it will be of great help to many aspiring players. Many young percussionists come to me asking how they can get onto a pop gig, and I always steer them to learning not only the basics, but listening to and learning the true tradition. You can't play Latin percussion without learning and living Latin music for the formative years of your training. You owe it to the instruments and your predecessors. That being said, when called upon to perform in a non-Latin setting, one has to assimilate to that style of music as well, and know the history and lineage that created that particular feel, whether it be Motown or rock-n-roll or gospel. Your message, albeit simple, came right on time. A wonderful reminder to always revere the roots of a culture. All the best to you, Pastor Jeremy, and to your congregation. 🙏🏼💛

Does that mean that if you close your eyes and listen to this short video you can tell that this gentleman does not have Latin flavor in his playing?