Around the World The Cumbia Drumset Adaptations of a Traditional Colombian/Panamanian Rhythm by Steve Rucker and Carlomagno Araya Cumbia is a musical style that comes from Colombia and Panama and has a rich and diverse history. It’s closely connected to some of the social rituals and dances of the people of those countries. Typical of many Latin genres, cumbia represents a synthesis of African and European roots, and there are versions in other countries, including Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Chile. The percussion instruments used in cumbia are African in origin. The primary ones are as follows. Tambora: A low-pitched, two-headed drum played with sticks on the head and shell. It’s from this drum that we get the primary quarter-note/two-8ths pattern played on the rim or shell, which on the drumset can be transferred to the hi-hat, floor tom rim, or woodblock. The tambora drummer improvises in conjunction with the […]

September 2015 Issue