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 By Kurt Rasmussen
(Kurt is an LP player and member of the Brazilian Escola de Samba VAI-VAI who are the 1998 Carnaval Champions. You can hear Kurt's playing on the new IMAX film "Everest" and at the new Disney park "Animal Kingdom". Kurt also performs with Quincy Jones, David Foster and is currently playing with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. )
After my first tour to Uruguay I couldn't get the rhythm of Candombe (pronounced can-dome-bay) out of my mind. Now after many trips to this South American country and studying with several of its best drummers I want to share this infectious groove with as many people as possible. Candombe is the traditional drumming of the Afro-Uruguayan people living in the city of Montevideo, where this music was born. Its heavy African influence is unmistakable, and is one of the few rhythms in South America that reflects its African roots and is embraced by the country for its cultural importance. Born in the Barrios in the city of Montevideo, Candombe is the heart beat of Carnaval in Uruguay. The three drums (tres tambores) used in the playing of Candombe are the Piano (bass range),Repique (Tenor range), and the Chico (alto range).
The Candombe drums are made of wood and are similar to the shape of conga drums except the Candombe drums have extremely extended bellies. This comes from being first made out of oak barrels. All three drums are carried by a strap slung over the shoulder and played with one stick and one bare hand. The Piano still uses a tacked skin, and where as the Repique and Chico once used tacked skins only, many players have converted their drums to use plastic heads with tunable rims.
The pulse of Candombe drumming is called the Madera (example #1). This is felt throughout the playing and is commonly used as a "call" for the drummers to begin playing. The Madera is the same pattern as the 3/2 Afro-Cuban Son clave. The only difference being that the Madera is a one bar phrase and the Afro-Cuban Son clave is a two bar phrase. Since traditional Candombe drums are hard if not impossible to find outside of Uruguay, I suggest using LP congas as a substitute. Use an LP Tumba in place of the Piano tuned down low and played with an LP cowbell beater. An LP conga can be used in place of the Repique in a normal tuning range and played with a 1/2 inch LP Timbale stick. The Chico can be replaced by an LP Quinto, played with the same size timbale stick as the conga drum. Drum set players might want to experiment with using the bass drum for the Piano, a snare for the Repique and a hi-hat for the Chico. Drum lines might try using bass drum for the Piano, snares for the Repique and tenor or quad-toms for the Chico. The basic rhythm for the Piano is (example #2).
The basic rhythm for the Repique is (example #3). This pattern is similar to what is played on the Brazilian Repinique and is played with the same swing. This means that this pattern is played with a triplet feel that can't, in my opinion, be translated into notation and must be heard and then felt by the player. The Repique is also the drum that has the freedom to improvise within the structure of Candombe drumming. The Chico's basic pattern is (example #4). a very important pattern and must remain constant.
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Candombe drumming, and it is just that - an introduction. The drumming in Uruguay is much more complicated and intricate but these are the basics of Candombe. Hopefully you'll be inspired to seek out more information about this little known form of drumming.
R-Right Hand
L-Left Hand
M-Muff Tone
O-Open Tone
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