Songo is a rhythm that was born in Cuba in the 1970s. The beat was made popular and perfected by José Luis Quintana, who came to be known simply as “Changuito.” He developed songo to fit the songs of his group, Los Van Van.
Many percussionists emulate this beat. In the spirit of the creativity behind the rhythm, however, we tend to have our own take.
I have my own version, but I take care to preserve the characteristics that still make it a songo. I use my version for rock and for giving a “Soco” feel to certain salsa songs. I also take the songo and swing it in order fit into reggae music.
Watch me and Daniel Villareal demonstrate our takes on the songo on a full kit and congas below.
Songo on a Full Kit
Changuito took some of the rhythms he was already using on timbale and conga separately and applied them to drums. As a result, the songo is very linear, with each limb working independently.
It is anchored by a syncopated bass drum beat throughout. Watch Daniel's stick keeping time on his leg and note where the bass drum kicks are. You may recognize this backbeat from cumbia. For rock drummers used to playing on the downbeats, this might take some getting used to.
The hi-hat layers on top with a straight beat. It is the straightness of this hi-hat rhythm that brings out the syncopation of the bass drum.
Finally, the snare fills in the cycle, providing a sort of punctuation mark with a straight hit. From there, you can add ghost notes, cow bell, other cymbals and rhythmic variations that maintain the feel of the songo.
In this video, Daniel is using a Ludwig Signet kit with Remo heads, a 14" Zildjian Master Sound Hi-Hat, a 16" Zildjian Dark Crash Medium-Thin, and a 22" Sabian Omni ride. His two cowbells are both from Latin Percussion: the Salsa bell and the Matador Cha-Cha bell. Daniel uses Vater Manhattan 7A sticks.
Songo on Two and Three Congas
My take on the songo is a bit more melodic than some approaches. You can here how taking the basic beat on two congas and transferring some of the beats to a lower pitched third conga creates more of a statement.
I also swing the beat and slow it down a bit when playing behind something like reggae. If you listen to the accents and underlying beat, though, it's still a songo.
Experiment and find your own variations that fit the music you are making with other people. That is the original spirit of how the songo came about, and that's what keeps everything fun and exciting.
Peter "Maestro" Vale is a Puerto Rican musician out of Chicago who plays with Dos Santos: Anti-Beat Orquesta. You can learn more on his band's website here.
Daniel Villareal is a Chicago-based percussionist originally from Panama who plays with several local groups including Dos Santos, Wild Belle, Jaime Rojo and Ida y Vuelte. You can learn more on his website here.