Mel Bay The Bongo Book

Here's an entire book devoted to the all too often overlooked Latin instrument, the bongo drums. Trevor Salloum guides you on an inspired informative, and educational musical journey; offering many valuable insights of playing this instrument as well as revealing its colorful history. This text features jazz, rock, Danzon, Mozambique, and bomba patterns with fills, exercises, and performance techniques to get you going in these styles. Maintenance, characteristic rhythmic patterns, and important artists in the evolution of bongo technique are also covered in depth. The companion CD features recordings of the rhythm patterns discussed in the book.
Customer Review: Bongo Book
Serves its purpose well. It is the thinnist book I've ever seen, but hey it's about music. WHat more can you say. It isn't really worth the money. Get the CDs over this I recommend videos over both.
Customer Review: Not For Beginners!
The item description doesn't say that this book is for beginners. But based on the reviews I read it seemed like a good book for beginners. That was a horrific assumption. I don't blame the publisher for this, I blame other reviewers who lead readers to believe this is a good book for beginners. From the beginning this book uses all kinds of terminology that I've never heard of before (and I have played some keyboard, drums and guitar). Which leads me to wonder who this book is for because, in my opinion, anyone who can understand the terminology probably has no use for such a book. I do fault the publisher for the terribly exposed, grainy photographs. I also fault the publisher for allowing several interviews with bongo players which, in my opinion, do not belong in a book like this. The whole book just feels cheap as if it was quickly thrown together. As an absolute beginner what I would have liked to see is a more detailed explanation of technique along with photos (this book has a few photos, but most of them look the same, and the photos do not correlate with the techniques described in the text). I would also have liked to see more description of how to read the notation used in the book. And while I understand musical timing due to my previous experience an absolute beginner will have no clue as to what tempo the notes should be played, this is not described anywhere in the book. This is a very poorly executed and frustrating book about bongos. It borders on useless for a true beginner. If you are a beginning bongo player do not buy this book it will not help you learn to play the bongos and will give you nothing but frustration. I have no idea how a book like this ever made it to print.

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Don't Panic

Origin:

Merengue originated in the Dominican Republic. It is the national dance of the Dominican. There are a few stories describing how the dance originated. The most common one is that of the slaves who were chained together and had to move by dragging one foot at a time. Merengue as a two beat music and since the footwork is quite similar to walking, it is a very easy dance to learn.

Music:

Merengue is played in 2/4. The double sided drum is played on one side with a stick with a strong syncopation to mark the beats. Saxophones and guitars are also very popular instruments found in the music.

Dance:

Merengue footwork is extremely easy to learn as it's a simple two beat movement ("left, right") with the body weight being moved between the legs. The upper body stays fairly straight while the hips move with the weight change. The Merengue frame is much smaller (closer) in comparison to Salsa. Having said that, Merengue is often led with a single (right) hand on the back. But in open hold, arms are often completely extended out instead of maintaining a closer L-shaped frame.

Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 8.5/10

Meregue is a very popular Latin American Dance in New Zealand, second only to Salsa. On an average night out in a Latin Club, as many as every second or third song can be Merengue.

Article taken from Latinos.co.nz (http://www.latinos.co.nz)

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Con Bajo Y Todo

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Nueva York!

Children's favorite Dan Zanes follows his 2007 Grammy Award winning CD Catch That Train with a collaboration with Latino musician friends from New York. These family songs, all sung in Spanish, represent various styles including son jarocho, cumbia, aguinaldo, bailecito, nueva canción and merengue. Featured guests include: Lila Downs, Daphne Rubin-Vega, The Villa-Lobos brothers, Marc Ribot and Afro-Colombian roots ensemble La Cumbiamba Eneyé.
Customer Review: Fanaticos thinks it's fantastico!!
My son is a Dan Zanes groupie (he's been to six of his shows).He's been listening him since before his second birthday and has been looking foward to new music for quite some time. My son is half Cuban, so hearing DZ sing in Spanish is very significant for him. It's a welcome addition to our Dan Zanes and Friends collection. In short, this cd is like a big party for my three and a half year old, yet sophisticated and cool enough for his parents!!! ViVa Dan and Friends!!
Customer Review: More great music for EVERYONE (this time in Spanish)!
Dan Zanes and Friends latest release features all that you love about the band: wild, energetic collaborations and quieter songs with tremendous raw beauty. Esta vez, todas las canciones están en español! They've come a long way since "Malti." This collection of favorites from several Latin American countries is, as Dan says in his concerts, his pro-immigration CD. Thanks, Dan, for giving our kids a great time while provoking interest in Hispanic culture and vital social issues. Our faves: El Pescador, Son Borinqueno, Colas, Verde Luz, El Pijul,El Canario, Cuida El Agua, & Mi Luna. Yikes, that's a lot of favorites! If Pollito Chicken doesn't get you moving, see a doctor!

A frequent question is, "How do we get our child to practice the piano?"I always stop them politely and say, "Please, say 'Play the piano' not 'Practice the piano.' "If you make the piano into a game, you might get the child to try playing piano on their own, not under your orders.For example, your child undoubtedly has a favorite toy or game. You don't have to say, "Go play your game," because the child ALWAYS wants to do that activity which brings them such personal reward.To learn the piano even moderately well (even as an adult) you'll need not only persistence, hard work and a lot of intelligence, but also one other quality: love.That's right, you'll have to love the piano in order to weather all that repetition, confusion and effort, not to mention the time involved.What could possibly make so many people work so hard to master this great instrument? The answer is, because they love the instrument.

And this is also the answer to the original question, "How do we get our child to practice the piano?"You get them to play because it's so much fun that they do it themselves. There is no "practicing." You don't have to tell them to practice. They play the piano as if it were a toy, a treasured toy they like to spend time with, until they're done with it, and then off to another happy activity.Now, for children, this is very easy to accomplish. How? Simply lower the bar initially to the degree that the child cannot fail, can only succeed.

Make initial lessons so much fun that the child begins to want to explore the world of music through the piano. Do this as long as the child needs it until they demonstrate comfort playing simple music.

As an example, let them play with their index finger, as their instincts tell them and piano teachers see again and again. It teaches the child no bad habits because the "one finger system" will be gradually improved upon. How? By using simple finger and note games. See the article on Fingering. Basically, a fingering curriculum might be to let the child play with one index finger initially, preferably the right index finger. It doesn't matter if the child is left or right handed, start with the right index finger.

Then let them play with the index fingers of both hands. Then introduce the right thumb. Then use the right thumb and index together as a team. Then introduce the right middle finger as the third member of the team.

And all this finger stuff and games is before they ever see a note of music!

Always let them go back to a simpler system (one finger) if they demonstrate repeated discomfort with a more complex finger position (more than one finger.)

Discomfort is a child's way of saying, "You're going too fast."

It's far more important that the child feels proud and happy than you, the teacher, feel your method has been understood and mastered.The child doesn't care about your "method," or any method. They care about how they feel about themselves and how they feel about the piano. It's simple human natureAfter a little rest (simplicity,) they are ready for another try at reading music, but never press beyond the point of "mostly fun with a little work."Better to back off while it's still fun, and try again another day when they're fresh: it's hard work to learn the piano and you're better off if you and your teacher are not in a hurry.With a child it's not difficult to get them started without anxiety, but it requires a teacher of almost Biblical patience.Give your student a system that is transparently simple, like piano by number, and let them play by themselves. Hopefully your only problem will be getting enough songs for them to consume and explore.

Kids get very good quickly with piano by number, and then, at the time they become comfortable, of course, is the perfect moment to introduce reading music, for they are already comfortable with the instrument and able to play familiar songs reasonably well, in a way that makes them feel proud.

You'll need a good teacher, a very, very patient, almost saintly creature who is funny, articulate, and always has a secret curriculum in mind, reading music.Allow the child time to demonstrate that they are ready pass beyond the world of preparatory piano games and attempt to start to read music.

This "time" could be a week, could be a year, and is entirely dependent on the particular child. Almost the only mistake you can make is to go too fast.

All children start learning the piano in different ways, and a good teacher unlocks the way of teaching that gets them started and makes them love it from the very first minute.

This "magic way," is different for each child, can be humor, it can be math, it can be them imitating what you play, it can be sound games, it can be number games, it can be "Name That Tune," it can be playing with your nose, but don't let them leave that piano with anything in mind but, "Wow, that was FUN!"Delay reading music until the child is comfortable playing simple, familiar songs by number. And when you begin to read music, make each attempt initially no longer than a minute or so. That's right, a minute at a time. The concepts have to be broken down into such simple units that only a minute is required to make a child understand each idea.Later, those ideas are drawn together, allowing the child to easily find the notes on the page on the piano.

You can use the concepts in our book I CAN READ MUSIC, and as a practical matter, never go to the next idea until you are absolutely certain the child can unfailingly master each simple idea (such as lines and spaces, what is a note, where is middle C, etc.)

I've said it before: the worst habit you can learn at the piano is to not enjoy it and not want to play.That's the habit that will make you want to quit.

by John Aschenbrenner Copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press Visit http://www.pianoiseasy.com to see the PIANO BY NUMBER method.

By John Aschenbrenner, copyright 2000 Walden Pond Press http://www.pianoiseasy.com

John Aschenbrenner is a leading children's music educator and book publisher, and the author of numerous piano method books in the series PIANO BY NUMBER.

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Exitos en Video

Customer Review: Sound engeneer where are you?
The sound quality is horrendous, Mana make a lot of money off there fans I could not believe my ears. I end up play the cd and the videos Simultaneously to be happy. A live concert DVD is needed MANA.
Customer Review: Great Mexican rock band, great songs but...
When they made the DVD, there are some things they should have changed on it. If you're a Mana fan, you'll know all the songs. One live track, a cover of "El Rey" filmed in Montreux Switerland shows of Alex Gonzalez's drumming, something that doesn't come through on their studio tracks. As far as the videos themselves go, you see it going from something that is borderline public access video, to some embarrassing videos that are kind of humorous, to a more polished look towards the "Suenos Liquidos" videos, where it ends. Nothing from "Revolucion de Amor" or their song with Carlos Santana "Corazon Espinado" (which is on Carlos' "Supernatural" DVD) is included. Here's the complaints that I found more annoying than anything: the cover of Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain", straight off of the "Econium" tribute video is them in the studio talking about recording the song. It either should be the full song or in the "extras". It's something that you wind up forwarding and gets annoying real fast. "Clavado En Un Bar" has 5 minutes of the "making of", yet you can't skip the making of, you have to forward it. Another one that belongs in the "extras". It's something that we should be able to enjoy with the TV on or off. The "in betweens" can get a little noisy at times but isn't a big deal. It's not in Surround Sound, but you can hear it playing in all the speakers. I'd like to see them revamp this one a little bit to make it more "DVD-friendly" and put out a live DVD which shows off how great they are in concert. Even if you don't understand Spanish, the music alone is good enough to enjoy...

Why do you think there are people spending time to learn the Spanish language? Is it really worth the time? Well, the answer is a big yes.

Around 320 million people around the world are using Spanish. It would be really nice if you can be part of that growing number of people fluent in Spanish. It is not a crime to just stick with your current language you know, but it would be very advantageous if you could use other languages when communicating.

As an example, when looking for a job, being bilingual is a big plus factor especially to those who wish to land a career in global companies.

Learning a different language also helps develop critical thinking skills and it gives a person the chance to experience new things like music, movies, foods and many more. Aside from the critical thinking skills, creativity is also enhanced because language stimulates a person's imagination. It can improve one's social life too. How? As previously mentioned, there are over 320 million people speaking Spanish. Being able to speak and understand the Spanish language exposes you to a wider range of people with different personalities, culture and background. Remember that Spanish speakers are growing at a faster rate when compared to English speakers. It can be a channel for you to meet new friends.

If you are fond of traveling and you long for beautiful places around the globe, it will definitely be helpful if you know how to speak Spanish. Mexico, Spain and Latin America where Spanish is being spoken are wonderful places and it will be a shame if you miss the opportunity to enjoy their beauty just because you do not have the time to study their language.

Another important reason that makes learning the Spanish language worthwhile is the fact that most English words were derived from Latin, and Spanish is a kind of Latin language. It will be easier to properly use English if we know its roots. Knowing the Spanish language also makes studying French, Italian, Russian and German a lot easier because these languages share the same Indo-European roots. Studying Non-Indo European languages too like Japanese will be less difficult once you have mastered Spanish because you are already used to the intensive learning process of the structure of foreign words.

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A Taste of Salsa, Volume I

In Volume I, Lisa and Andres present the steps and turns at a pace you can keep up with. They share the "how to's" and "how not to's" for proper lead and follow technique and detail the connecting pieces that are too often left out. In addition, equal attention is paid to both the leads and follows so that you become a dynamic couple and a solid individual dancer. As a result, your Salsa steps will feel more natural and your confidence will grow. This is just the thing for a non-dancer ready to take on their burning dancing desire!

In this volume, the following steps are introduced: Basic step Hand positions - Palms Up and Palms Down Body positions - Open and Closed Side to side step Swing step Transitioning between the positions and variations Combining variations Basic turn combination. Numerous practice combinations

With a bit of practice, you will soon become a Salsero.

Instruction for all volumes in the A Taste of Salsa series is given in both English and Spanish.

The next tape in the series, Volume II, introduces more advanced turning combinations, new ways of moving across the floor and focuses more on styling.
Customer Review: Great basics
If you are a novice and looking to learn in a correct and structured way, these videos (Vol I & II) are very sound and easy to understand. The videos are introductory, so if you already know the basics, perhaps they are not for you. Don't pay attention to the criticism of those who weren't smart enough to read the description and look for more information about the videos from the internet or the instructors' website. The videos are clearly labeled basic. That's why they are titled "A Taste of...." I gave it four stars because even though the intent is to make the tapes universal by making them bilingual, it does tend to slow the lessons a bit. Why not use subtitles for the alternate language?
Customer Review: Save your money!
This has got to be one of the worst Salsa instructional videos I have purchased to date. For the price you get very little. It is repetative and annoying. You only learn 3 steps. I would definately not recommend this video to a beginner.

If you are just starting out in belly dance then you will need some great belly dancing music to set the mood and motivate you. If you are new to the art and are concerned that you need to have authentic belly dancing songs to practice to then you can relax. For simple enjoyment or learning sessions at home, or in class among friends there is no need to look for authentic music.

The only thing that you need to be concerned with is that you enjoy what you are listening to, and that it makes you want to dance. The real deal music will only become important if you are interested in learning a traditional Middle Eastern style, then of course authentic music would be in order.

Compilations

Today there are quite a few compilation CD's on the market specifically created for belly dancing. If you want to practice your hip gyrations at home to the sounds of an authentic beat then a compilation like this is a great place to start. Most often these CD's offer you a wide range of styles from traditional Middle Eastern to a mix of traditional combined with Western styles. CD's like this are a simple and fun way to learn about the music behind the dance.

And don't feel shy about using other forms of music for fun. As long as the beat fits the pace of your dance and it inspires you to move, then go ahead and have fun. There are no rules and the sky is the limit as far as styles of music that will work. In fact Latin Music works astoundingly well for this dance form. It will serve as a good replacement if you cannot find a good belly dancing specific compilation CD.

The Real Deal

Now if you are a purist, or if you have a performance that you need authentic music for, then you should really seek the help of an instructor who has taught for some years.

The fact is that there are specific types of music that are particularly suited to each dance style. This means that even though you are playing authentic music, the piece being played may be wholly unsuitable for the dance you are learning. So a quick shuffle to the dance studio will do you good, and if there are no studios in your area then consider a video training course, these are often available online.

Find Belly Dancing music and info on video instruction visit http://belly-dancing-secrets.info a popular information site for women discovering the beautiful art of belly dancing.

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LP RhythMix 6-pc. Rhythm Kit Set

2 yrs. & up. The amazing variety of great sounding instruments is everything a child needs to create a complete rhythm section! Perfect for a single child or a parade full of children, this great kit includes a handled drum, jingle stick, triangle, tone block, two Chick-itas, two mallets, and a child-sized backpack for convenient storage. Complete with musical activity booklet.

In the 1920s when radio was first catching on, the idea of a popular culture was somewhat different than what we have today. For there to be a pop-culture, there needs to be a way for media to reach the masses. Up until then, the extent of popular media was done in print, and was limited to those who could read and had the time to do so. But, with the invention of moving pictures and the breakthroughs in mass producing personal radios, the concept of bringing a single product to an entire nation was born and with it the concept of pop-culture.

At first it was simple, big bands and radio shows in the afternoons. The country fell in love with Bogart, Bergman, and Garland and people all over the world were watching and worshipping the same cultural scions. The voices of popular music and the face of the movies were everywhere and along with the collective feeling of involvement, of a mass consumption that the world had never seen before.

Television soon followed suit and multiplied it all ten fold, along with affordable record players, the invention of cassettes, VHS tapes, and the computer. These days the availability of mass media is such that pop-culture is the only culture we have anymore. If you ask anyone on the street what cultural icon they most respect, theyll most likely offer up Eminem, Tom Cruise, or if theyre a little older the Beatles. But even the Beatles are a product of that pop-culture machine thats been churning since the dawn of the last century, diluting what we consume each and every day to the point of watching grown men and women fight in pits of mud and scorpions for $10,000 in prize money.

The idea that anyone would consciously compare the likes of Survivor and Desperate Housewives with Hemingway and Rembrandt is partially if not wholly disturbing when you think about it. The cultural output of todays society is strictly commercial. Thats not that there isnt decent music being produced, films made, and art created the world over every day, but less and less it is possible to dig through the slough of viral videos and 24 novelizations to find them.

Which brings me to the greatest cultural lesion of them all, born not quite five years ago. Yup, thats right. It hasnt even been five years yet. The summer after the quintessential defining event of this generation, there came another defining event, something which I hope every year (and find myself less willing to believe) will not be remembered as vividly as 9/11, the series premier of American Idol. I was fresh out of High School and had just moved out of my parents home.

I was staying with friends in a suburb of Seattle and on that fateful June evening in 2002 I watched as a few thousand poor souls made fools of themselves in the highly produced, quality free rehearsal space in front of three withered remnants of the music industry; the man who brought us the Spice Girls, a long since washed up drunk dance queen, and the guy who played bass on tracks for Madonna. These three at the same time tore apart, offered support and flung superfluous slang at awful and amazing singers alike in what Ive never been convinced is not a fully scripted three minute sequence.

The first season or two of the show were cultural phenomena. By the third season, the American Idol voting got almost as many votes in a single season as a presidential election, and ten times the viewership. Every teenager, washed up singer, and creepy old guy watched with intense interest as these poor kids sang their hearts out (granted, they have talent) for cheap poppy fluff that will sell.

God forbid you win the whole thing, as the promise of record contract also means youre eternally tied at the hip to Cowells production company and the overwhelming percentage they suck dry from your earnings. And these singers make money lots of it. The 20 million or more viewers watching for 10 plus weeks, are more than a little willing to pay for the album they watched the development of. Its marketing genius, and its destroying popular culture in the same way popular culture destroyed actual culture.
Theres no denying the popularity of the program, or the talent of the eventual finalists. But, this year especially, theres a certain feeling of production in every scene thats always been there. It pervades every audition. If you have a friend whos auditioned, and the odds are after six seasons of auditions you probably do, youll know that they only take a very small percentage of the 30,000 people that show to an audition to see the Big 3. And what do we see on tv? About 80% godawful singers. They purposefully pull these people from line, give them a disclosure agreement to sign and send them in to be knowingly torn apart by a smarmy Briton.

Better yet, since William Hung made his horrific appearance into a career, these lost souls go with the sole intention of being mocked mercilessly in hopes of finding fame in their poor performance. This year though, it went a little too far as a young man was berated for his weight and poor singing by the entire crew of judges only to later find out that he was mildly autistic. And they aired it.

These kids are throwing away their pride and dignity for the hopes that they can find fame in the sole fact that they were yelled at on American Idol. Its not only sad, its the most popular television program of the decade, and every year it gets more viewers. For shows like Arrested Development to go off the air and on the same network, millions tune in to watch an overweight autistic teen try his best to sing God Bless America and get degraded by the meanest (and Im banking that hes on script 90% of the time) man on television for the viewing pleasure of the increasingly brain dead masses around the world is sickening.
There was a time in the 80s when the music industry started ramping up its production in a box theory of output, not new to the industry but increasingly prevalent. There was a time when musicians used to get offended at being called mass produced and created. Now, its a part of the game. If you arent pushed through the blender of studio primping and preening, paraded across the national spotlight for approval, youre not ready to be the next it girl or guy.

For anyone who actually listens to music for intelligent lyrics or watches films or television for good writing, and social importance, shows like American Idol are only one more nail in the coffin of intellectual thought and culture. Pop culture can be intelligent. Thats been shown in the past few decades more than once, and it can become cultural with age (I point to The Beatles again), but American Idol will never be either of these and only serves to lubricate the downward spiral into cultural emptiness.

I'm a self avowed unemployed writer, working on semi-constant basis to try and overcome the need to go and work a real job. I've written more than 200 articles and reviews and am constantly scouring the internet for any and all excuses and methods to make myself less dependent on corporate pay days. Visit my website at TheChatfield.com

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