Spiro is the consummate conga player.”
— David Garibaldi
For beginners, or anyone needing a solid foundation in conga drum technique.
PART I - Easy to follow, step-by-step approach to learning all the basic strokes and sounds on the conga drum, regardless of the style of music you want to play.
PART II - Dozens of exercises to help you combine the basic strokes into patterns that are the staple of all conga drum playing.
PART III - Some basic Afro-Cuban rhythms are explained in detail, including the parts played by each conga drummer in an ensemble, how they relate to clave, and how to combine them if you are the only drummer in a group.
Mike Spiro is a great conga teacher. People can learn the real conga technique from this DVD.”
— Jorge Alabe
Spiro is the consummate conga player.”
— David Garibaldi
A great percussionist and educator.”
— Ignacio Berroa
A great musician/teacher who's earned his stripes.”
— John Santos
Michael Spiro is known throughout the world as one of Latin music's finest percussionists. He has performed with some of the all-time greats of Afro-Cuban music, including Cachao, Eddie Palmieri, and Changuito, and has also performed with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, David Byrne, McCoy Tyner, Carlos Santana, Gilberto Gil, and Toninho Horta.
A Grammy-nominated recording artist and producer, Michael has been recorded on literally thousands of CDs. He is also the author of Sher Music Co.'s The Conga Drummer's Guidebook, and is currently a Professor of Music at Indiana University.