Editing Conga (section)

==Characteristics==
[[File:Conga's 01.jpg|thumb|220px|A pair of congas (front) with a pair of bongos (back) mounted on top. The combination of congas and bongos was pioneered by Cándido Camero in New York City.<ref name="WBGO" />]]

Most modern congas have a staved wooden or fiberglass shell and a screw-tensioned drumhead. Since the 1950s, congas are usually played in sets of two to four, except for traditional [[Cuban rumba|rumba]] and [[conga (music)|conga]], in which each drummer plays one conga. The drums are played with the fingers and palms of the hands. Typical congas stand approximately {{convert|75|cm}} from the bottom of the shell to the head. The drums may be played while seated. Alternatively, the drums may be mounted on a rack or stand to permit the player to play while standing. While they originated in Cuba, their incorporation into the popular and folk music of other countries has resulted in diversification of terminology for the instruments and the players. In Cuba, ''congas'' are called ''tumbadoras''.

Conga players are called ''congueros'', while ''rumberos'' refers to those who dance following the path of the players. The term "conga" was popularized in the 1930s, when [[Music of Latin America|Latin music]] swept the United States. [[Son music|Cuban son]] and [[New York City|New York]] [[jazz]] fused together to create what was then termed [[Mambo (music)|mambo]], but later became known as [[Salsa music|salsa]]. In that same period, the popularity of the [[conga line]] helped to spread this new term. [[Desi Arnaz]] also played a role in the popularization of conga drums. However, the drum he played (which everyone called a conga drum at the time) was similar to the type of drum known as ''bokú'' used in his hometown, Santiago de Cuba. The word ''conga'' came from the rhythm ''la conga'' used during ''carnaval'' (carnival) in Cuba. The drums used in carnaval could have been referred to as ''tambores de conga'' since they played the rhythm ''la conga'', and thus translated into English as ''conga drums''.