Latin Percussion, a Company History

Other African percussion instruments comprise of hand-shakers, lamellophones (better known as finger pianos), together with wooden xylophones.
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Latin Percussion, or LP as they simply are commonly known, were one of many first companies set as much mass manufacture percussion instruments from all over, driven by the musical passion of Martin Cohen, an adolescent engineer and keen photographer. In the mid 1950s Mr Cohen started to frequent New Yorks Jazz clubs and came across the famous Birdland tavern, which is when this individual first heard Latin Jazz. He soon became an everyday visitor and was inspired by percussionists such as Jose Mangual, and with the early 1960s he became addicted to learning the Bongos. With the US trade embargo by means of Cuba, good quality bongos were difficult to find in America, so the resourceful Cohen made a decision to make his own, despite having little knowledge of wood-working. After a few attempts he got the result he was ready for. Other musicians began to cherish his drums and he or she started making bongos and cowbells for other percussionists, welcoming their feedback so that they can fine-tune his products.

Word with his instruments spread associated with the Latin music community, together with demand grew. He started to produce cowbells for your Rogers Drum Company, and also started to be handled by advice from working drummers outside the Latin community such since TV session player Specifications Powell, who asked him to brew a set of bongos which might be mounted on a stand rather then played between the players knees. Cohen came up by having a solution, a mounting bracket for the drums that didn't involve drilling in the wood, and Tonight Show drummer Bob Rosengarden then asked Martin if he could make a modern version of the traditional jawbone with rattling teeth.... quite a challenge but Cohen developed the Vibra-Slap, an effect that remains popular to this day. The Vibra-Slap was additionally his first patent. The next development (again originally created for Bob Rosengarden) has been the Afruche-Cabasa, another robust modern version of ancient and frail instrument. Martin Cohens skill appeared to be replacing these old standard instruments with modern versions made of strong modern materials, nevertheless without sacrificing the firm up... these new instruments must sound as authentic as being the originals. He still spent many hours hanging around the Latina music scene, gaining knowledge and gathering most of the feedback that he may possibly on his products, some coming from famous percussionists such as Carlos "patato" Valdez along with Tito Puente, who both proceeded to become long positioned family friends. It really was a case of realizing what the players imagined, and then making the idea happen.

In 1964, Cohen started this Latin Percussion Company, originally doing the vast majority of work by himself in a very small unheated garage. In time Cohens darling and daughter became mixed up in company, and the company begun to export products. Growth was rapid along with LP soon became a world famous brand among percussionists. Cohen came up with the idea to generate congas from fiberglass, giving the drums more volume which has been well received, especially when Latin instruments were now becoming more mainstream together with entering popular music. perkusje