Photos & video: Marlon Brando early 1950's

With a nice pair of early Cuban 1950's "tack-head" bongoes.

With an early 1950's Cuban "tack-head".

Marlon playing a 'Gonzalo Vergara' drum.
Late 1950's.
(Photo contributed by 'Geordie Van Der Bosch')

Marlon playing bongoes with band.
Tunable with metal lugs.
(Photo contributed by 'Geordie Van Der Bosch')

After Marlon Brando died, many of his personal possessions were auctioned off publicly about ten years ago. Included were a pair of bongoes given to him by 'Mario Diaz' in 1956.
I bought a pair made like these on Ebay five years ago on Ebay, I made the mistake of selling them.

These styles of bongoes (typically with red and black bands) were commonly sold in music stores in Havana in the 1950's, many sold at the well known 'Solis' music store in Havana.
Drums sold by 'Solis' usually had the stores sticker on the inside of all their drums.

The reason why Solis put a "disclaimer" sticker on the inside was because the majority of drums were bought by tourists, who would then take them back to the U.S.A. where the climates were very different than in Cuba, in cold weather the wood often would contract, sometimes causing the 'stave's' to separate and the drums to then fall apart.

Below: Marlon's "tack head" tumbadora, with a "custom made" travel case with his name on the top. It was also auctioned off.
(Photo contributed by 'Geordie Van Der Bosch')

Video: Marlon "jamming" with 'Jack Costanzo'
Interviewed by 'Edward R. Murrow'.

Tito Puente "The Complete 78s" Vol - I, II, III, IV - N.Y.C.

Many of the original 78rpm records that were used for this four volume set, came from my fathers record collection that he sold to 'Joe Conzo' in the early 1980's.
Featuring 'Vicentico Valdés', 'Mongo Santamaria', 'Willie Bobo', 'Manny Oquendo' and 'Charlie Palmieri'

On these early recordings, Mongo is playing a 'tack head" drum (a drum that needed a can of 'Sterno' to heat the skin head to tune it) and later especially in Vol-IV, you can hear him playing his two drums made by 'Gonzalo Vergara'.

'Mongo' playing a "tack head" tumbadora.

'Mongo' playing his two 'Vergara's' with 'Tito Puente'.

(((Vol - I)))

(((Vol - II)))


(((Vol - III)))


(((Vol - IV)))

Orquesta CMQ 1950's - Cuba

The CMQ studio-house band.

Joaquín Mendível Guerra at the piano, Alejandro "El Negro" Vivar: trumpet, Oscar Valdés Sr. playing a 10½ inch tumbadora made by Gonzalo Vergara'.

(I like the baritone sax players sneakers)

1. Fiesta En El Aire-C.M.Q. Presentacion

Tumbadoras made by Gonzalo Vergara - Cuba

Tumbadoras (Congas) made during the 1950's and 1960's by the Cuban master drum maker Gonzalo Vergara are the "gold standard" which the two best American drum makers; the late 'Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz' and 'Jay Bereck' of "Skin On Skin" based their drums on in both style and shape.

(The major difference between "Skin On Skin" and "Junior" Tirado's drums is that Jay Bereck "steams" the wood into shape, and Nataly "Junior" Tirado Ruiz used horizontal "cuts" to bend the wood into shape, which is what Gonzalo Vergara did.
The third American drum maker currently making drums with "root retention" going back to Gonzalo Vergara is Matthew Smith of "Ritmo".
(though his drums are more an "excellent hybrid" of both "Skin On Skin" and "Juniors")

Two Drummers playing three tunable tumbadoras made by
 Gonzalo Vergara. Photo in the Panart recording studios
in Havana with José Fajardo on flute,1950's.

"Jabuco" de Conjunto Roberto Faz,
playing a 10½ inch Vergara.

Fajardos drummer playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
 Oscar Valdés Sr. playing a 10½ inch Vergara.
(Father of Oscar Valdés Jr. ex Irakere singer)

Rogelio "Yeyito" Iglesias
Posing with a 10½ inch Vergara 1950's.

The late Luis Abreu
with a 10½ inch Vergara 1963.

A young Beny Moré playing
a 10½ inch Vergara Mid 1950's.

Beny Moré with two Vergara's in the car.
The original RCA LP cover 1960-'61.

A Vergara on a Celina y Rutillio LP cover.

A 10½ inch Vergara on the cover of Sensacion's LP.

Enrique Lazaga from 'Ritmo Oriental'
posing with a Vergara 1959 or '60.

Juan Claro Bravo from 'Ritmo Oriental' playing 
a Vergara (and wearing "The Eyeglasses")
 Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's 1950's with Tito Puente's band.

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria playing 
his Vergara's with his band 70's.
 

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria in his house,

his two Vergara's behind him on the right.

Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria with Tjaders quintet

'59-'60 with his two Vergara's.

 

Mongo with his two Vergara's
  Mongo with his two Vergara's, the red
one he had covered in fiberglass in the U.S.

Cuban drummer Marcelino Valdés
playing two Vergara's, early 60's.

Ernesto Tito Puente,
posing with a 10½ inch Vergara.

Ray Baretto

With his two "old beat up" drums made by Gonzalo Vergara.
They were given to him by Mongo Santamaria.
(Info via 'Dario' "El Rey de las tumbadoras Cubanas" en Miami)

Ray Baretto
(con "Los Espejuelos" de verdad)

An Oak wood Vergara, restored by
master drum maker, Matthew Smith. 

Photo: Matthew Smith, Ritmo Drums.