"Bongo" Bob Kaden adds some spice and a good dose of Caribbean soul to this hearty mix of musicians...we'll let him introduce himself. Take it away Bongo...
Someone PLEASE steal my violin!
I was 7 years old when my mother made me take violin lessons. I was 8 when I left my violin case outside my 3rd grade room in the hope that someone would steal it and I’d never had to take another violin lesson...it worked!
Can you smell that smell?
Skip ahead 20 years. I was watching Barry Namin pound on his bongos in a room filled with strange smelling smoke. Barry was great, at least I thought so. His fingers skipped across the skins and the rhythms were toe-tapping. Playing bongos the way Jimmy did looked so simple...so much so that I never recovered.
Hey, Cuba worked for Hemingway...
I learned to play bongos but decided they were pretty boring, and besides, I didn’t see myself catching on with Tito Puente where playing bongos made some sense. When I decided to study congas some genius told me I’d have to move to Cuba to find a good teacher, but after 12 short years with my Chicago conga and percussion teacher I proved him wrong.
Bongo finds a musical home
Since then, it’s been any number of cover bands. Bongo Bob and the Jivin Miltones, The Groove Bruthas and The LeRoy Street Band to name a few. What many conga players really love though are the great Latin, funk and island rhythms as can only come from the likes of Santana, The Neville Brothers and, of course, Jimmy Buffett. For me, finding terrific musicians, strong personal chemistry and the right music has been the thing. The South of Disorder Band fills that need. No more Oasis, Nirvana, or Todd Rundgren, thanks kindly. Just love in this school boy’s heart at being able to pound out contagious Buffett licks forevermore. Man, the destination was sure worth the journey.
Email Bob: bob@southofdisorderband.com
