Toward an Understanding of Conga santiaguera: Elements of La conga de Los Hoyos

The province of Santiago de Cuba is legendary throughout Cuba for its carnaval celebration, but especially for the phenomenon of conga. In Santiago, conga refers to neighborhood groups of musicians who parade through the city streets, collecting participants along the way while playing a driving rhythm and instruments specific to the region. Although conga is the hallmark tradition of eastern Cuba, has enjoyed international success, and is an important source of regional pride, it has never been discussed in detail in the extensive literature on Cuban music. This article provides a brief historical discussion of conga and an in-depth analysis of its instrumentation and movement, as played by the conga of Los Hoyos. Analysis reveals that conga is an illustration of Santiago’s rich and unique cultural matrix that includes a significant Saint-Dominguan and Jamaican immigration history. The article finishes with a discussion of recent changes seen in this conga and challenges that lie ahead for the phenomenon of conga in Santiago.