Muziekpublique

Courses overview

Tambora

Juan Pardo

MABO - Lycée Maria-Boodschap - Rue de la Braie 22, 1000 Bruxelles

The Tambora is the ” queen of percussion” of the Caribbean coast, but is also used in many other Colombian regions , both along the coast and inland. In this course, you will not only learn to master this beautiful instrument, but also discover various Colombian rhythms: cumbia, chalupa, porro de banda, porro chocoano, merengue and guacherna.

The tambora consists of a round wooden cavity and two stretched sheets and is played with drumsticks. It can make a low, deep sound, as well as high and softer sounds. It was first played by Afro-Colombian and mestizo people in a context of slavery and oppression. It has many origins, inspired by the drums of central Africa, small indigenous percussion instruments and imitations of the snare drums in military orchestras, and was originally made from rum drums.

Course

There are no musical requirements – you learn to play the instrument in the traditional way, through imitation and repetition. For amateur or professional musicians, this course will show you how to integrate the tambora into contemporary musical styles or how to apply the rhythms learned to other percussion instruments.

Juan Pardo

Juan Pardo is a Colombian percussionist. In his music, he integrates Colombian rhythms with different musical formats and genres (rock, cumbia chichera, French chanson, etc.).

Thanks to the traditional Afro-Colombian music of the Caribbean coast, he learned to play the tambora and the Alegre. First in the streets of Bogotá, then from the 2000s on travelling to the traditional ‘maestros’ of Uraba Antioqueño and the Loba region. There, he shared their way of life, between fishing, farming and music. They agreed to pass on their knowledge on one condition: that he would in turn teach this music to the world.

Since then, he has continued to do so, both in Colombia and Europe. He has given workshops at La tentation, La Maison de l’Amérique Latine and Sound Resist, among others. He has also participated in a number of Afro-Colombian folk groups: Candelilla brava (Cumbia), El Léon Pardo (gaita), Los ojitos de Mary (Bailes Cantaos) and fusion groups Visita Corta (folk rock), Sonsoleil (world music), Tropical Muisca (cumbia chicha-rock). In Brussels, he founded the group Turikumwe, a traditional music format of Bailes Cantaos, bringing this music to life in Europe.