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Candombe: Afro-Uruguayan Drums And The Roots Of Tango

The African Roots Of Tango
By 

Deputy Editor HuffPost Latino Voices & Voces

ROME, ITALY - JULY 30: Claudia Fusillo and Mariano Navone dance argentinian tango at Spanish Steps at Spanish Steps on July 30, 2012 in Rome, Italy. The show 'Toccata and Fuga, Argentinian Tango at Spanish Steps' was organised by Rome Municipality and Argentinian Embassy in Italy.(Photo by Giagnori Eidon/LatinContent/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - JULY 30: Claudia Fusillo and Mariano Navone dance argentinian tango at Spanish Steps at Spanish Steps on July 30, 2012 in Rome, Italy. The show 'Toccata and Fuga, Argentinian Tango at Spanish Steps' was organised by Rome Municipality and Argentinian Embassy in Italy.(Photo by Giagnori Eidon/LatinContent/Getty Images)

If you think it's difficult to drink water while walking, or text while walking, or do anything except walk while walking, try to wrap your brain around people who play giant drums while walking. You can't? Well then you can go ahead and cross "play candombe music" off your to-do list, because when it comes to candombe, playing while walking is the only way to do it.

Candombe music from Uruguay uses wooden drums that are shaped like barrels and called tamboriles. You wear them with one strap over your shoulder (called a talig or talí) and play them with a stick in your other hand. There are three kinds of tamboriles: chico (alto), repique (tenor), and piano (bass). The chico drum marks the tempo, piano drums the melody, and repique does the improv.

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