Today exactly fifty years ago, on August 12, 1964, a young mechanical engineer, avid photographer and Latin music aficionado named Martin Cohen, founded Latin Percussion (LP). A special day in percussion history.
Martin believed in soliciting feedback for his percussion instruments from musicians at NYC nightclubs, establishing a tradition that is still practiced at LP - the needs of performing musicians are placed ahead of everything else.
Proudly, LP has created hundreds of percussion instruments, which can be heard on the world's most famous stages and recordings in every genre.
To celebrate Latin Percussion's fiftieth anniversary today, here is an overview of LP's major innovations:
LP original bongos In 1964, Martin Cohen built the LP original bongos to the specifications of local musicians with Mahogany wood shells and natural rawhide heads. It was the very first instrument that LP ever produced and marked the start of his company.
LP Patato congas The LP Patato congas were developed in 1978 with Carlos "Patato" Valdez, who required tall drums with a wide belly and small bottom that could project deep bass tones and great volume without sacrificing crisp, high sounds. fiberglass drums are still played by professional congueros all over the world.
LP Vibra-Slap The first of numerous patents granted to Latin Percussion was the LP Vibra-Slap. It has appeared in more recordings, soundtracks, and advertisements than any sound effect ever made. The Vibra-Slap was conceived as a durable replacement for the original delicate rattling horse jawbone.
LP Afuche/Casaba Invented over forty years ago by founder Martin Cohen, the LP Afuche/Casaba has become one of the most essential percussion instruments in history. Loops of steel bead chain wrapped around a specially textured, stainless steel cylinder that produce a multitude of scraping rhythmic patterns. The larger the size of the instrument, the louder the volume.
LP Multi-Guiro An original LP innovation, the Multi-Guiro is a guiro with two textures and is filled with LP shaker material, making it several instruments in one. One of the textured surfaces features large raised grooves similar to a Cuban guiro, while the other is a finer texture for a more course raspy sound.
LP Jam Block Another fine example of LP innovation is the LP Jam Block, crafted from Jenigor, LP's exclusive plastic formulation. This patented design transformed fragile, wooden blocks into virtually indestructible modern staples for any drummer or percussionist.
LP Galaxy Congas For the LP Galaxy Congas, Latin percussion utilized master percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo's input to create the exclusive Requinto, which has the broadest range of tone available in a single drum. The Galaxy series featuring a 3-ply shell from North American Ash Wood and reinforced LP Heart side plates with 3/8" diameter tuning lugs with patented LP ProCare Shell Protectors.
LP Giovanni Compact Congas The patented LP Giovanni Compact Congas are designed for practice, playing live or in studio. They were developed with Giovanni Hidalgo and won the 2003 Musikmesse International Press Award for most innovative instrument, as well as Drum! magazine's Drummies and the Modern Drummer Reader's Choice Awards.
50th anniversary catalog To learn more about the LP story and their products, download your copy of LP's 50th Anniversary Catalog — 100 pages filled with full-color photos and descriptions for the entire line.
