Herman “Bongo Herman” Davis, a pioneer in Jamaican percussion, still working 40 years after his debut. See interview!

Herman "Bongo Herman" Davis has made a lot of "noise" during his 40 years in Jamaican music. In that time, the percussionist worked for the best-known producers, such as Derrick Harriott, Arthur "Duke" Reid and Leslie Kong. The percussion on the Abyssinians' classic "Satta Massagana" is considered Herman's masterpiece. The songs were recorded at Studio One in 1969 and released, but not in the version known to most people. Later, the Satta rhythm was revived with great success by several producers, such as Bobby Dixon, with Herman playing percussion again. Herman recorded with "The Revolutionaries" at "Channel One Studio" in the 70s. In the late 70s and early 80s, he was working with producers such as Henry "Junjo" Lawes and the band Roots Radics, playing for singers such as Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Linval Thompson, among others. But "Bongo Herman" is not just a percussionist. He has also sung for producers such as Derrick Harriot and recorded a DUB album: Bongo Herman – Master Drummer, which is extremely rare and highly sought after. On top of all that, Herman also appeared in 1978 in the famous film Rockers, and currently tours with Capleton, Rita Marley and others. With the advent of the computer age, Herman is now in demand by Dancehall producers. He has toured and recorded with Capleton, and also contributed to Bunny Wailer's album Communication. Bongo was recently interviewed by Howard Campbell of the Jamaica Observer newspaper:

THE INTERVIEW:

Howard Campbell (HC): Is there still plenty of room for percussionists in Reggae. Do you still have a lot of work to do? Bongo Herman (BH): Percussion in music is like an engine for a machine. Once you are a professional and respected musician, you can do anything. From playing for various bands, doing studio sessions, or working for yourself, creating new sounds and instruments. HC: Who taught you to play percussion? And when? BH: I taught myself, you know? I was born with it, Jah put it in me. I started playing in the late 50s, with cans, pots, and anything that produced an interesting sound. HC: Do you remember the first time you were in a studio? BH: Yes, it was with Derrick Harriot. He had a band called "The Crystalites", he called me to assist and shortly after I was invited to play with Justin Hinds & Dominoes, and with Jimmy Cliff. HC: What kind of percussion are you using lately? BH: Tambourine, cowbells, maracas, congas. HC: Is there a lot of competition in the market? BH: Yes. Today Jamaica has many famous percussionists, such as Denzil Laing, "Sticky", "Skully", among others. You have to be good to get work. HC: How were you invited to play on the Abyssinians' classic "Satta Massagana"? BH: I was invited by Bernard Collins himself, the vocalist, and the Manning Brothers. They showed me the song and asked me to introduce percussion to it. I think they liked the result. HC: What kind of percussion did you use? BH: Drums, Nyabinghi drums, congas. Once I hear the sound, I know what I need. HC: Is there any song in particular that brings back good memories? BH: Yes. Drifter by Dennis Walks and Looking My Love by Barrington Levy. In both you can feel the sound coming from my heart. HC: Is it difficult to play live with a band? BH: No. When I'm on stage I play five instruments at the same time. You just have to know when to play and when not to play HC: Do you make your own instruments? BH: No, I buy them all. HC: What is the maximum number of instruments you have used in a session? BH: Many... I think I've used about 27 instruments for one song. HC: What is the difference between recording live and recording with computers? BH: Well, the live thing goes according to the heartbeat. The "mechanical" thing takes away some of your creativity. In the old days when we wanted to record the sound of a bottle, we took it to the studio and recorded it. Nowadays there is already a ready-made sound on the computer. The computer does it right, but without a creative percussionist to operate it, it doesn't work.

MORE INFORMATION

Original Source: Excerpts taken from the Jamaica Observer newspaper.