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Guajirón Cuban Popular Music

Conga Drummer Wanted

Do you want to play Cuban Music?

Guajirón is a ten-piece orchestra bringing energetic, joyful Cuban music to life in San Francisco. We specialize in music that’s iconic in Cuba but often lesser-known outside the island. From hot dance tunes to soulful ballads, we’re inspired by legends like Los Van Van, Trio Matamoros, Buena Vista Social Club, and Arsenio Rodríguez.

We combine the soul of Cuban rhythms with a touch of jazz—drawing from early New Orleans swing, Miles-era bebop, and more, all in a Cuban style.

 

If you’re a conga drummer who loves deep grooves, thrives in a team-first mindset, and wants to challenge your musicality, we’d love to hear from you.

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What We’re About:

  • Cuban Roots: Son, Charanga, Son Montuno, Boleros, Trova Santiaguera, Musica Campesina, Merengue Haitiano, Guaguancó, Cuban Jazz

  • Jazz Influence: Think Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt, and Miles Davis—reimagined with Cuban rhythm and African-American Soul grooves.

  • Ensemble Groove: Everyone plays off each other to create a tight, irresistible rhythm with the others. It’s about musical conversation, not just solos.

  • Diversity: We are all-ages, multi-ethnic, man and women passionate musicians, each with a uniqiue background and expriience.

What We’re Looking For:

  • Passion for precise grooves, and supporting the band with tight, dynamic rhythms.

  • Solid understanding of clave and its many forms (Son, Rumba, Cinquillo), and playing to each side of the clave

  • Ability to lock into Cuban styles like Son, Songo, Son Montuno, Charanga, Guaguancó, and Música Campesina.

  • Willingness to learn and adapt to signature Cuban drumming patterns that vary by style and song.

Why Join Us?

  • Unique Vision: We honor Cuba’s rich musical heritage while bringing our own voice to the music.

  • Growth Opportunity: Our music is challenging and we are hard workers.

  • Pop mind set: we want to grew our audience, regular folks who love seeing us and party with us.

  • Collaborative Spirit: We prioritize high-quality music, mutual respect, and the joy of creating together.

  • Exciting Future: We’re planning a trip to Cuba to perform, jam, and learn. 

  • Play for Dancers: While we play some Jazz and Cultural music, most of our shows attract dancers, and at least some of them are bonefide Cuban Salsa dance clubs.

Practicalities:

  • Schedule: Meet at least twice a week for either rehearsals or gigs in San Francisco (Rehearsals are 7pm - 10pm in Mission District by 24th BART). Vast majority of gigs are in SF proper.

  • Pay: Gig income is shared equally and transparently among performers. However, for now we prioritize building skills, music, and our following as we grow toward bigger opportunities. 

How to Apply:

 

We’ve kept it simple:

  1. Send us a quick note about yourself and your experience with Cuban, Caribbean, or rhythmic music (Soul, Blues, and Funk are also highly relevant)

  2. Links to recordings or videos are a bonus but not required.

  3. Let us know your availability and why you’d love to join Guajirón.

 

Email band@guajiron.com with the subject: “Conga Drummer Application.”

 

We’re looking for someone who’s as passionate about the music as we are—if that’s you, let’s talk!

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Looking forward seeing you having a good time!

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