This is more of a paying of respect than a recommendation - although, if you ever find yourself in Honolulu with nothing to do, definitely look up Sango Muyiwa.  He was my first percussion teacher, and leader of the Liberation Ensemble, a conga performance group that I drummed with for several years while I was in college in Hawai'i.

I had lost touch with Sango for several years, but got in touch with him again recently because I had begun teaching private hand-drumming.  I've avoided teaching hand-drumming because I was not specifically trained in Haitian, Cuban, Senegalese or Yoruban drumming.  Instead, I've learned a wide range of styles including specific patterns from all those places, in large part due to Sango's training.  As a kid - literally - and young man drumming for dance classes in New York in the 60s and 70s, Sango sucked up an enormous amount of knowledge from the wide diaspora of hand-drumming culture that existed there.

In retrospect, his "style" - and legacy that I've learned - fits perfectly with me and the philosophy I've put behind Balé Techlorico.  His tradition is rooted in a cultural melting pot, not in a specific country (although he traveled and studied in both Cuba and Nigeria), and because of that, his repertoire includes rhythms from Cuba, Haiti, Guinea, Nigeria, and elsewhere.  It's great to be back n touch, and checking in on all the old rhythms I've got buried in my head (and body). 

If you want a sample of what it's like to play with him - or hear the stuff we played - watch the "9 Drums" video on Sango's site.  I loved it partly for the nostalgic hit of Hawai'i, but mainly to see the them playing the old songs...  I also recognize Eli and his brother, who I played with in the Ensemble over 10 years ago (the clip must be fairly old, because I know Eli's been drumming for about 15 years now.)

Aché conga, Sango