Omar Gongoria

The world of latin alternative music continues to explode. A new generation of spanish-speaking music fans is being exposed to a new generation of innovative latin bands. Omar and Kinky are blazing new trails and the fans are responding. For that reason alone, they are on the rise.

EDGE: When did you get started playing?

Omar Gongoria: I started playing when I was 11 or 12 because I saw this drummer at a wedding. It was in El Carmen, a little town like two hours from my home town of Monterrey, Mexico. They were a “Norteño” band, playing the traditional style from the region. I was inspired watching him play and decided that I would also become a drummer.

EDGE: How did you come to join Kinky?

OG: I was studying music in Texas, and I decided to take a break and go to Monterrey to play with different people. Then Ulises, who would become the keyboard player in Kinky, invited me to this music lab project that he had with Carlos, who is now the guitar player in the band. It was at Ulises’ house, and most of it was about recording ideas in an old computer. He had put some music programs in there, and we were playing with loops and samples just to have fun.

EDGE: Tell us about your unique set-up and how you developed your rig.

OG: From the beginning, all I knew was that I was into playing different styles of music. From electronica to Latin to rock, I knew I loved it all, but I hadn’t yet decided if I was going to play drum set or percussion. At that time, I was learning hand drumming technique with Roy Galvan, a friend of mine from Mexico. One day I woke up with this idea of combining both things. I spent some time developing the set and was adding things to it as the music required. Little by little, it started to turn into what it is now. Even from the start, I felt really natural playing standing up and combining percussion, drums and electronics. I found it more exciting than any one of the three, and fun every time I played. After we recorded our first album, I had to add some more electronic elements, like the TD10 Roland brain and the Boss 505 sampler. I trigger everything with pads because I found it interesting and challenging trying to recreate exactly what we had recorded in the studio. It’s so funny that I end up sampling myself.

EDGE: Does the set-up differ live vs. studio?

OG: I don’t really have a studio set. I use whatever I have around, and I work a lot on the computer, making loops and programming drum machines. The studio is always about experimenting. I like to create new sounds. For example, I have a set of pans, spoons and cans that I don’t use in my live set, but I use them in the studio. Then, I like to tweak them with processors or effects. You can get great things from throwing away all of the rules. During the recording process, I also like to separate all of my percussion parts. I don’t really have a formula for doing this, but I separate it all in sections, like for drum set. Then, I do the same for the congas, timbales, bongos and every other hand drum that the song requires. After that, I add the colors, such as cowbells, shakers, cascaras, bells, pans, cans and any extra sounds I can think up, but there’s no defined “studio set.” I never really consider how I’m going to play the parts live when I am recording. That’s how the idea of combining percussion and drum set continues to evolve.

EDGE: Do you consider yourself more of a drum set player or a percussionist?

OG: I don’t know. I think maybe a percussionist, because once you start to involve hand percussion, it takes over. I think that in the future, both things are going to be combined more often. I think the Internet has opened a window to the world, and cultures, ideas, even styles of drumming, will be shared. Now you can go and see what’s happening on the other side of the world, and music is developing faster than ever. New generations are growing up with so many choices of music, that it’s really changing things.

EDGE: You’ve been playing Gon Bops percussion instruments for a while now. Talk about your experience with them.

OG: I heard about the congas through a friend of mine, but I’d never really played them before. Now I’ve been playing them more than a year, and I think the sound and the tone that you can get from them is different from all other drums out there. I’m using a California Series quinto, conga and tumba in a Regal Blue. My kick and snare are matching, and they look great. I also use Gon Bops bongos. They are very bright and sharp sounding. The thing that I really notice is the attention that the company pays to its products. It’s a very special thing, because every drum is treated as its own instrument. I also think the new DW percussion hardware works great for people like me, because you can set everything very easily, and it’s solid. I use Gon Bops cowbells too. They have this new kind of clamp that attaches very easily and fits all of my other stands. I’ll never go back to my old bells.

EDGE: Kinky is a blend of so many musical genres. How do you create your drum parts?

OG: I mentioned I like to work with machines. I spend a lot of time programming while we are traveling. I make beats on planes, in hotels, on the bus and anywhere I can set up my laptop. Laptops are great because you can take them anywhere, then you can layer the other instruments later. This entire process is without even lifting a drumstick. After that, I go into the studio and start recording and combining other sounds. I never think about a specific drum part for a song until the song is coming together. In some songs I might not even play at all. In other songs, I might just play a tambourine or congas. I respect the music, and just want to make the song work. The process is very spontaneous. I am very influenced by electronic music, so I always like to leave some electronic elements in there. For example, I’ll leave some parts in there that I had programmed previously and let the band play along with the parts. Then, I can add my flavor over the top.

EDGE: The live show is incredibly high energy. How do you get ready for a show? Do you have a particular warm-up routine?

OG: I definitely have a warm-up routine. I warm up for 30 to 45 minutes before the show, playing single strokes, then double strokes, then triplets and so on. I also do some stretching and warm-up movements for my legs and arms.

EDGE: What are your major influences?

OG: I listen to lots of different music, from jazz to electronica and beyond. With the band, we are very lucky to have the opportunity to travel and find new music wherever we go around the world. We also have the chance to play in live music festivals where we can give and receive many musical influences from different musicians and fans. These days I’m listening to lots of African music like Mamady Keita. I really enjoy the improvisation and the phrasing. My influences range from Trilok Gurtu to Elvin Jones to Tito Puente, Stewart Copeland, Bill Bruford and so many of the old Cuban players like Chano Poso, Changuito and Patato Valez.

EDGE: What’s in store for Kinky and Omar in the next year?

OG: We’re releasing a new album this year, so we’re about to head out on tour. The album is going to be released in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Latin American countries, so we’ll be covering all of those places. After it’s over, we’ll go back home for Christmas dinner and some tamales. [laughs]