Latin Percussion
Encyclopedia
Latin Percussion, also known as LP, is a brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s, specializing in ethnic instruments engineered and manufactured to withstand the rigors of use in a drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
section, and similar applications. This re-engineering often involves not only greater and consistent durability, but also changes to the sound to enable the instrument to be played at a suitable volume without losing the distinctive "feel" of its sound.
History
LP was founded in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1964 by Martin Cohen, following his difficulty in obtaining instruments for his own use, partly because of restrictions then in place on imports of instruments (and everything else) from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
following the Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
of 1962. Unable to buy conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s, bongos
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
and similar instruments of the quality he saw other performers using, he manufactured his own. After much trial and error he produced acceptable results, and found a ready market for such instruments. As the company expanded, it added imported lines to its catalog, and also became an exporter.
Product line
LP pioneered the use of many ethnic-based instruments for wider musical uses, and continues to be a leading innovator in this area. They are particularly known for their revolutionary plastic wood blockWood block
A woodblock is essentially a small piece of slit drum made from a single piece of wood and used as a percussion instrument. It is struck with a stick, making a characteristically percussive sound....
s, claves, and agogo bells, and their cowbells, and their catalog is extensive and continually changing. Some of their discontinued china cymbal
China cymbal
thumb|right|China type cymbals from three continentsIn western music, china type cymbals are cymbals manufactured to produce a dark, crisp, trashy, and explosive tone...
s are now highly sought after.
Their Drumset division, CP or Cosmic Percussion, and Ascend saw success in the 1980s and 90s producing mostly entry level instruments, and some intermediate to professional grade instruments in Taiwan. There is little to no information on the models that were produced by them, but some catalogs that were printed still exist.
Company information
In 2002 LP was purchased by Kaman Music CorporationKaman Music Corporation
Kaman Music Corporation is a part of the Kaman Corporation founded by Charles Kaman. Kaman is also a guitarist and he came to explore the use of composite materials technologies to guitar building. He and his engineers created the round-backed, composite-body Ovation guitar which revolutionized...
and operates as its independent subsidiary within Kaman's music distribution segment.
Awards
In 2001 Martin Cohen received a Special Recognition Award from the International Latin Music Hall of FameInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame
The International Latin Music Hall of Fame was established in 1999.In addition to the induction into the Hall of Fame, the award ceremonies include Special Recognition Awards and Beny Moré Memorial Award.-1999:...
for his contributions during nearly 40 years in music industry.