CONGAHEAD: The Autobiography of Martin Cohen

The story of Martin Cohen and LP will be a revelation to anyone who is passionate about popular music and reward everyone who loves a good story. Congahead is a feast for the eyes, ears and imagination. It’s a wild, against all odds, rags to riches story revealed through amazing photographs, many never before seen publicly, intertwined with a vibrant and evolving music scene populated with master musicians, celebrities, and intriguing characters. Cohen's wildly unlikely and unknown musical journey began in 1957 when he first heard Latin jazz. "The music grabbed me,'' Cohen says today, "and it never let go.'' The college student began frequenting New York's Latin clubs "to see the bands, the dancing, and to be immersed in the wild excitement of it all.'' The LP story took off a few years later when Cohen couldn't find a decent set of bongos to play--and decided to make his own. With zero training or proper equipment, he somehow cobbled together a set of the small, matched drums; sold them; made more; then turned to making other instruments, by hand, in his basement workshop. He had the beginnings of a business, barely. To succeed--to survive--Cohen had to overcome his outsider status among musicians and in New York's Latin communities. "This poor, white kid was like a fish out of water,'' says master bongocero John "Dandy'' Rodriguez, "but he worked his ass off to make quality instruments that we musicians love to play.'' Some remained suspicious, and at times Cohen encountered "stereotypes about Jewish people.'' In one of the wildest episodes in the book, Cohen finally got the acceptance he sought, via conga player Carlos "Patato'' Valdés--in the middle of a Cuban Santeria ceremony. That story is told in the enclosed sample chapter. Follow the story as it tracks the dedication required to endure the initial slow growth of the Latin Percussion company - LP - and the rapid rise to becoming the global leader. CONGAHEAD is a chronicle of this vibrant time, this music, and this culture that surpasses all other attempts. Existing accounts tend to be academic, or they recount the experience of one musician, in biography or memoir form. But Cohen was everywhere and knew everyone. He was constantly on the late-night Latin club scene, dancing, promoting his products, and soliciting feedback from demanding musicians. All along, Cohen documented his experiences with his beloved cameras. He had a 360-degree view of Latin music's New York-centric heyday and he offers that unique perspective to the CONGAHEAD reader, in words and pictures. Felix Contreras, the host of Alt.Latino on National Public Radio, declares that: "The story of Martin's innovations and his connections fills an empty space in Latin music history.'' Congahead reveals that Martin is a naturally engaging storyteller with an incredible love for people and memory for names, places and details, and that he has created an incredible life for himself and those around him. His passions still drive him on without pause.