I was speaking with one of my best friends (and first Drumbrother!), Chuck C., a couple of weeks ago, and he was visibly surprised when I told him that, at this stage of my career, I was still practicing my percussion instruments at least two to three hours a day.  I shared this fact with legendary Brazilian drummer Robertinho S. He was also startled, confessing that he didn’t practice anymore, feeling that, at his age, he didn’t believe he’d extend his physical playing potential any further than he had…

O que é "Ichinen"? Outro aspecto que venho estudando e ponderando há muito tempo é o termo no Budismo Nichiren chamado “Ichinen”. Por muito tempo pensei que “Ichinen” significava, “sua determinação de fortalecer sua vontade”. Muitas vezes eu cantava com muita determinação e resolução para alcançar meus objetivos, às vezes até ficar quase rouco. Freqüentemente tentei "reforçar meu Ichinen”.

No entanto, senti que ainda tinha mais a aprender sobre o que esta expressão significa e de onde ela veio, porque muitas…

I recently re-posted an Instagram post that praised the seminal recording titled "Matogrosso" by Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso.  The post was from São Paulo Drumbrother, Bruno Balan, and you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/brunobalan_/

Bruno tagged me in the post, so I commented a bit about the session.  Then, more memories of that special third recording session in Brazil began surfacing in my mind, spurring me to write them down and share them with you.

I was living in Rio de Janeiro in…

Frank Colón's Percussion Playground is a podcast dedicated exclusively to the music of percussionists who are bandleaders and/or composers. I'll also talk to you about the artist's background and accomplishments and the other drummers on the track. I’ll also tell you how our professional and personal paths have intertwined and anything else I may know about their music. 

In this Episode 2, I feature songs by Babatunde Olatunji, Mor Thiam, Rubem Dantas, Jamey Haddad, Dom Um Romao, Arto Tunçboyaciyan, Andy…

This podcast features music composed and performed by the world's premier percussionists.  In this episode, we'll enjoy music by Mongo Santamaria, Kalani, Robertinho Silva, Luis Conte, Ramiro Musotto, Airto Moreira, Cyro Baptista, Evelyn Glennie, Carlinhos Brown, Lenny Castro, and Mino Cinelu.

What is Meditation, and How Can I Make it Easy to Practice?🧘🏻‍♂️ 

Over the years, many people have asked me about my daily meditation habit. People have asked questions such as:  

1. How is it possible to stop thinking?  

2. It’s Transcendental Meditation that you do, right? The one propagated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught the Beatles… So, do you have to devote your life to a Hindu guru to practice correctly? 

3. How much time do you spend on this every day? 

4. Doesn’t introspective meditation…

"For me, becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim.  I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self.  The journey doesn't end." 
― Michelle Obama 

Back in the 1970s, when I first took up the study of conga playing in the States, the route to proficiency was: (1) learn the five main notes that you could produce from a conga (bass, open tone, slap, muff, and rim) and, (2) build up your rhythm repertoire.  Conga players then…

Hello, Friends! Welcome Back! 

You know, it just dawned on me that I've yet to acknowledge a dear friend of mine who, in turn, has grown to be an inspiration to thousands of drummers, young and old. I'm referring to the one-and-only: Giovanni Hidalgo! 

I first met Giovanni around 1980, when I went to Puerto Rico to perform shows with the Airto Moreira and Flora Purim Band. The band configuration, at that time, had Airto at the helm from the drumset, with me on multiple percussion and Flora featured on most…

Whenever I travel through an airport on my way to a performance, I am usually asked one of two questions by airport security:  

(1) "Uh, Sir, just what kind of a pipe is that?", or  
(2) "I'm sorry, Sir, but are you planning onboarding with that bow and arrow?"  

They are referring to my Berimbau, which is most likely slung over my shoulder, as I always take it on board in the airplane cabin with me! The Berimbau is one of my favorite instruments in the world! Historically, the instrument's use was limited…

On November 7, 2020, Russian fusion guitarist Roman Miroshnichenko released a new album titled "The Sixth Sense." On this album, he is joined by special guests: Jennifer Batten, Frank Colón, Charlie Bisharat, Bunny Brunel, Paul Wertico, Gary Husband, Dominique di Piazza, Daniel Figueiredo, Gumbi Ortiz, Matt Laurent, and Luis Alicea. 

I'm featured on the track titled "Ocean," performing on timbales, shekere, and accessory percussion. 
 

In Roman's own words, "It's an exceptional album, recorded during an…