Mon Rivera Alers

In this video, there are several points I'd like to discuss with the community here on YouTube: 1. The size of the tambourines isn't as large as is common nowadays. 2. The sister tambourine (follower) is smaller than the lead tambourine (singer) and has a higher pitch. 3. Notice that when Mon sings his verses and stops playing the lead, the sister uses dynamics, increasing the volume and adding a stroke to fill the space. 4. The use of the so-called "mosongo," the "zuuuuuum" sound Mon makes on the lead, is a highly valued characteristic in Afro-Dominican, Cuban, and Haitian genres. 5. When Mon enters a dense rhythm, the sister tambourine can be seen and heard joining in, almost as if in a kind of rhythm or conversation with the lead. This is much more complex compared to modern Plena. 6. The tambourines are tuned lower than what is customary today. 7. And finally, only two tambourines were used, which helps to highlight certain details that cannot be heard or appreciated when there is a multitude of tambourines played at full volume.