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Salsa Percussion Retreat – Spain

Salsa Percussion Retreat – Spain

8th – 15th September 2025

A week of ensemble workshops for percussion, bass, piano and horns aimed at musicians wishing to improve their salsa ensemble skills. You will work on existing arrangements, develop ensemble playing, and receive instrumental guidance with an emphasis on the rhythmic aspects of Cuban Music.

This course will include technique development, ensemble playing and drum variations for bongo, congas, güiro and timbales and cover styles such as salsa, son, charanga, mozambique and guaguanco.

The week-long retreats are split between tuition and practice time, making the most of the amazing location (mountain walks, beaches, snorkelling, sunbathing, star-gazing, horse riding etc. ), relaxing and of course, eating and drinking.

Course tutor
David Pattman. David’s experience includes playing with Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club, Cachaito Lopez, Cubanismo, Anga Diaz, Roberto Plá, Snowboy, Django Bates, Alex Wilson, Slim Gailard, Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdez and Daniel Ponce as well as Jacob Collier and Paul McCartney.

 

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Accommodation and Prices

Prices:
The price includes seven nights’ accommodation, three meals a day, and five days x four hours of tuition. (Please see below for costs not included.)

  • Earlybird rate: a non-refundable deposit of £150 paid before May 25th. 2025.
  • Regular rate: a deposit paid after 25th May 2025.
  • Full payment: due by August 1st.

Let us know if you would like to arrange to pay for the instalments.

Single Room: (please note, you will still be sharing a bathroom)
*Earlybird Single Room: £760
Regular Single Room: £810 (1-2 available)

 

Shared rooms: 3 available
Earlybird Shared Room: £650
Regular Shared Room:  £710

 

Glamping (2 people per tent):
Earlybird Glamping: £625 each
Regular Glamping: £685

What the retreat includes:

    • 4 hours of tuition x 5 days plus practice time.
    • 7 nights accommodation.
    • 3 meals a day.
    • Accommodation – shared, single rooms or glamping.
    • Access to percussion instruments, piano and bass amp.
    • An opportunity to perform on the last night at a local bar.
    • The chance to stay in a beautiful farmhouse in the spectacular countryside away from the distractions of everyday life.

Not included:

For more information, visit our travel information page.

    • Flights
    • Airport transfers:
    • Travel Insurance
    • Extra nights accommodation
    • Extra meals
    • Alcohol
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How to book
Step 1: Fill out our registration form below.
Step 2: Pay your deposit by clicking on the payment link or using our bank details. Please read our Cancellation and Participation Guide before booking.
Step 3: Pay the outstanding balance directly to our bank account by the 30th of April 2025.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Registration and payments

Name
Gender
We use this information to organise sleeping arrangements.
Address

Accomodation

Which type of room would you like?
Prices vary according to th retreat and room type. Please check the webpage of the retreat you wish to book.
Please select your payment type.
Please check the dates on the retreat page for early bird discounts.
Dietary requirements

Payment Options

Please remember to read our Retreat Cancellation Guide,

Submit this form and make a payment to secure your place today.

There are no payment fees. 

Monzo Easy Payment Link for the deposit (Opens in a separate window)

£150 Deposit

Alternatively, pay directly into our account. These details are also used for the outstanding balances.

Bank Details:
Victoria Rosemary Jassey
Bombo ProductionsSort
code: 04-00-03
Account number: 10614012

To pay in Euros via Revolut
Beneficiary: Victoria Rosemary Jassey
IBAN: GB44 REVO 0099 7089 4931 33
BIC / SWIFT code: REVOGB21
CODE: @victors5wd

Our space - Accommodation.

Our catering - Food at Finca Ara Oko

How to get to us - Travel Information
  • Singing Retreat, Finca Ara Oko
  • Finca Ara Oko
  • Spanish Music Retreats, Finca Ara Oko
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Bombo Productions
4.7
Based on 21 reviews
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Federica Fusco
15:43 15 Dec 22
I have been attending many percussion courses with Bombo productions over the past few years. Yesterday, we completed the Batà Course. We learnt how to play multiple toques on different drums, learning rhythmic sequences, conversations and variations, hand techniques, developing coordination, autonomy and important patterns for future improvisation. We learn how the rhythms fit with the singing and the clave. All sessions are filmed and shared privately so that you can practice at home and be ready for the next class.Dave is an amazing teacher with huge passion, knowledge and patience. Vicky is a great musician, singer and a very inspiring thinker. They both make this learning experience special and I am so grateful for this.This course was also for me a chance to know more people who share a similar attitude towards art, music and life. I met very special people there.Vicky and Dave also organise music nights in London where anyone can play and apply what you have learnt in a wider context and with other amazing musicians!So it's clear that I highly recommend bombo production to all amateurs and professional musicians :D
Geoff Baker
21:23 18 Oct 22
Vicky and Dave are true experts in Cuban music, but their courses are accessible and everyone is made to feel welcome, whatever their background, so the group is very diverse. They are great teachers – highly knowledgeable and keen to make good music, yet always with a smile and a laugh. The music is gorgeous (they make their own arrangements, so you can only get it here!) and the atmospheric rehearsal space adds to the charm. Highly recommended!
Adam robinson
18:35 13 Oct 22
It's rare to find anyone as knowledgeable as Dave and Vicky. It's even more rare to find people who are as generous and welcoming. Anyone who has an interest in Afro Cuban music will be able get involved, learn and be pushed just enough - regardless of playing ability. I couldn't recommend their courses/workshops highly enough.
ohad lustigman
19:35 07 Aug 22
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Afro Cuban folkloric music, Bata or Salsa.Dave and Vicky have figured out the perfect formula to share their very deep knowledge in a really fun and relaxed but also intensive and challenging way.In both their online courses and face to face workshops, they are making sure to gently push you a bit further from where you are at -whether a total beginner or an advanced player.Only thing to be aware of is that this might be addictive.
Mariya
20:37 08 May 22
Over the past couple of years I have taken a number of courses with Bombo Productions and also attended their folkloric Afro-Cuban percussion retreat in Spain last year and I have to say that learning percussion with Vicky and Dave has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. Dave and Vicky are wonderful teachers and people, who love sharing their knowledge and passion for music. I feel so much joy and gratitude after every class I take with them!Most recently, I attended the Level 2 in-person Salsa course offered by Dave. What I love about Dave’s salsa classes is that we get to learn a bit of each instrument in the percussion section. While I only have congas at home and the congas are (perhaps) the instrument I am most interested in, I always wanted to understand how the congas interact with the other percussion instruments. And I love it that I can now play a bit on the other instruments. And I absolutely love it that when I listen to salsa music, i can now distinctly hear the timbales, the bongos and the congas… it feels great. Thank you, Dave!The other thing I really enjoy about the salsa classes is that we don’t just learn patterns on the instruments, but we apply these to a specific song/arrangement prepared by Dave; as such we also learn to listen to (and play) the breaks, changes in clave, etc.I can’t speak highly enough of Dave and Vicky’s classes – whether these are salsa, batá, rumba or coro. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
simon todd
18:17 29 Apr 22
10/10 Salsa level 2 course!Seriously If you want to learn and understand Salsa music, arrangements, technique and the secrets of this Afro-Cuban music style, Dave Pattman is the man. Over the years I've done workshops with Dave and always been a great and rewarding experience.Very warm, friendly and energetic teacher, with extensive knowledge of this music.Can't recommend the course enough, Sometimes the courses run in a nice little studio in central Hackney or online over a 6 week period. New to online lessons it didn't take long to get into it, you get an upload of the lesson which is great, and the arrangement, with minus one options of instruments.Also Dave encourages you to send in videos of your playing with the tracks , so you really get a lot for your money.Prices are very reasonable for such high level tuition.This side of Havana Bombo productions is the place to go if you want to learn the real essence of Afro Cuban drumming, music and culture.
Dave Longman
10:59 29 Apr 22
I attended a level 2 salsa percussion course.The course content was perfect for me as I have covered the basics so many times. In these sessions, we used the patterns to build up 2 different salsa arrangements which was just what I needed - a real-life context in which to play the instruments. This was all supported with shared resources including minus-one tracks to play along at home.There were new patterns/techniques to learn for all the instruments - congas, bongo, timbales and guiroThe tutor had a wonderful, relaxed manner and was encouraging and supportive, while also finding ways to push our different ability levels.I would definitely attend another course sometime.
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