Santana conga player dies at 61

Santana percussionist Raul Rekow, who helped introduce the conga drums to an audience outside of Latin music, has died. He was 61.

Carlos Santana, the leader of the pioneering Mexican American rock group, announced the death late Tuesday on Facebook where he called Rekow "the heartbeat of the band."

"His presence on the stage was one of power, grace collaboration and joy. He redefined what it means to be a conga player," Santana wrote, without specifying the exact date or cause of death.

Conga drums, which are tall and upright and generally played by hand, are originally from Cuba and figure prominently in the island's styles including rumba and the style simply known as conga.

Rekow became known for performing with five drums, which he would tune to match the Latin riffs in Santana's music.

Rekow had a life story that many music fans would envoy -- he taught himself conga drums only after going as a teenager to a show by Santana, then a little known band in northern California.

He began playing in a Santana cover band and was invited to join the actual group in 1976, staying with only a short break until 2013.

Rekow also recorded with pop stars including Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, as well as jazz legend Herbie Hancock.