Here, I composed a medley of latin rhythms that I enjoy playing. There are so many and I didn't have enough space to do all of them, so I just picked my favorite four.

First is the Cha-Cha (ex. 1), which originates from Cuba. This beat is pretty basic, but what I like about it is that you're trying to emulate a percussion section. For example, your main hand is playing what the cowbell player is playing. Your snare hand is playing a cross-stick on the snare (snares off) to mimic the slap of a conga and then going to a small tom or the snare to sound like an open conga. The hi-hat emulates the rhythm of the guiro. Splashing the hi-hat (when you close the hi-hat and as soon as the cymbals touch, let them back up so they ring) emulates the scraping of the guiro. To do fills, you can act like a timbale player and play on the snare, which sounds like a timbale when the snares are off. Listen to Tito Puente's or Santana's "Oye Como Va" for a great example of this.

I go into a slow mambo rhythm on the cowbell at marker 1:20, which then goes into a double time mambo (ex. 2) at marker 2:23. Most latin rhythms are comprised of each hand doing a part from the percussion section, which can consist of many players.

The Songo rhythm (ex. 3) is actually a rhythm that was invented by a drummer by the name of Jose "Changuito" Quintana from the latin group Los Van Van. It's a really fun rhythm to play. The first time I heard this was on a Michel Camilo album (did I say album?) called Why Not with Dave Weckl on drums.

The Mozambique rhythm is adapted from a pattern played by Steve Gadd on "Late In The Evening", by Paul Simon. It's a rhythm that has a busy cowbell part and also incorporates the toms (ex. 4).

There are so many latin rhythms and variations of each, so pick up anything you can get your hands on, listen to the whole rhythm section, and try to apply each instrument to a sound on the drums.

Form:
CHA-CHA:

INTRO FILL 1 bar
8 bars
8 bars
8 bars (ride)
8 bars
8 bars (ride)

SLOW MAMBO:
8 bars
8 bars
8 bars (ride)
8 bars BREAKDOWN/TRANSITION

MAMBO (double time)
16 bars
16 bars (ride)
16 bars
16 bars (ride)
16 bars BREAKDOWN/TRANSITION

SONGO:
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (cowbell)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars BREAKDOWN/TRANSITION

MOZAMBIQUE:
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (cowbell)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (ride)
16 bars (w/o bass drum)
8 bars (only drums)

Suggested Listening:

Michel Camilo
Eddie Palmieri
Reuben Blades
Tito Puente