Who plays congas on The Rolling Stones 1968 song ‘Sympathy for the Devil’?
‘Sympathy for the Devil’ marked a turning point for the Rolling Stones, showing they could shape their blues roots into distinctive, ambitious songwriting. Its samba-inspired rhythm gave the 1968 song a hypnotic groove and helped make it one of the band’s defining recordings.
Ghanaian percussionist Kwashi “Rocky Dijon” Dzidzornu played the congas alongside Charlie Watts’s drums, adding the layered percussion that drove the groove. Keith Richards described the song’s development from a folk song into a “mad samba”; other contributors included pianist Nicky Hopkins and backing vocalists Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg and Michael Cooper.
In short
- Rocky Dijon played congas on the track.
- The percussion helped create its samba feel.
- Nicky Hopkins and others also joined the recording.
Explained simply
The Rolling Stones are a British rock band whose music grew out of blues and rhythm and blues. In the late 1960s, they began experimenting with broader arrangements and sounds, while keeping songwriting at the centre of their work.
Kwashi “Rocky Dijon” Dzidzornu was a Ghanaian percussionist who played congas on the recording, alongside drummer Charlie Watts. The layered percussion gives the song much of its rhythmic drive; pianist Nicky Hopkins and several backing vocalists also contributed to the track.