Latin Percussion Launches Discovery II Ultralight and City II Mango Hand-Drum Lines

Latin Percussion rolled out two new hand-drum families targeting students, developing players, and gigging percussionists: the Discovery II Ultralight Congas and Bongos, and the City II Mango Congas and Bongos. Musical Merchandise Review covered the Discovery II Ultralight announcement on March 16, 2026, and retailer product pages for that line are already live. The City II Mango line was named in the announcement but LP has not yet released specifications, SKUs, or pricing for it.

The Discovery II Ultralight congas come in 10" and 11" sizes built around what LP calls exclusive HD Shell construction, described as "ultralight, extra durable, and produces a clear, dynamic sound." The conga set includes an ultralight stand with an aluminum tripod, a double conga stand configuration, and a tuning wrench, based on product listings at PercussionSource (model LP646DII-OX, SKU 208278, in Onyx finish). The bongos measure 6-1/4" and 7-1/4", use the same HD Shell construction, and add traditional Cuban-style bottoms. Every bongo set ships with a carry bag and tuning wrench. Timpano-percussion lists the bongos at $125.00, and Altomusic ships the LP601D-DB (UPC 647139714691) free to the continental U.S.

Both instruments share a consistent hardware spec across the line: natural rawhide heads, EZ Curve rims with a smooth rounded edge for comfort at the bearing edge, 9/32" diameter tuning lugs, and black powder-coated hardware. LP positioned the EZ Curve rim specifically as a comfort upgrade for players logging practice time, which matters if you're new to hand percussion and still building calluses. The four color options are Race Car Blue, Onyx, Sea Foam, and Red.

MMR's coverage called the series "a perfect entry to full-sized, authentic Latin drums," and the construction choices back that up on paper. HD shells keeping weight down while rawhide heads preserve the traditional tonal response is a reasonable trade-off for a player who needs to carry gear to rehearsal or a small gig. PercussionSource's product copy describes the congas as "fun, easy to play, simple to tune, and have incredible value," which lines up with the $125 bongo price point visible at retail.

The City II Mango line remains a gap in the announcement. LP named it alongside the Discovery II Ultralight family but no product pages, dimensions, materials, or pricing have surfaced in the sources available as of this writing. Anyone shopping that line specifically will need to check LP's own channels or wait for retailer listings to populate before drawing conclusions about what distinguishes Mango from Ultralight.