Cajón
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Peruvian instrument, for the town see, El Cajón, California.
A cajón (Spanish for 'crate', 'drawer', or 'box', pronounced 'ka.HONE') is a kind of box drum played by slapping the front face (generally thin plywood) with the hands.
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[edit] Origins
The cajón, also known as the "caja" (KA-ha), originated in coastal Peru either as an invention of African slaves or Roma. The cajón is officially declared by Peru as "Cultural Patrimony of the Nation."
[edit] Popular theory
West Africans, particularly Angolans, sold into slavery in Peru and Cuba substituted wooden shipping crates for their native drums. In port cities like Matanzas, Cuba they used cod-fish shipping crates. Elsewhere, small dresser drawers became instruments. The boxes not only resonated like a drum but could also be disguised as a seat or stool.
The instrument became an important part of Peruvian music and Cuban music.
In the 1970's the instrument was introduced to Flamenco music by guitarist Paco de Lucía.
[edit] Another theory
Many Spanish and even Peruvian musicians say it was invented by Peruvian creoles or Roma people that came as incognite Spanish herdsmen, farmers or miners, and were many times called Morochucos (Morochucan Cowboys) in the sierra or Piajenos in the northern coast.
But the most common historically accepted origin of the instrument dates back to the colonial era when the African slaves brought to Peru from Angola, began using fruit crates as percussion instruments.
Some could say the Peruvian cajón or simply cajón, does have a Romani relation; yet it is not a Spanish Flamenco creation but a Peruvian creation.
As in Romani music, instruments are made of the materials at hand: spoons (either metal or wood) to sound as castanets, bowls (these last two very popular in Russia, Hungary and Romania), wooden tables to beat like drums (very common in the Bulgaria Flamenco), goat skin drums and even pumpkins.
Early useage of the cajón was to accompany Tondero and Zamacueca (old version of Marinera) dances. Tapping knuckles on wooden tables may be considered a predecessor to the cajón. The dances represented cockfights, a tradition very common for the Roma people.
[edit] The drum
Half to three quarter inch thick wood was generally used for five sides of the box. A thin sheet of plywood was nailed on as the sixth side and acted as the striking surface or head. A sound hole was cut on the back side opposite the head.
The top edges were often left unattached and could be slapped against the box. A sound hole was cut in the side opposing the head or tapa. The player sat astride the box, tilting it at an angle while striking the head between his knees. The modern cajón has several screws at the top for adjusting percussive timbre and may sport rubber feet. Some versions may also have several vertically stretched cords pressed against the tapa for a buzz like effect or tone. Guitar strings, rattles or drum snares may serve this purpose. The percussionist can play the sides with the top of his palms and fingers for additional sounds. There are also tube cajón, which are played like a conga.
[edit] Today
Today, the cajón is heard extensively in Cuban, Coastal Peruvian or Musica criolla musical styles: Tondero, Zamacueca and Peruvian Valse, modern Flamenco and certain styles of modern Rumba. The cajón was introduced into flamenco in only the 1970s by guitarist Paco de Lucía. While in Peru, he was given the cajón by percussionist Caitro Soto. In the Paco de Lucia sextet, the cajon is played by Brazilian percussionist Rubem Dantas. In 1994, Dantas learned of a technique employing the pressure of the left foot on the front of the cajon to change pitch from a San Jose, CA cajonador named Mike Masuda. This pitch changing technique--derived from Peruvian-style cajon foot muting--is now common in flamenco.
The modern cajón is often used to accompany the acoustic guitar and is showing up on worldwide stages in contemporary music. Jennifer Lopez, The Dixie Chicks, Ozomatli, Fleetwood Mac, Alejandro Sanz with Destiny's Child, Los Lobos, Anastacia, Ben Harper, Nada Surf, Violent Femmes, and the widely popular Spanish flamenco/rock/rumba duo Estopa have all recently featured the cajón either on stage or television, and some have used it in the recording of their albums. As the instrument gains recognition, major drum & percussion companies are following the lead of custom builders and bringing the instruments to a wider audience.
In the Philippines, it has ushered a new breed of percussionists in the "acoustic" club circuit. Better known by the local commercial brand "K-hon", it proved to be a more economical and practical alternative to a drum kit. [1][2]
In 2001 the Cajon was declared "National Patrimony" by the Peruvian National Institute of Culture.
