The cajón, from Peru to Andalusia.

The cajón, from Peru to Andalusia

The cajón is a percussion instrument that has been recently introduced into flamenco music. Its origins are Peruvian, Afro-Peruvian to be precise, as they were invented by African slaves who were transferred to the viceroyalty of Peru, who used the boxes that they used to carry merchandise as musical instruments.

The cajón only made its appearance in flamenco music in the seventies, when it was introduced by Paco de Lucía. Since then, the Peruvian cajón has been progressively adapting to the needs of flamenco, in terms of both sound and rhythm, as it requires more high-pitch sounds than were produced by the original Peruvian design.

Over a short period, the cajón has become firmly established in flamenco. It contributes to creating the rhythm that each flamenco palo (form) possesses. The way in which it works is very simple: by and large, it is a wooden box with one of the side boards missing, in its oldest and most basic version, or which has a hole in one of its sides.

The history of the cajon which is the Spanish word for box, has been part of Afro-Peruvian music since the 19th century. The instrument originated in colonial Peru, when the slaves, whose African drums had been forbidden by their masters, used wooden boxes intended to hold fruits or overturned drawers to play their rhythms on. Later the cajon was officially added to the instrumentation of the vals criollo, or "creole waltz." It is now a national emblem for Peruvians, and an indispensable part of any ensemble that performs the traditional folk music of Peru.

The cajon's later development can be clearly traced back to one man, the flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucia. In the early 1970s, the Spanish embassy in Lima, Peru hosted a party for Paco de Lucia, where they had a traditional Peruvian band perform utilizing the cajon. Flamenco music comprises many different rhythms which are normally played by the guitar player striking the body of the guitar. At that party, Paco de Lucia asked his former percussionist Ruben Danta to play the "Buleria" on the cajon, which is one of the rhythms used in flamenco. Consequently, Paco de Lucia took the cajon with him back to Spain. The short staccato sounds that can be played on the cajon make it perfect for flamenco music, because that sound naturally relates to the footwork and hand-claps ("palmas") used in Flamenco. Since the cajon's historic migration from Peru to Spain, its use has spread worldwide.

This percussion instrument is designed following the style of the Peruvian cajón. The bordonera system (a tool made of wire or lace strings that bounces against the lower drumhead, producing a distortion), the rattles and the material that it is made of, give the cajón a clear sound definition for both its acute and grave sounds, which have volume and energy.