18/04/2016
The Cajón:
Roots & Routes
From slave plantations in the Americas, to the azure Spanish coastline and even way beyond, the cajón has become the world’s most widely used Afro-Peruvian musical instrument. Today it is performed throughout the world. Yet its evolution can be traced to the Spanish colonial Americas in mid 19th century where it was invented by slaves of Central and West African origin.
Theories relating to the origins of the cajón are almost as rich and layered as the sounds of the instrument itself. Some believe its box-like shape was fashioned from Spanish shipping crates by slaves from Angola and the Antilles who had the material at their disposal, as well as smaller boxes adapted from dresser drawers. Others believe that the slaves simply used boxes as musical instruments in brave defiance of the Spanish suppression of music being performed by African slave communities. They would simply camouflage the cajón as a stool. Whatever the veracity these versions of its origins, it is evident that the Afro-Spanish roots of the cajón can be located both in the histories of resistance to colonialism and cultures with traditions steeped in musical celebration.
And the routes of this remarkable instrument resonate as profoundly as its roots.
By 1850, the cajón had become immensely popular and by the end of the 19th century cajón players were experimenting with its design, introducing variety to and altering the patterns of audio vibration by bending some of the planks in its box-like frame. After the abolition of slavery, the cajón’s influence reached all of Spain’s overseas colonies, especially the Creole communities in Hispanic America and the Phillipines.
But it was only in 1977 that the cajón became the principal rhythmic base accompanist to Flamenco dance styles. This was when legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia brought one of the instruments – formerly owned by Peruvian percussionist Caitro Soto - into the theatres of Madrid and Barcelona.
The cajon’s ‘arrival’ and growing status within the mainstream musical lexicon was cemented in 2001, when the Peruvian National Institute of Culture declared the cajón a National Heritage instrument. And in 2014, the Organisation of American States formally pronounced the cajón an "Instrument of Peru for the Americas".
Today, the cajón features extensively in traditional musical genres such as the Peruvian Tondero – a distinctively lyrical and passionate song, dance and rhythm style; as well as the Zamacueca – an ancient, romantic colonial dance, featuring couples using handkerchiefs as the central motif of the pas de deux. It was also included as a rhythmic accompaniment to the Peruvian Waltz – a Creole adaptation of the European waltz brought to the Americas during colonialism. In the 20th century, this waltz became symbolic of Peruvian culture as it spread throughout the country. Simultaneously, the rhythmic cajón became the accompaniment of choice – alongside the guitar - for modern Spanish Flamenco; not to mention certain styles of contemporary Cuban Rumba, involving the island’s signature styles of sensual dance, rhythmic percussion, and lyrical, passionate song
The cajón is also performed as an accompaniment to the acoustic guitar and is etching its place in contemporary music, ranging from blues, jazz, folk and pop to rock, funk and world music. It is also used by bands as a simpler alternative to a full drum kit, particularly for more intimate spaces and minimalist gigs.
It is played not only with hands, but also with the plastic and metal brushes used for drums. Another way of playing the cajón is to use an ordinary bass drum pedal, thereby transforming it into an indirect percussion instrument.
From its subversive roots in slavery and resistance to colonialism, to its universal embrace of contemporary music - from traditional styles to cutting-edge sounds - the cajón is now imprinted onto the contemporary cultural psyche.
Yet its journey has only just begun.
Reference: Wikipedia
