At the Fleadh Nuah in Ennis this past May, I saw a fellow playing a percussion instrument that looked like a rectangular home-made speaker cabinet. While sitting on top of the box, he played it with his bare hands and also used one foot. I think he was using his foot to regulate the tension of the playing surface similar to a bodhran player's hand on the back side of the bodhran skin. He got sounds similar to a kick drum and a snare drum. What is this instrument?
It would be a cajon (Spanish for box). By that name it's a Latin American and Caribbean percussion instrument, though similar instruments can be found anywhere someone found a wooden box or crate and started whacking at it. Sometimes they come with a string or wire for a snare effect. As you can see from this web page, purpose-made cajons can get quite a bit more complicated and expensive than simple wooden crates: http://www.thedrumworks.com/Cajons-p-1-c-510.html?gclid=COOjtZv8qIcCFT-HOAod1C7t5A
They seem to be infiltrating Celtic music via bodhran players who don't think dejmbes are exotic enough, though I imagine in the history of the tradition there have been a few wooden crates played along with scratchy fiddles and battered whistles. They're fun.
Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
At the Fleadh Nuah in Ennis this past May, I saw a fellow playing a percussion instrument that looked like a rectangular home-made speaker cabinet. While sitting on top of the box, he played it with his bare hands and also used one foot. I think he was using his foot to regulate the tension of the playing surface similar to a bodhran player's hand on the back side of the bodhran skin. He got sounds similar to a kick drum and a snare drum. What is this instrument?
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by snapper
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
It might be a Cajón. I haven't seen the foot used on it before though.
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by fiddleK
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
cf:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/7564/
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by heike
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
http://alistaircassidy.ukonlinehosting.com/bodhran.htm
There is a photo here
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
I've seen it played at several festivals here in North America as well. Hadn't seen it until rather recently, though.
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by vonnieestes
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
Finally something to take some of the heat off of us bodhran players.
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by newfie percussionist
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
It would be a cajon (Spanish for box). By that name it's a Latin American and Caribbean percussion instrument, though similar instruments can be found anywhere someone found a wooden box or crate and started whacking at it. Sometimes they come with a string or wire for a snare effect. As you can see from this web page, purpose-made cajons can get quite a bit more complicated and expensive than simple wooden crates:
http://www.thedrumworks.com/Cajons-p-1-c-510.html?gclid=COOjtZv8qIcCFT-HOAod1C7t5A
They seem to be infiltrating Celtic music via bodhran players who don't think dejmbes are exotic enough, though I imagine in the history of the tradition there have been a few wooden crates played along with scratchy fiddles and battered whistles. They're fun.
# Posted on September 12th 2006 by Tracie
Re: Tell Me About This Percussion Instrument
Someone told me the cajon developed on the the docks of Peru. Somebody else told me they use it with flamenco music nowdays.
# Posted on September 13th 2006 by stoner420