The Cajon in the World

The Cajon is used in many countries however its use has become very popular in Cuba as well as in Spain.

In Cuba, candle and codfish boxes were used for musical means. Helio Orovio says in his Cuban music dictionary, that “the cajon replaces the drum among very poor people or in improvised situations”. In Cuba, the cajon is used for the rumba, there even existed a variation called “Rumba de Cajon” (cajon Rumba) played by these instruments. In the zones near to Santiago de Cuba, the Cajon Pelao dances (dances accompanied exclusively by cajones) were pretty common. It is probably that this style was the Rumba Yambú, which is the oldest Rumba style known. Although there are references about the Rumba’s existence since the mid XIX century, it is really diffused after the slavery abolition was declared, which doesn’t mean that the cajon was born with the rumba. It is possible that the cajon already existed, however I haven’t found information about this instrument’s existence in Cuba before the Rumba. Angel Morales, Félix Campos, Quirino Tin and Salomé Fernandez are the most outstanding cajoneros from Matanzas, where the Rumba practice was very important. And Esteban Domingo Vega Bacalao, known as “Chacha”, cannot be forgotten. There were a great deal of very important rumba dancers, nevertheless José Rosario Oviedo, known as “Malanga”, occupies a special place between the “rumberos” (rumba dancers) and it is known that he knew very well the cajon beatings.

Today, in Spain, the cajon is known as Cajon Flamenco and Cajon Rumbero. This instrument, unknown in Spain until 30 years ago, started to be used after the Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia received in Lima a cajon from Master Carlos “Caitro” Soto de la Colina; it was the one Caitro played minutes before impressing the Andalusian “tocaor”. Paco de Lucia received the instrument, took it to Spain and introduced it into his musical proposal, leaving it in Rubem Dantas’ hands. It can be said that since 1980 the cajon is adopted. Among the cajon players in Spain, stands out Rubem Dantas, Manuel Soler, Antonio Carmona, and Israel Suarez “Piraña”.