cajon
A box-shaped percussion instrument of Peruvian origin, played by sitting on it and striking the front face.
In Depth
The cajon (not to be confused with the Cajun cultural tradition) was developed by African slaves in Peru who were forbidden from using drums. They repurposed shipping crates and boxes as percussion instruments, creating a new instrument from necessity. Modern cajons feature an adjustable snare mechanism inside that adds a buzzy, snare-drum-like quality. The cajon has become ubiquitous in acoustic performances, flamenco, and singer-songwriter settings as a portable, versatile drum substitute.
Paco de Lucia introduced the cajon to flamenco in the 1970s after discovering it in Peru, and it became so essential that modern flamenco is almost unthinkable without it.