Drum Circle

The flamenco is a time honored musical and dance genre that originated in Spain. Flamenco developed in Andalusia due to the interaction between Arabic, Andalusian, Sephardic and Gypsy cultures in the area in the 19th century, although forms of the music and dance were noted earlier. Flamenco music is characterized by intricate guitar playing and flamenco dancing refers to the corresponding dance, performed with easy to hear footwork.

Flamenco emerged from a complicated cross section of musical and cultural norms in the area. The dance was originally performed only by the gypsies in their communities, but musical members of the surrounding areas eventually joined in, adding their own flavor.

Flamenco music changed greatly in the late eighteenth century, when musicians changed instruments. Though flamenco was originally played on a classical five string guitar, flamenco enthusiasts adopted the six string guitar, which is now one of the most characteristic aspects of the genre. The added string allowed further diversification among players and styles. Most traditional flamenco guitars are made of Spanish spruce or cypress, and are smaller than normal guitars. This provides for a sharper sound while playing.

About a century after the addition of the sixth string to the guitar, flamenco music reached what is known as "the golden age." Cafes cantantes became popular between 1870 and 1910, allowing flamenco artists to hold ticketed concerts. This also paved the way for the popularization of flamenco dancing who performed at these concerts.

Professional singers and dancers, like Silverio Franconetti, Enrique el Mellizo and El Loco Mateo, began to build their reputations during this era, and their music is still often played in modern music.

The years after the Golden Age of flamenco are often known as the Etapa Teatreal, or the theatrical period. Flamenco music become commercial and was considered decadent. Flamenco music was played in larger arenas, which caused incredible popularity, but decreased the artistic integrity of the musicians.

The flamenco is an incredibly emotional dance. There are few choreographed dances, as the performers are meant to feel the rhythm, in a manner similar to jazz. Dancers also use their feet as percussive instruments, creating the rhythm. Flamenco musicians also improvise while playing, rather than pay attention to the beat of the rhythm.

In today’s version of the flamenco, artists are heavily influenced by other cultures. Many flamenco songs are derived from Arabic music from Yemen. Modern forms of the flamenco borrow greatly from Latin American and Cuban musical forms. This is called the rumba, and cajons are often played during performances of the genre. A cajon is a percussive instrument used to mark the beat. This hand drum acts as a stool for the player, who sits on top while slapping the frontplate of the cajon. The drum is equipped with guitar strings or snare strings that rest against the frontplate, giving the acoustic drum a range of sounds. The cajon is often used to define the compas, or the rhythm of the music and the division of the musical accentuations.

Labels: cajon, cajon.drum, cajons, flamenco.music

Working drummers know well that performing light acoustic shows are part of the job and they need to be trained and prepared to drive the backline using an alternative drum when a standard drum set is not an option. A traditional hand drum is the standard alternative for these situations and drummers typically choose to use a djembe or cajon drum when the kit is too much for the room.

A djembe is a West African hand drum designed for usage in a drum circle. This hand drum is all about connecting with people and involvement by the entire community, and its easy for anyone to participate. Ben Harper, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel are known for including the djembe in their typical percussive line-up.

Traditional African drums are favored by professional djembe players, due to the superior materials. African female goats lend tougher skins than American goats, to the drumheads, as a result of the rough life of the African goat. African djembes also use hardwood instead of plastic or softwood, which makes for better sound. Many mass market djembes you see at department stores and big chain music stores are made of synthetic materials such as PVC or fiberglass which offer more durability but also offer less warmth when it comes to tone.

Djembes produce a range of sounds, called the bass, tone and slap. The bass is the lowest sound, and is produced by holding the fingers together while playing, like the tone. The tone produces a round and full sound. Finally, the slap creates a high, sharp noise, produced by relaxing the fingers while playing.

A djembe is much smaller than the typical drum set, with size averaging out at twelve inches in diameter, twenty-four inches in height. You can find smaller djembes, down to 8 inches in diameter and eighteen inches in height.

The djembe was prominently featured in Thomas McCarthy's 2008 film, The Visitor. The film focused on the cathartic experience of playing the djembe, and how the musical expression can become part of overcoming grief, as a result of the emotion. Djembe playing is about expression more than skill; it is about community and passion.

Unlike the West African djembe, the cajon is an Afro-Peruvian hand drum that is played by slapping the sides. The box drum has an interesting and broad history where in one case the drum was used as a way to continue to play despite the Spanish boycott on African music. The shape of the box masked itself and was seen as a stool or a shelf rather than a musical instrument.

Throughout history the cajon drum has been used to play the rumba and flamenco music and has recently become a major player in contemporary music. Most recording engineers are starting to experiment with cajon drum tones in the studio for rock, reggae and hip hop recordings.

Famous performers like Jennifer Lopez and the Dixie Chicks have used the drum, as well as Alejandro Sanz, Fleetwood Mac, Norah Jones and Ben Harper.

To play the cajon drum, the player sits on top of the instrument and plays various rhythms on the frontplate, which is typically made of fine hardwoods. The other parts of the box are made of thicker wood, which creates stability for the musician, with rubber feet for the protection of floor surfaces and the bottom of the cajon.

Cajons today have a variety of sounds as a result of bass pedals, snare wires and nylon strings in the production of the drum. Musicians use their hands, as well as plastic and metal brushes to vary the sound for the music.

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The cajon is believed to have originated in Peru when the African slaves, brought to Peru from Angola, began using fruit crates as percussion instruments. Displaced from their homeland, the African slaves substituted cod shipping crates for their native drums.

In Cuba, small dresser drawers were used for the same purpose. The instrument was refined and became an important part of Cuban and Peruvian music. Early usage of the Peruvian cajon was to accompany Tondero and Zamacueca (old version of Marinera) dances. Tapping knuckles on wooden tables may be considered a predecessor to the cajon.

Three quarter inch pine or other white wood was generally used for five sides of the box. A thin sheet of plywood was nailed on as the sixth side and acted as the head or striking surface. The top edges were often left unattached and could be slapped against the box. A sound hole was cut in the side opposing the head. The player sat on the box striking the head between his legs. The modern cajon drum has several screws at the top for adjusting percussive timbre and may sport rubber feet. Some versions may also have several vertically stretched cords pressed against the tapa for a buzz like effect or tone.

Today, the cajon is heard extensively in Andean, Cuban, and Flamenco music. It's steadily gaining popularity in all types of contemporary music and has become a favorite for "unplugged" sessions and is often used to accompany the acoustic guitar.

Labels: cajon, cajon.drum, cajons, cuban.music, flamenco.music, percussion.instrument, peruvian.music