About this episode

The episode discusses how the cajon, a Peruvian instrument, transformed flamenco music after its introduction in 1977.

Before 1977, flamenco percussion relied solely on hand‑clapping and dancers' footwork. But that year, at a party in Lima, Peru, the cajon entered the scene. Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia and Brazilian percussionist Rubem Dantas attended an event at the Spanish embassy where they saw local musicians playing the cajon, an Afro‑Peruvian box drum that evolved from the wooden crates enslaved people used to make music in the 17th century. Since then, the cajon has become a staple of flamenco. Rubem Dantas spoke to Stefania Gozzer about what happened that night. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in…

People in this episode

Guest: Rubem Dantas

Topics covered

• flamenco
• music history
• Peruvian culture
• cajon
• cultural exchange

Keywords

• flamenco
• cajon
• Paco de Lucia
• Rubem Dantas
• Peru
• music history
• cultural impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Products: cajon

Places: Lima, Peru

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