PERCUSSIONS
This percussion instrument is a unique bimembranophone from West Africa, featuring a wooden resonating body with stylized pigskin, crafted by Baptista Percusión. It is used in Afro-Cuban spiritist music and is quite rare in Costa Rica. The batá typically comes in three sizes, and this variant would be considered an *iya*, the largest version of this drum.
Installed size: 2590 Mb
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A percussive friction instrument used to accompany dances, songs, and various rituals, such as the *balsería* game, which is a deeply important tradition for the Ngäbe ethnic group. Its name, *ayotl*, from the Nahuatl language, has spread due to its presence in various Mesoamerican traditions. In Costa Rica, it is called *ulíma lenh* in Maleku, and it exists as part of culinary customs, as the Maleku people raise and eat turtles. Once the process is complete, the shells are used as instruments, struck with mallets or rubbed by hand to produce sound.
Installed size: 39 Mb
14 Audio Files
190 Kontakt Sample Files
3 Microphones
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This membranophone is a drum with a cylindrical resonating body found in Andean traditions. It is typically played with mallets and produces a distinct deep sound. This unique version was crafted by Wense Rodriguez using recycled materials and features two stretched canvas heads, tightened with cords around hoops that are thinner than usual in this example.
Installed size: 247 Mb
78 Audio Files
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The *tambor boruka*, traditionally called *quebé*, is a bimembranophone with Afro-Panamanian influence and features a tensioned tie in the shape of an "N." Its music was used for various symbolic occasions, such as wars, rituals, and burials. These drums are made from hollow pejibaye trees, covered with leather tanned with salt and sun-dried. The selected leather often holds symbolic meaning and can come from animals such as black, snake, boa, or deer. This particular example is rare, as the construction of these drums has evolved due to the older age of the craftsmen, and there is concern over the lack of young apprentices to continue the tradition.
Installed size: 100 Mb
42 Audio Files
340 Kontakt Sample Files
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Cultural tourism introduced to Boruca through the *danza de los diablitos* has influenced the desire to obtain cultural elements that were not previously for sale, leading to the creation of a more elaborate version of the traditional *quebé*. The commercial version is called the *caja boruka*, which is an interesting evolution, as these drums are made from pejibaye wood and feature a different tie with tannery leather processed with acids. Today, *cajas borukas* come in various sizes, with the large version being the hardest to find, and they are played with mallets made from the same pejibaye wood.
Installed size: 70 Mb
21 Audio Files
498 Kontakt Sample Files
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The flamenco cajón is a percussion instrument that is essentially a wooden box played while seated, producing a distinct high-pitched sound that sets it apart from the Peruvian cajón. This instrument originated in Peru and is commonly used for rhythmic accompaniment. The resonating body features an opening at the back, and it is typically played by striking the front face with the hands, although it can also be played with mallets.
Installed size: 230 Mb
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The *cajongo* is a hybrid between a bongó and a Peruvian cajón, offering the advantage of being lighter than bongos and more portable than a cajón. This innovative percussion instrument features a wooden drumhead, played with the hands while positioned between the legs. Its sound resonates through the hollow bottom. The *cajongo* produces three main notes, following the same sonic principle as the bongó, with a female section for lower sounds, a male section for higher sounds, and a middle section that corresponds to where the wooden bridge would be on traditional bongos.
Installed size: 180Mb
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The claves are a basic percussion instrument consisting of two cylindrical wooden sticks, typically between 20 and 25 centimeters in length, that are struck together to produce a clear sound, commonly used to keep rhythm in Latin music. Believed to have African origins, they are traditionally made from hard woods, but this particular pair is crafted from guácimo ternero wood by Daniel Mora.
Installed size: 160 Mb
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The djembe is a drum of West African origin with animal skin that is played with the hands. Made from solid wood, the example in this recording is crafted from guanacaste wood by Renato Conejo.
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The Guiro de Calabazo is an idiophone scraped with a stick on its front, which is hand-carved. The back of the instrument is held by a hole from which the calabash’s interior is extracted. This instrument has mostly been used as an accompaniment in Latin rhythms. Today, it is primarily found in northern Costa Rica, but it is less common due to the difficulty of obtaining calabashes, and it has been replaced by a commercial metal version. The recorded example was crafted by performer Daniel Mora.
Installed size: 253 Mb
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446 Kontakt Sample Files
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This wooden instrument blends percussion and melody. It is played sitting on the resonating box, plucking the metal plates that produce low notes. Of African origin, it was brought to America during colonization and is also known as the "poor man's bass."
Installed size: 50 Mb
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The *baptunga* is a sophisticated variation of the Peruvian cajón. This polyhedral instrument, originally designed by Baptista Percusión, is distinguished by its dodecahedron shape, chosen for its ideal acoustic properties and mystical geometric symbolism connected to universal principles. Its ergonomic design allows for playing on five sides in the basic version, or seven with a more advanced technique, expanding the instrument’s sonic and rhythmic possibilities.
Installed size: 350 Mb
81 Audio Files
1710 Kontakt Sample Files
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The donkey jawbone is a percussive bone instrument that produces a vibrant sound through the rattling of the dry teeth in the jawbone of a horse or donkey. Its origins are linked to African immigration from Angola and Congo, where it was part of spiritual and ceremonial practices. Today, the jawbone is part of Costa Rican folk music and throughout Latin America, retaining its ability to evoke a primitive, ritualistic sound in popular celebrations.
Installed size: 78 Mb
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The *Quijongo Guanacasteco* is a traditional string instrument from the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. Eulalio Guadamuz, a skilled musician from the area, has played a key role in preserving and promoting this instrument. Made of wood with metal strings, the *quijongo* produces a resonant sound used in local dances and celebrations. Guadamuz not only plays the instrument but also teaches younger generations about its cultural significance, helping to ensure its continued presence in Guanacaste’s folk music traditions. His efforts have contributed to the revitalization of the *quijongo* in the region.
Installed size: 394 Mb
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The *Quijongo* is a monocord musical bow of African descent, declared intangible cultural heritage of the province of Guanacaste. This particular specimen was crafted by the esteemed master and bearer of the quijongo tradition, Isidoro Guadamuz de la O. The instrument is played by striking its string with a mallet, producing two fundamental notes on each side of the resonator. Its mastery lies in the ability to control its harmonics, a skill that defines the unique sound of the *quijongo*.
Installed size: 340 Mb
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A variation of the Quijongo
Installed size: 464 Mb
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This snare drum is made from plywood and features a snare system, designed as a complement to the Peruvian cajón but also adjustable to a conventional drum kit. With its low volume and rapid snare response, it produces a pleasant sound ideal for performances in small spaces. The outer hoops that secure the structure allow for the addition of other sound elements, such as bells, jam blocks, or guacharacas. This innovative instrument can be played with hands, brushes, or drumsticks.
Installed size: 250 Mb
81 Audio Files
1356 Kontakt Sample Files
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The sabak is an ancestral percussion instrument from the Bri Bri Cabécar tradition. Shaped like a cup, its body is made from bitter cedar wood for its acoustic properties, or alternatively, from balsa wood. The top is covered with snake skin, glued with rubber milk. The sabak is used to accompany traditional dances and is played with the hands.
Installed size: 132 Mb
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This membranophone, created by Baptista Percussion, is a unique type of struck string instrument. The vibration of the string is triggered by the impact on the drumhead, and the combination of the two vibrations creates a distinct sound effect. The sound can be altered by adjusting the tuning of the string at the bottom using a peg.
Installed size: 340 Mb
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The smallest version of the Maleku drum is primarily played by children due to its size. Its painted designs are inspired by the flora and fauna of the Maleku territory. It is used to accompany moments of both happiness and sadness.
Installed size: 57 Mb
36 Audio Files
1026 Kontakt Sample Files
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This intermediate version of the drum is used to accompany collective singing and social communication. Made from balsa wood, it is very lightweight. Currently, it is the most common version of this drum series due to its portability, making it attractive to cultural tourism in the northern region of Costa Rica.
Installed size: 56 Mb
18 Audio Files
506 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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The conga is a percussion membranophone that typically has a leather head, but this particular example features a unique design with a 100% handcrafted wooden head. This long and narrow drum is played with the fingers and palms of the hands and produces deep sounds. Congas originated in Africa and are now widely used in Latin music.
Installed size: 480 Mb
141 Audio Files
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Tali is a sacred symbol gifted by Tocu to humanity for spiritual communication. This ancestral drum is used in ceremonial practices and is crafted from royal cedar, one of the sacred trees for the Maleku people. During its creation, the inside of the drum is burned with charcoal and then carved manually with gouges. The drumhead is made from iguana skin, which is also used in the cuisine of this ethnic group, and it is affixed to the trunk using latex from local trees.
Installed size: 56 Mb
21 Audio Files
384 Kontakt Sample Files
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The hand drum is a recent addition to Costa Rican indigenous traditions. Made with a local wooden hoop and cowhide, this membranophone is typically played with a wooden drumstick covered in leather, though it can also be played with the hand. Its use and production have increased due to the growing popularity of ceremonial practices.
Installed size: 85 Mb
28 Audio Files
154 Kontakt Sample Files
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The Lakota drum is associated with the Native American traditions of the northern part of the continent. In sacred drums like this one, the reverse side features symbolic weaving unique to its maker. Larger examples, such as this one, are harder to acquire due to the scarcity of large hides. Unlike the traditional circular frame, this octagonal drum represents the evolution of these instruments. Historically, they were made from the exterior of a solid tree trunk, but in the 21st century, it's easier to find linear pieces, as wood is now more accessible through hardware stores.
Installed size: 355 Mb
69 Audio Files
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This percussion instrument is a simple version of the popular Swiss handpan, featuring metal tongues that produce a soft bell-like sound. Depending on the size of the tongues, it produces different tones. The tank drum stands out for being a work of reuse, crafted from an open gas tank by Baptista Percussion.
Installed size: 230 Mb
22 Audio Files
557 Kontakt Sample Files
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The pre-Hispanic horizontal tongue drum, typically made of wood, is usually played with mallets. Unlike its cylindrical ancestral version, this example is rectangular in shape and features 8 tongues, crafted by Baptista Percussion. This teponaztli produces a sound similar to that of a marimba, with the edges around the tongues also creating interesting resonances.
Installed size: 250 Mb
96 Audio Files
2115 Kontakt Sample Files
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This is a clay percussion idiophone played with the hands around the openings where the lowest sound is produced. It is a blend between a ceramic udu and the design of bongos, but with a channel connecting both cavities, enriching its sonic texture.
Installed size: 400 Mb
84 Audio Files
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The udu is a percussion instrument entirely made of clay with two openings, one on the top and another in the center, played with the hands or fingers depending on the different execution techniques. This idiophone, of Nigerian origin, comes from the Ibo language where it means "vessel," and in its origins, it was simply used to transport water. Although it is not a traditional instrument in Costa Rica, its creation has become popular among Costa Rican ceramic luthiers, and the example in these recordings has been adapted with Chorotega designs.
Installed size: 267 Mb
77 Audio Files
1153 Kontakt Sample Files
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