TEXTURE AND SHAKERS
The *Chakchas* are an idiophone made from several dozen dried pig hooves, which are perforated and threaded together, allowing them to produce sound when struck against one another. This ancient musical instrument originates from the Andean region of the Americas and can create either gentle or powerful sounds, depending on how it is played.
Installed size: 70 Mb
20 Audio Files
80 Kontakt Sample Files
4 Microphones
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Lhafára is the name of an ancient Maleku instrument believed to communicate with the great spirit, the earth, and humanity. When played with respect and knowledge, it produces oracular words. This aerophone represents the sound of the wind, thunder, and strength. It is made solely from the heartwood of ojoche (a type of tree) and is hand-carved and polished with cocoa butter over a fire.
Installed size: 191 Mb
17 Audio Files
113 Kontakt Sample Files
6 Microphones
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When the fruit of the malinche tree does not open due to lack of maturation, its seeds produce a faint sound, making it a practical idiophone. The malinche is a tree introduced centuries ago to Costa Rica from Madagascar, and while it is relatively common around the country today, its fruit is seldom used for musical purposes in modern times.
Installed size: 247 Mb
41 Audio Files
431 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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The maraca ngobe is a shaking idiophone, part of the largest and oldest family of instruments present in Costa Rica. It has a handle and larger percussion seeds, depending on the ritual. One of the most important elements of indigenous music, it is part of the ceremonial paraphernalia used in cleansing rituals and creating soundscapes that induce trance. This particular maraca produces a bright, shrill, and high-pitched sound due to its characteristic handmade holes.
Installed size: 75 Mb
22 Audio Files
180 Kontakt Sample Files
5 Microphones
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Polished river stones are used and passed down through generations in Maleku medicine for spiritual healing. Their sound is used for relaxation and during therapeutic applications. Currently, no one is producing this instrument; they only have those inherited from their ancestors, though the knowledge of how to make them has been preserved.
Installed size: 62 Mb
12 Audio Files
251 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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An ancestral idiophone, the vara rajada is a split branch, played by striking it rhythmically between the thumb and the palm. Originating from the Native American tribes of California, its name comes from the Mutsun dialect, but the example in this recording was made in Costa Rica from a balsa branch by Daniel Mora.
Installed size: 147 Mb
37 Audio Files
397 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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The sandawa is a string instrument inspired by Japanese monochords from the mid-20th century. It is essentially a sound bed that a person lies on while the musician plays the strings from beneath, primarily for therapeutic purposes. Much of the instrument’s mystique comes from the harmonics it produces. This monochord typically plays in the lower register, but it also has a higher-pitched section, shorter from the bridge. Its tuning can vary based on the intentions of the person lying on the sandawa, often aligned with the frequencies of the Solfeggio scale. Usually, all the strings are tuned to the same note.
Installed size: 2.8 Gb
112 Audio Files
1497 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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$26.90
Semillas de corazón de tigre (tiger heart seeds) are culturally significant in Central America, particularly in Costa Rica. Named for their unique pattern resembling a tiger's heart, these seeds are used in rituals for protection and strength. They are believed to carry spiritual power and are often worn as amulets or used in jewelry by shamans or those seeking courage. Apart from their spiritual use, the seeds are crafted into necklaces, bracelets, and other ornaments. Their smooth texture and durability make them ideal for creating beautiful, symbolic pieces that connect people to nature and tradition. Today, semillas de corazón de tigre remain a cherished part of indigenous culture.
Installed size: 140 Mb
17 Audio Files
100 Kontakt Sample Files
3 Microphones
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The shekere is a percussion instrument originating from West Africa, commonly used in Caribbean rhythms in Costa Rica. Its sound comes from the impact of beads woven around a dried gourd, and it can be played by shaking, rubbing, or striking it. While traditionally made with gourds, modern versions are often made with fiberglass due to the scarcity of gourd cultivation. The shekere's volume is louder than most small percussion instruments. The one used in this recording was handcrafted by Fernanda Paniagua with wooden beads.
Installed size: 248 Mb
40 Audio Files
834 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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This zoomorphic rattle is an idiophone of indirect strike, typically shaken to produce sound through movement. Made from ceramic, it features a handle attached to the top and a compartment containing small percussive elements such as seeds, pebbles, or ceramic beads. While jícara-made maracas are still common in current indigenous communities, this type of clay instrument has fallen into disuse.
Installed size: 240 Mb
44 Audio Files
607 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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The rain stick is a long wooden tube filled with small seeds or stones, specifically used to relax, help babies sleep, and connect with nature. This percussion instrument is used by various indigenous groups in Costa Rica, and the example in this recording comes from the Maleku culture.
Installed size: 198 Mb
17 Audio Files
264 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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Tá^= (maracas) existed in three forms: composed of one, two, or three groups of small *jícaros* that were typically collected during trips to the beach. Their fruit is smaller, and their shell is harder (*tamcrá quí*), also known as *jícaro de mar
Installed size: 68 Mb
12 Audio Files
184 Kontakt Sample Files
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Tã (pronounced nasally) is an idiophone from the Bribri Cabécar culture, one of the most well-preserved tribes in the 21st century. The ancestral Bribri maraca is used in ceremonies and is made from an oval-shaped gourd filled with seeds of corn, beans, or river stones. Today, they are often decorated with carvings that reflect the tribe's culture, serving as a product for cultural tourism.
Installed size: 227 Mb
41 Audio Files
528 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
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The maraca ngobe is a shaking idiophone, part of the largest and oldest family of instruments present in Costa Rica. It has a handle and larger percussion seeds, depending on the ritual. One of the most important elements of indigenous music, it is part of the ceremonial paraphernalia used in cleansing rituals and creating soundscapes that induce trance. This particular maraca produces a bright, shrill, and high-pitched sound due to its characteristic handmade holes.
Installed size: 271 Mb
41 Audio Files
546 Kontakt Sample Files
8 Microphones
Full Kontakt 7 (or later) Required