A cajon is a hand percussion instrument that originated in Peru and serves as a huge building block in the composition and performance of Afro-Peruvian music. Cajón is Spanish for ‘box', ‘crate', ‘or drawer', and its construction matches that description exactly. It's a hollow box made with wood panels on five sides with a thinner piece of ply on the sixth side (most commonly positioned in front) that creates a sharp, resonant sound when struck. You usually sit on top of the cajon and play it with the fingers or hands, but you can use sticks, mallets, brushes, and even a cajon pedal (a specialized piece of hardware similar to a drum set's kick drum pedal) for even more sound options. Today, cajons are used in a wide variety of musical genres, including flamenco, jazz, funk, pop, world music, and all sorts of Latin styles, among others. American Musical Supply carries cajons from top percussion brands that sport a variety of different looks, designs, and finishes. These instruments are perfect for drum circles and drum set players really should incorporate one into their performance setups right alongside djembes, congas, bongos, and other hand percussion mainstays.