Peru’s Master Percussionist: Alex Acuña

Some fifteen hundred people got together recently to set a new Guinness Record for largest cajon ensemble. The cajon is a wooden box you sit on to play. It started out as a substitute for African-style drums forbidden to slaves in Peru, but has gone global, adopted by flamenco, Latin jazz, and rumba.

This year at Peru’s annual cajon festival, Peru paid homage to Peruvian master percussionist Alex Acuña. He’s been drumming for more than 50 years, with musicians from Elvis Presley to Weather Report. Mitra Taj sent us this audio snapshot.