The cajón originated in Peru, where enslaved Africans and their descendants developed box drums from available wooden crates and containers.
The name cajón is Spanish for “box” or “drawer.” Players usually sit on the instrument and strike its front face with their hands. Different areas of the surface produce bass and snare-like sounds, while the back and sides can add other tones.
The cajón became prominent in Afro-Peruvian music, including festejo and landó. Its portable shape made it useful when colonial authorities restricted or discouraged some traditional drums. The instrument later spread internationally through flamenco and contemporary acoustic performance.
A modern cajón may include internal wires or strings, but not every model does. Its appearance also resembles a box drum, yet its Peruvian history distinguishes it from unrelated seat-shaped percussion instruments.