Hundreds of people gathered in uptown Charlotte this past weekend to celebrate Latin American culture through music and dance centered around a traditional Peruvian instrument: the cajón.
Dancers and musicians performed at the Cajón Festival, held outside the Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte, where crowds watched musicians sit atop the wooden, box-shaped percussion instruments and play them by striking the front face. The cajón, which originated in Peru, carries deep cultural significance rooted in Afro-Peruvian history and traditions.
Festival organizer Mauricio Salas, of Salas Arts Agency, said the cajón was originally used by the Afro-Peruvian community as a way to communicate.
“The cajón is the symbol of our Afro-Peruvian ancestors,” Salas said. “They took a very old wooden fruit box and transformed it into a beautiful instrument because drums were prohibited. People created the cajón to connect with one another.”
Festival attendee Teroy Draper, 64, sat on his own cajón while children danced nearby. Draper was pleased to see community members learning about the culture and its instruments.
“I think we tend to sort of Americanize all instruments to be like ours,” Draper said. “Understanding more about where it comes from and the culture behind it, that's what I hope we take away from [this].”
Pamela Harwell, who attended the event, said the festival highlighted how inclusive Charlotte can be.
“It's wonderful because someone coming from the outside may not believe there'd be so much diversity here,” Harwell said. “It's good for all of us to come and enjoy one another's traditions, and show that Charlotte has so many different welcoming populations.”
Organizers said they hope to plan more events in the Charlotte area that spotlight Latin American culture and traditions.
