Famous Cajon Players

Four awesome Cajon players are Mario Cortes, Mike Meadows, Nina Rodriguez, and Stephan Maass. A cajon is a type of percussion instrument, or drum that is typically in the form of a box that is slapped on the front face with the hand. While each of these famous players uses a cajon, the way in which they play and how they have used their fame to endorse new cajons show off their personal style.

Mario Cortes is one of the most recognized cajon players known for the LP Cajon. The LP Cajon is so named for Latin Percussion, as Mario Cortes is a renowned flamenco guitarist and instrument creator. Mario Cortes is one of the famous cajon players because of the LP Cajon, which he designed with a patented construction system that is handmade in Spain and individually tested for sound quality. This cajon is crafted of hand selected birch pieces that illicit clean sound on both the high and low ends without excessive player effort, making it very user friendly. Mario Cortes has the distinction of being the manufacturer of the most recorded cajons in the history of flamenco, fusion, and world music. It is for this reason that he is one of the most famous cajon players.

Cajon Solo David Kuckhermann on Mario Cortes Cajon

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Mike Meadows is a professional percussionist and drummer who is sought after by recording and performing artists for his skill level with world percussion instruments. During his long career as a performer, he created an extensive wishlist for customized musical instruments. In 2007 his wishlist became a reality as he co-founded Swan Percussion which specializes in manufacturing professional level cajon drums and the Black Swan Drum (shown below).

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Nina Rodriquez is another famous cajon player. Nina Rodriguez has developed her own style of drumming which evokes heat, fire, and passion to audiences listening to her sound. As one of the most famous cajon players, Nina Rodriguez endorsed Toca percussion cajons created by Kaman Music. Kaman Music is a leader in providing percussion instruments crafted to have the look and feel of what is known as "Afro Cuban" sound. Nina Rodriguez plays congas, bongos, and djembe in addition to the Toca Percussion cajons, and is perhaps one of the most famous cajon players because of her nickname, "Hands of Lightning," which was earned because of her fast hands that create thunderous percussion beats on the cajon.

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Stephan Maass is a famous cajon player who has endorsed the Meinl Percussion Cajon. The Meinl Percussion Cajon is a group of cajons that are known for their versatility. For example, the bass cajon is a larger cajon that has a pedal attached to it, so the cajon player can adjust the snare wires in the cajon hands-free, which allows changes of sound with continuous two handed play. Stephan Maass is known for pushing the limit of what a cajon can do, using a variety of Meinl Percussion Cajon's that have features such as a recessed top to allow for striking along the sides that will create a castanet like sound.

The cajon began as a simple box that a player could strike to create a percussive effect. However, these four famous cajon players, Mario Cortes, Mike Meadows, Nina Rodriguez, and Stephan Maass, have used their passion for the cajon and their celebrity to create and endorse new uses for the cajon that think outside the box, and create world music with a distinct sound.