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Cuban born Jesus Diaz has
performed recorded and toured with many great artists such as Carlos Santana,
Dizzy Gillespie and Bobbie Womack, and he is the inspiration behind these
cajons, and Jesus these are good instruments!
Whereas the cajons we have looked at previously in Drummer are the more
common rectangular box shape, these particular cajons are the classic
Cuban wedge shape with square “heads”. We have 10”,
11” and 12” versions (which refers to the length of one of
the sides of the square head), all of which stand 18” high. The
open bottom end of each drum is edged with a rubber trim to prevent damage
and noise transference when the instruments are played standing on the
ground. The drums are apparently pitched in thirds – that is the
interval between the basic tone notes produced by each drum – which
presumably means that they should “harmonise” quite well with
each other. |
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they do sound good together as can be heard on the Pearl website where
you can see a video of Jesus and two buddies playing the cajons.
 As
is the case with all cajons no matter what the type, these drums are
made entirely from wood - Thai Oak plywood in fact. The sides seem to
be around 10mm thick and the wooden head is about 4mm thick and also
sports the Pearl logo in black in the centre. The head is left as its
natural colour which enhances the grain of the wood, whereas the sides
are stained Amaranth red.
Unlike some types of box cajons I have reviewed there are no internal
snares or other gizmos attached to these instruments. These are actually
very unsophisticated and simple in their construction. Another difference
is that whereas you usually sit on the rectangular box cajons to play
them, these cajons look and are played like congas. In fact it would
perhaps be more accurate and descriptive if they were called “conga
cajons” (or maybe “cajon congas” if you prefer), because
in reality, to sound good on these drums you really need to have a good
conga playing technique. If you have that – then you can make
them sing. And if you don’t have that – well you can still
make them speak, albeit with a more limited vocabulary.
Pearl provide a neat square chromed metal cradle for each cajon that
can be clamped to a conventional cymbal stand for  mounted
use. However, this cradle is a clever little beast in that it also has
integrated “handles” which become leg rests so that the
cradle sits comfortably on your lap whilst supporting the cajon. If
you have even tried to support a conga or similar drum between your
inner thighs using muscle power alone you will appreciate that this
is a significant benefit and a great idea!
Using the same techniques as when playing congas you should be able
to get a good deep bass sound by striking the centre of the head with
a cupped hand, and very good slap stroke type sounds playing around
the edges. You can also elicit many other sounds such a muted press
stroke sounds, light finger stroke sounds and much more (as is the case
with congas). Experimentation is the key, and after a while you can
discover the sound secrets that these Cuban cajons have to offer. Plus
you will not wobble and fall over due to inner thigh fatigue syndrome
after playing for a while. The thighs the limit!
Conclusion:
Pearl as a company
began in 1950 and since that time has become one of the best known and
respected drums and percussion manufacturers in the world. So it’s
good to see the company is still innovating and developing new instruments
or variations on existing instruments today, such as the Jesus Diaz
Signature Cuban Cajons.
From its humble beginning in Cuba, where boxes were just about all that
were available for the kids and young percussionists to play on, the
Cajon has grown to be an exciting although somewhat challenging instrument.
It reminds us of our early drumming experiences, hammering on pots and
pans with wooden spoons, or tapping out a rhythm on a tabletop, and
Pearl’s latest take on the cajon is a welcome addition to the
percussionist’s arsenal.
Upbeats:
Traditional ethic looking.
Sound great (providing you have some “game”)
The Pearl “thigh saving” cradles.
Downbeats:
Bit of a learning curve to negotiate
Prices (Dec. 2008):
Jesus Diaz Cajons - PCJ100JD Quinto Cajon, PCJ110JD Segundo Cajon, PCJ120JD
Tumbador Cajon including cradle stands - £433.50
Web Links:
www.pearldrum.com
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