Anguilla
banjo
United States, Canada, Ireland, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands a plucked string instrument with a thin membrane like a drumhead stretched over a circular rim to form a resonator, used in bluegrass, country, old-time music, ragtime, and traditional jazz.
güira
Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, French Guiana a metal percussion instrument with a textured steel cylinder that is scraped with a multi-tine metal brush, used in Dominican music and dance-oriented genres like merengue and bachata.
fife
United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Anguilla, US Virgin Islands a small, high-pitched, transverse flute made of wood or metal, used in drum and fife corps to signal troop movements, military march music, patriotic folk melodies, and traditional outdoor performances.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Antigua and Barbuda
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Aruba
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
tambú
Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Venezuela a single-headed, cylindrical hand drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk and covered with goat skin, used in Afro-Caribbean music and dance style that shares its name.
Barbados
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda,Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Belize
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
teponaztli
Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras a type of slit drum carved from a hollowed-out wooden log with H-shaped tongues that produce two different pitches, used in ritual dances, poetry recitations, and military communication.
Bonaire
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
tambú
Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Venezuela a single-headed, cylindrical hand drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk and covered with goat skin, used in Afro-Caribbean music and dance style that shares its name.
British Virgin Islands
banjo
United States, Canada, Ireland, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands a plucked string instrument with a thin membrane like a drumhead stretched over a circular rim to form a resonator, used in bluegrass, country, old-time music, ragtime, and traditional jazz.
congas
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands tall, narrow single-headed drums played with the hands, used in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.
bongos
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia a pair of small, open-bottomed drums of different sizes joined by a thick bridge that are played with the hands, used in salsa, afro-Cuban jazz, and latin pop genres
Cayman Islands
güira
Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, French Guiana a metal percussion instrument with a textured steel cylinder that is scraped with a multi-tine metal brush, used in Dominican music and dance-oriented genres like merengue and bachata.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
Costa Rica
chirimía
Guatemala, Costa Rica a primitive oboe with a simple, turned-wood construction and a lack of the complex metal keywork, used in religious processions, traditional folk dances, and festive outdoor celebrations.
marimba
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Angola, United States, Japan a pitched percussion instrument with a chromatic arrangement of wooden bars suspended over tuned resonators, used in Guatemalan festivals and holidays, Mexican "Parque de la Marimba" performances, classical concertos, contemporary percussion ensembles, contemporary solo performances, pop/rock music, jazz ensembles, and traditional folk music.
Cuba
batá
Nigeria, Cuba, Puerto Rico a set of three double-headed, hourglass-shaped drums made of carved wood and covered with tensioned hide, used for polyrhythmic patterns essential for calling and communicating with the Orishas (deities) in Yoruba religious ceremonies and associated music.
bongos
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia a pair of small, open-bottomed drums of different sizes joined by a thick bridge that are played with the hands, used in salsa, afro-Cuban jazz, and latin pop genres
cabasa
Cuba, Brazil, worldwide a percussion instrument with loops of steel ball chains wrapped around a wide, textured metal cylinder that is attached to a wooden or plastic handle, producing a sharp, metallic "scraping" or "shimmering" sound when the cylinder is rotated against the palm or shaken, used in Latin jazz, bossa nova, pop music, and music therapy.
cajon
Peru, Cuba, Worldwide (popular music) a box-shaped percussion instrument played by sitting on top and striking its front surface with the hands, used in flamenco, Afro-Peruvian (originally developed by enslaved Africans in colonial Peru), and contemporary acoustic music, and world fusion.
claves
Cuba, Worldwide (Popular Music) a pair of wooden sticks struck together to produce a sharp, penetrating sound, used in Latin and Afro-Cuban music, and popular music genres.
congas
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands tall, narrow single-headed drums played with the hands, used in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.
cowbell
United States, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, West Africa a handheld or mounted metal idiophone that provides sharp rhythmic accents, used in Latin, funk, rock, and marching band music.
laúd
Spain, Cuba, Philippines a pear-shaped, multi-stringed plucked lute with a deep resonant body and paired string courses, used in "Tuna" university group, Plectrum Orchestras, Rondalla ensembles, and Punto Guajiro music.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
marimbula
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti a large box-shaped plucked thumb piano with tuned metal or wooden strips fixed to a hollow wooden crate where the player sits on top of the box and reaches between their legs to pluck the "lamellae", used in Afro-Caribbean folk music like Son Cubano, ChangüÃ, Merengue, Mento, and traditional dance ensembles.
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
shekere
Nigeria, Ghana, Cuba, Brazil, Senegal, Mali a percussion instrument made from a dried, hollowed-out gourd covered in a woven net of beads, shells, or seeds functioning as both a shaker and a drum, used in traditional, Afrobeat, and ceremonial music.
timbales
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia a pair of shallow, single-headed metal shell drums, mounted on a stand and played with thin sticks, used in Cuban danzón, mambo, and Salsa music.
tres
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic a plucked string instrument similar to a guitar, but smaller and with only three courses, used in Cuban son, salsa, and Afro-Cuban folk music.
Curaçao
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
tambú
Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Venezuela a single-headed, cylindrical hand drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk and covered with goat skin, used in Afro-Caribbean music and dance style that shares its name.
Dominican Republic
bongos
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia a pair of small, open-bottomed drums of different sizes joined by a thick bridge that are played with the hands, used in salsa, afro-Cuban jazz, and latin pop genres
congas
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands tall, narrow single-headed drums played with the hands, used in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.
cowbell
United States, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, West Africa a handheld or mounted metal idiophone that provides sharp rhythmic accents, used in Latin, funk, rock, and marching band music.
güira
Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, French Guiana a metal percussion instrument with a textured steel cylinder that is scraped with a multi-tine metal brush, used in Dominican music and dance-oriented genres like merengue and bachata.
marimbula
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti a large box-shaped plucked thumb piano with tuned metal or wooden strips fixed to a hollow wooden crate where the player sits on top of the box and reaches between their legs to pluck the "lamellae", used in Afro-Caribbean folk music like Son Cubano, ChangüÃ, Merengue, Mento, and traditional dance ensembles.
pandero
Puerto Rico, Brazil, Spain, Dominican Republic a frame drum with a tunable head and sometimes has cupped metal jingles that rattle, used in plena music, folk dances, martial arts accompaniment, and street festivals.
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
tambora
Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico a double-headed, cylindrical bass drum suspended by a strap and played with a wooden stick and the palm of the other hand, used in merengue music and folk dances.
tres
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic a plucked string instrument similar to a guitar, but smaller and with only three courses, used in Cuban son, salsa, and Afro-Cuban folk music.
El Salvador
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
teponaztli
Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras a type of slit drum carved from a hollowed-out wooden log with H-shaped tongues that produce two different pitches, used in ritual dances, poetry recitations, and military communication.
Guatamala
chirimía
Guatemala, Costa Rica a primitive oboe with a simple, turned-wood construction and a lack of the complex metal keywork, used in religious processions, traditional folk dances, and festive outdoor celebrations.
marimba
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Angola, United States, Japan a pitched percussion instrument with a chromatic arrangement of wooden bars suspended over tuned resonators, used in Guatemalan festivals and holidays, Mexican "Parque de la Marimba" performances, classical concertos, contemporary percussion ensembles, contemporary solo performances, pop/rock music, jazz ensembles, and traditional folk music.
teponaztli
Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras a type of slit drum carved from a hollowed-out wooden log with H-shaped tongues that produce two different pitches, used in ritual dances, poetry recitations, and military communication.
Grenada
Boula
Haiti, Grenada a single-headed, cylindrical drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk with a skin head, highest-pitched member of the traditional Haitian Vodou drum ensemble, also used in Big Drum (Saraka) tradition of Carriacou,
Haiti
ashiko
Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Haiti a tapered hand drum with a rope-tuned animal skin head, use in dance music, community celebrations, folk music, and as a "talking drum" to mimic speech..
Boula
Haiti, Grenada a single-headed, cylindrical drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk with a skin head, highest-pitched member of the traditional Haitian Vodou drum ensemble, also used in Big Drum (Saraka) tradition of Carriacou,
marimbula
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti a large box-shaped plucked thumb piano with tuned metal or wooden strips fixed to a hollow wooden crate where the player sits on top of the box and reaches between their legs to pluck the "lamellae", used in Afro-Caribbean folk music like Son Cubano, ChangüÃ, Merengue, Mento, and traditional dance ensembles.
rada drums
Haiti a set of three different sized barrel-shaped drums (named "manman," "segond," and "bula") played with sticks and hands to create complex, interlocking polyrhythms, used in "rada battery", sacred dances, and trance-inducing Vodou ritual music.
Honduras
congas
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands tall, narrow single-headed drums played with the hands, used in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.
teponaztli
Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras a type of slit drum carved from a hollowed-out wooden log with H-shaped tongues that produce two different pitches, used in ritual dances, poetry recitations, and military communication.
Jamaica
rhumba box
Jamaica a large wooden thumb piano where the player sits on the resonator box and plucks heavy metal tongues, used in Mento music (precursor to ska and reggae)
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Martinique
Bèlè
Martinique, Saint Lucia a cone-shaped, single-headed drum carved from a solid log, with a goatskin head tensioned by a system of ropes and wooden pegs, used in Bèlè dance, work songs, "wake" ceremonies (veillées mortuaires), and storytelling sessions
banjo
United States, Canada, Ireland, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands a plucked string instrument with a thin membrane like a drumhead stretched over a circular rim to form a resonator, used in bluegrass, country, old-time music, ragtime, and traditional jazz.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Ti-Bwa
French Guiana, Martinique a percussion instrument with a horizontal piece of bamboo or wood mounted on a stand, used in Bèlè music
Mexico
acordeón diatónico
Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic a portable bellows-blown accordion with one or more rows of buttons that produce different notes depending on whether the bellows are being pushed or pulled, used in various central and south american folk music styles like Norteño, Tejano, Vallenato, and Merengue TÃpico
ankle rattle
Worldwide, United States (Native American), Mexico a percussion instrument worn around the ankle that produces rhythmic jingling sounds, typically used to accompany dance and ceremonial performances.
arpa jarocha
Mexico a large, standing wooden harp with 32 to 36 strings, used in son jarocho folk ensembles and traditional fandango dance celebrations.
bajo sexto
Mexico a twelve-stringed guitar-like instrument (strung in six courses of two strings each) tuned one octave lower than a standard guitar, used in Tejano, conjunto and norteño music.
bandolón
Mexico a large, flat-backed, plucked string instrument with18 strings arranged in six triple courses, used in Mexican Orquesta TÃpica (typical orchestra).
conch shell trumpet
Hawaii, Samoa, Japan, India, Mexico, French Polynesia/ Tahiti, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna a natural aerophone fashioned from a large marine snail's shell that produces a powerful, resonant drone when the player's lips vibrate against a hole in the apex, used in religious rituals, maritime signaling, and ceremonial fanfares.
guitarrón
Mexico a very large, deep-bodied six-string acoustic bass with an arched back and a fretless fingerboard, used in mariachi ensemble.
huapanguera
Mexico a large, deep-bodied string instrument with five courses of strings, used in the Son Huasteco musical tradition.
huehuetl
Mexico an ancient percussion instrument made from a single, hollowed-out tree trunk with a stretched animal-hide head, used in performances of traditional Danza Azteca circles and recreations of Aztec and Nahua cultural ceremonies.
jarana
Mexico a small, five-stringed lute with a shallow body and a short neck, used in traditional folk dances and son huasteco (also called huapango).
marimba
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Angola, United States, Japan a pitched percussion instrument with a chromatic arrangement of wooden bars suspended over tuned resonators, used in Guatemalan festivals and holidays, Mexican "Parque de la Marimba" performances, classical concertos, contemporary percussion ensembles, contemporary solo performances, pop/rock music, jazz ensembles, and traditional folk music.
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
rabel
Spain, Mexico, Panama a bowed string instrument with one to three strings, a carved wooden body, a skin or wood soundboard, used in folk songs, shepherd dances, and satirical oral poetry, and in modern genres like cumbia and punto.
rain stick
Chile, Peru, Mexico, Worldwide a long, hollow tube filled with small pebbles or seeds and fitted with internal pins or thorns that produce a gentle, rushing sound mimicking falling water when tilted, used in Andean folk music, world fusion music, relaxation, sound effects, and ancient agricultural ceremonies.
requinto
Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador a small, guitar-like stringed instrument, used in Bolero, "TrÃo Romántico" style, JÃbaro music, tuna ensembles, Bambuco and Guabina music, and Pasillo music.
sonajas
Mexico a rattle or shaker with a wooden stick and rattling metal discs (like tambourine jingles) attached, used in Mexican folk music (mariachi and son jarocho) and traditional dance performances.
sousaphone
United States, Mexico a conical brass instrument of the tuba family, coiled to fit around the player's body with a large, forward-facing bell, used in marching bands, New Orleans brass bands, and Mexican Banda Sinaloense music
teponaztli
Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras a type of slit drum carved from a hollowed-out wooden log with H-shaped tongues that produce two different pitches, used in ritual dances, poetry recitations, and military communication.
turtle shell rattle
United States, Mexico a percussion instrument made from a dried turtle or tortoise shell containing pebbles, corn, or beans, used in accompaniment for dances and ceremonies.
vihuela
Mexico a small, five-stringed instrument with a vaulted, convex back, used in mariachi ensembles, ranchera, and huapango
water drum
United States (Iriquois, Seminole, Delaware tribes), Mexico a percussion instrument made of a wooden or clay pot partially filled with water and covered with a stretched, moistened leather membrane, struck with a padded stick, pitch can be altered by changing the water level, used in indigenous ceremonies and spiritual music.
whistling jars
Peru, Mexico, Ecuador ceramic vessels crafted in the shape of humans or animals and connected by an internal chamber, which make a bird-like or human-like whistling sound when water is poured into them or when air is quickly forced out by rapid tilting, used in sound effect design, pre-Columbian rituals and ceremonies.
Monserrat
cuatro
Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
fife
United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Anguilla, US Virgin Islands a small, high-pitched, transverse flute made of wood or metal, used in drum and fife corps to signal troop movements, military march music, patriotic folk melodies, and traditional outdoor performances.
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
Nicaragua
Guitarrilla
Nicaragua a small lute with four to six strings and a higher pitch than a standard guitar, used in traditional folk ensembles and marimba music
maracas
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
Marimba de arco
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica a portable wooden xylophone with gourd resonators, buzzing resonators, and a curved wooden "bow" (the arco) attached to its frame, which allows the performer to sit on the bow and support the instrument’s weight while playing, used in Baile de la Marimba
quijada
Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Belize, Bermuda a percussion instrument made from a dried donkey, horse, or cow jawbone with loose teeth that rattle when struck, used in Afro-Latin and folk music like Festejo and Son Jarocho.
Panama
Mejoranera
Panama a small, five-stringed lute carved from a single block of wood, used to accompany folk singers and troubadours in traditional poetic duels and rural social dances.
rabel
Spain, Mexico, Panama a bowed string instrument with one to three strings, a carved wooden body, a skin or wood soundboard, used in folk songs, shepherd dances, and satirical oral poetry, and in modern genres like cumbia and punto.
Puerto Rico
Batá
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nigeria a set of three double-headed, hourglass-shaped drums made of carved wood and covered with tensioned hide, used for polyrhythmic patterns essential for calling and communicating with the Orishas (deities) in Yoruba religious ceremonies and associated music.
bomba drum
Puerto Rico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia a deep, double-headed drum made from a hollowed tree trunk and covered with animal hides, used in Puerto Rican bomba music, Andean folk music, military marches, and street parades
bongos
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia a pair of small, open-bottomed drums of different sizes joined by a thick bridge that are played with the hands, used in salsa, afro-Cuban jazz, and Latin pop genres
bordonua
Puerto Rico a large, deep-bodied stringed instrument with a vaulted back and ten strings arranged in courses, used in folk music and jibaro ensembles.
congas
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands tall, narrow single-headed drums played with the hands, used in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.
cowbell
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, United States a handheld or mounted metal idiophone that provides sharp rhythmic accents, used in Latin folk music, funk, rock, and marching band music.
cuatro
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
güícharo
Puerto Rico a hollowed-out percussion instrument made from a dried gourd with a series of finely carved parallel grooves along its surface, scraped with a thin metal fork or wire "pua" to make a scraping sound, used in traditional folk and dance music like Danza, Seis, Aguinaldo, and Plena
maracas
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
pandero
Puerto Rico, Brazil, Spain, Dominican Republic a frame drum with a tunable head and sometimes has cupped metal jingles that rattle, used in plena music, folk dances, martial arts accompaniment, and street festivals.
timbales
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia a pair of shallow, single-headed metal shell drums, mounted on a stand and played with thin sticks, used in Latin jazz and fusion, orquestas tÃpicas, Cuban danzón, mambo, and Salsa music.
Tres
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic a plucked string instrument similar to a guitar, but smaller and with only three courses, used in Cuban son, salsa, and Afro-Cuban folk music.
tres
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic a plucked string instrument similar to a guitar, but smaller and with only three courses, used in Cuban son, salsa, and Afro-Cuban folk music.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
maracas
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Saint Lucia
Bèlè
Martinique, Saint Lucia a cone-shaped, single-headed drum carved from a solid log, with a goatskin head tensioned by a system of ropes and wooden pegs, used in Bèlè dance, work songs, "wake" ceremonies (veillées mortuaires), and storytelling sessions
maracas
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
tambú
Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, Venezuela a single-headed, cylindrical hand drum made from a hollowed-out tree trunk and covered with goat skin, used in Afro-Caribbean music and dance style that shares its name.
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
maracas
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Sint Maarten
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
The Bahamas
concertina
Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, South Africa a portable, bellows-driven free-reed instrument with buttons on both ends, used in folk dance accompaniment, folk ensemble performances, and maritime sea shanties.
junkanoo drums
The Bahamas barrel-shaped percussion instruments made from recycled containers (like large oil barrels) and stretched animal hides, used in Junkanoo festival celebrations, street parades, and carnival celebrations.
musical saw
United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia a hand-bent metal blade played with a bow, used in folk, experimental, and atmospheric film music.
Trinidad and Tobago
cuatro
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados a small, four-stringed or ten-string guitar-like instrument, used in genres such as música jÃbara, joropo, parang, and salsa.
maracas
Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands a pair of shaken percussion instruments made of hollowed-out shells filled with small pebbles or seeds, used in Latin jazz, salsa, Joropo, various other Latin/Caribbean folk genres, orchestral, and pop music genres.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
Turks and Caicos Island
musical saw
United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia a hand-bent metal blade played with a bow, used in folk, experimental, and atmospheric film music.
steel pan
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Island a percussion instrument tuned from the bottom of an oil barrel, used in calypso, soca, and steel band ensembles.
US Virgin Islands
banjo
United States, Canada, Ireland, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands a plucked string instrument with a thin membrane like a drumhead stretched over a circular rim to form a resonator, used in bluegrass, country, old-time music, ragtime, and traditional jazz.
fife
United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Anguilla, US Virgin Islands a small, high-pitched, transverse flute made of wood or metal, used in drum and fife corps to signal troop movements, military march music, patriotic folk melodies, and traditional outdoor performances.
shekere
Nigeria, Ghana, Cuba, Brazil, Senegal, Mali a percussion instrument made from a dried, hollowed-out gourd covered in a woven net of beads, shells, or seeds functioning as both a shaker and a drum, used in traditional, Afrobeat, and ceremonial music.