In our second ‘Get Authentic’ episode, Colombian artist Juan David Castaño shows us how he plays the Donkey Jaw.
This unusual idiophone percussion instrument is normally made from the jawbone of a donkey, horse, or mule and produces a powerful buzzing sound. The jawbone is cleaned of tissue and dried to make the teeth loose and act as a rattle when the instrument is struck. The instrument was carried by slaves to South America where it become known as the Quijada.
The Donkey Jaw, the quijada, charrasca, or jawbone (in English), was used on a Soca-Calypso music track on a recent SOMOS album. The style is seen in Providencia and San Andrés islands in Colombia.
In Colombia, you can find the Donkey Jaw played in Santander, Boyacá, San Andrés and Providencia islands. In Latin America, they also play it in Peru and Mexico.
Watch below as Juan breaks down the Donkey Jaw and dives into the history of the unique instrument…
THE DONKEY JAW IN OUR CATALOGUE
The Donkey Jaw can be heard on SOMOS album Días de Sol, played by Juan David Castaño.
Scroll down to listen to the album.
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Días de Sol Mándame un besito
Positive and uplifting guitar tunes for sunny days, with an upbeat summery feel featuring traditional Latin American instruments like tiple, tinafono, donkey jaw and folklore percussion.