Latin percussion is a term that refers to a group of percussion instruments that are commonly used in the performance of Latin American music.
ostinato is a technique used frequently in Latin percussion, and agogo bells, like the claves and untuned metal bells like the cowbell, are ostinato instruments. They are sold in sets of three or four bells, each tuned to a third apart.
Bongo drums, also known as bongos, are unpitched single-headed drums that are mounted in pairs. They can be mounted and played with sticks or mallets instead of being held between the knees and played hand. Another type of drum is the conga, which is a tall drum that is set in a stand or tilted toward the seated player so that the open bottom is not blocked the floor. They are also traditionally played hand in a variety of ways, though mallets can be used.
The cabaça, also known as the cabasa, cabaza, or afuche, is a gourd or other container with a handle and a ring of plastic or metal beads around it. With one hand holding the instrument and rotating it with the other, the beads rub against the head, creating a rasping sound.
Castanets are of European origin, and are perhaps best known for their appearance in Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen’s “Seguidilla.” Hand castanets, paddle castanets, and concert castanets, which are mounted on a board, are all associated with Spain and are now characteristically part of the Latin percussion section.
Claves are 6 inch (15 cm) long cylindrical hardwood sticks that come in pairs. One stick is cradled, not gripped, but resting atop the folded fingers of the percussionist, and the other is used to strike it. Claves play an ostinato in dances like the conga, samba, and rumba, contributing to the overall sound of Latin percussion.
Cowbells are considered Latin percussion, despite having roots in European music (where the same model used around the cow’s neck can be used to make music) and a standard place in Latin dance bands. Pitch models, which were originally classified as low, medium, and high, were developed in response to a demand created twentieth-century composers.
Maracas are a type of Latin percussion instrument that is frequently used in pairs in Latin American music but is also used solo in other contexts. They are made of a gourd and can be tapped, shaken, or swirled to produce a variety of sounds that are frequently used in ostinato patterns. Another Latin American gourd instrument is the guiro, which is played scraping the serrated top with a stick.