Panama is noted to be one of the most musical countries in Central America. Their music is a diverse product of different cultures from different countries.

Among the few influences on Panama’s music were by the indigenous populations of Kunas, Teribes, Nobe Bugle and other, and then by the black population who were brought over, first as slaves from Africa, and also Colombia between the 1500s and the 1800s.

With Panama’s rich and diverse music culture, it is just right to list some of the common instruments that have made music and life in Panama, a colorful and melodious one.

First on the list is the “Sonajero.” It is locally known as gourd or “guaracha” since the material is from the fruit of the gourd tree. Parallel cracks more or less in horizontal direction are done to the gourd, which are rubbed or scratched with a piece that is done with wire. Others use fork to play the sonajero.

Then, there is the “Bocona or Socavon.” A four-stringed small guitar and is one of the best-used instruments to accompany folk dances.

They also have the “Mejoranera or Marjorana.” This time, it has five strings. It’s a long guitar and produces good acoustic sounds.

Next up is the “Rabel,” a native violin of three cords. Like all violins, they are still touched with an arch. The smooth chords emanating from this instrument carries the melody.

The accordion is a fundamental instrument of Panama, though this was not originally from the country. It’s one of the essential instruments for their music as it produces sounds that carry good rhythm when it stretches and strings. It is played by compressing or expanding a bellows while pressing buttons or keys, causing valves, called pallets, to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel, called reeds, that vibrate to produce sound inside the body. The accordion can be considered as a one-man band.

A drum with a more base note, the “Pujador” has a deeper or lower tone. The pujador is made of cow’s skin on the upper side and the bottom is hollow and made of wood. This instrument is one of the most commonly used accompaniments.

The “Repicador” is a drum with wedges and made with a patch of cow leather on one side. Its sound has a high and resonant effect. The dancers move their bodies to every beat of the drum making the repicador a guide for those that are in dance. This instrument is similar to the Puerto Rican instrument, subidor and both basically have the same function.

Probably one of the most common instruments in the country and one of their most widely-known instruments, the maracas is also an essential piece in traditional and modern music of Panama. It is made with the fruit of the pumpkin tree to which their fruit or internal mass are removed and then filled with beans or small stones and are fit to a stick which make the function of handles that when they are shacked, produce a sound that among other instruments, make a pleasant sound.

And to cap the list, Panama also has the Sound-Box. One of the widely-used percussion instruments of the country. It is played by using drumsticks made of wood. This is also similar to the sound-boxes of other countries but on Panama’s it has leather in an extreme, hitched with rope and pieces of wedges of small wood. Typically, the shape is cylindrical and it has hollows as most drums.

There are still several musical instruments in the country. All of which, has its unique sound quality which make’s Panama’s music rich, diverse and unique