Pandereta: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This large, hand-held drum, known in Puerto Rico as a pandereta, is an essential instrument in the musical genre known as plena. The plena was developed by agricultural workers at the end of the 19th century on the southern coast of the island, around the city of Ponce. Considered a national musical genre throughout the 20th century, the plena may have originally reflected musical traditions brought to Puerto Rico by immigrants from other Caribbean islands.

Este gran tambor de mano, conocido en Puerto Rico como pandereta, es un instrumento esencial dentro del género musical conocido como plena. La plena surgió entre los trabajadores del campo a fines del siglo XIX en la costa sureña de la isla, alrededor de la ciudad de Ponce. A lo largo del siglo XX se la consideró como género de música nacional, si bien originalmente puede haber reflejado tradiciones musicales llevadas a Puerto Rico por inmigrantes de otras islas del Caribe.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date made: 20th century
• Object Name: drum, pandereta
• Physical Description: leather (overall material)
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: paint (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 7.5 cm x 31 cm; 2 15/16 in x 12 3/16 in
• Place Made: Puerto Rico: Bayamón, Bayamón
• ID Number: 1997.0097.1095
• accession number: 1997.0097
• catalog number: 1997.0097.1095
• Credit Line: Gift of Teodoro Vidal
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.