List of Caribbean aerophones

List of aerophones used in Caribbean music, including the islands of the Caribbean Sea, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Belize, and Bermuda.

Instrument Tradition Hornbostel–Sachs classification Description
accordion
Dominican Republic 4 Used in popular merengue, where it replaced the guitar.
accordion
Belize 3 Used in Belizean Brukdown.
bois bourrique See vaccine -
botija
botijuela, bunga
Cuba 4 Empty jug, sometimes with a hole on the side, used in rural folk genres like son
botijuela See botija -
bugle
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Original source of the melody in steelpan
bunga See botija -
cayambouque
Haiti 4 Cow horn, used for signalling
clarinet
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Used in traditional calypso
clarinet
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Later addition to the tamboo bamboo ensembles
conchshell
{{{Other names}}}
Garifuna music 423.110 Conch shell horn, used for signalling, traditional drumming.
cornet
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Used in traditional calypso
flute
Dominican Republic 4 Used to accompany upper-class merengue in the later 19th century
harmonium
Indo-Caribbean 4 Used in chutney music
kartal
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Harmonium, used in chutney
lambis
Haiti 423.11 Conch shell horn, used for signalling
saxophone
Garifuna music 4 Used in Garifuna Punta
saxophone
Dominican Republic, Cuba, 4 Used in merengue, where it is the main instrumentation for the jaleo. Used in popular Cuban bands.
trumpet
Cuba 4 Used in comparsa pre-Easter celebrations
trumpet
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Later addition to the tamboo bamboo ensembles
trumpet
Trinidad and Tobago 4 Used in the Spiritual Baptist musical tradition
vaccine
bois borrique
Haiti 423 Made of bamboo
von-von
Haiti 412.22 Bullroarer, used in Rara ceremonies