The history of Schlagwerk began in 1982 when Gerhard Priel and Bengt Schumacher started building handcrafted percussion instruments such as log drums and wooden bongo drums.

It was in 1986 that Priel, combining his passion for music with the refined skills of a cabinetmaker, created the very first “La Peru” cajon, based on a rudimentary Latin American cajon.

At first belittled and ridiculed, within a few years the cajon became a popular musical instrument in Europe and Schlagwerk’s “La Peru” became a reference point for every manufacturer.