Ancestor of the Accordion

I am a big fan of accordions and was surprised to find that my favorite instrument evolved from the Chinese 'sheng,' which was one of the world's first free reed instruments. In the 18th century a couple of European travellers brought a few traditional shengs back with them to Europe. The introduction of the instrument inspired the invention of the harmonica and the accordion. The popularity of the harmonica and accordion spread quickly because the instruments are so versatile and easy to transport. Variations of the accordion play a central role in many musical styles including tango, forro, cumbia, vallenato, merengue, and norteno just to name a few. The next time you hear a smoking merengue or a refined tango remember that it all started with this strange instrument from China.