One of the characteristic elements of the culture of Costa Rica is the festive music of the cimarrona band, which has been declared as an intangible heritage of the country.

A cimarrona is a small band of amateur musicians, more usual in the countryside towns in Costa Rica. The band is characterized by being made up only of wind and percussion instruments such as clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, bugle, trombone, baritone, tuba, snare drum, bass drum and cymbals.

Some expats will better understand the cimarrona band music as it is similar (but more elementary) to the polka music of folk bands in Pennsylvania.

The declaration of cultural heritage has the goal of preserving this folkloric musical style over time. In this way, this music is part of the cultural rights of the communities, the Ministry of Culture said in its statement.

In Costa Rica, the cimarrona bands in Costa Rica are a must in festivals in rural zones. This music has been present in Costa Rica for more than a century.