A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a

rattle Rattle may refer to: Instruments * Crotalus (liturgy), a liturgical percussion instrument * Rattle (percussion instrument), a type of percussion instrument * Rattle (percussion beater), a part of some percussion instruments * Ratchet (instrume ...

which appears in many genres of

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were rattles of divination, an oracle of the Brazilian Tupinamba people, found also with other Indigenous ethnic groups, such as the Guarani,

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

and in Florida. Rattles made from '' Lagenaria'' gourds are being shaken by the natural grip, while the round '' Crescentia'' calabash fruits are fitted to a handle. Human hair is sometimes fastened on the top, and a slit is cut in it to represent a mouth, through which their shamans (''payes'') made it utter its responses. A few pebbles are inserted to make it rattle and it is crowned with the red feathers of the ( scarlet ibis). Every man had his maraca. It was used at their dances and to heal the sick. Andean

curandero A ''curandero'' (, healer; f. , also spelled , , f. ) is a traditional native healer or shaman found primarily in Latin America and also in the United States. A curandero is a specialist in traditional medicine whose practice can either contra ...

s (healers) use maracas in their healing rites. Modern maraca balls are also made of leather, wood or plastic. A maraca player in Spanish is a .

Gallery

File:Maracas player at Bonnaroo 2008 festival.jpg,

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

playing two pairs of maracas File:Guarani shaman.JPG, Guarani shaman holding cross and maraca File:Maraca 01 del Baile de los Toritos de Chichicastenango.JPG, A maraca used by the knights of Toritos de Chichicastenango, danced for the feast of Saint Thomas, around December 21. Each maraca is unique and made specially for each year

References

External links

* {{Authority control Venezuelan musical instruments South American percussion instruments Central American and Caribbean percussion instruments Orchestral percussion Vessel rattles Hand percussion Unpitched percussion instruments