Description
The maraca (also known as samba balls in the vernacular) is a musical instrument from the group of idiophones originating in South and Central America. However, the instrument is of Native American origin. Some South American Indians use a single maraca for ritual purposes. Nowadays, the maraca consists of two identical shakers, often played by a vocalist. The traditional form is a gourd, ritually filled with seeds, with a wooden handle. Modern forms are made of various materials, including plastic. When the maracas are shaken slowly, they produce a rustling sound. Faster wrist movements produce a much sharper, dry click. The combination of these two sounds makes the instrument characteristic of many Latin American dances such as the rumba, and especially the Mexican mariachi. Maracas are also used in the Orff Instrumentarium. The Dutch comedian André van Duin once wrote the carnival song "Sambaballensamba", which contained ambiguous allusions to the samba ball, such as "Whoever wants to join in, hits the beat with his balls."
Maracas
