Samba balls (maracas) timber with various hand paintings

The maracas (in the vernacular known as maracas) is a musical instrument from the group of idiophones of South and Central American origin. The instrument is of Indian origin. Some South American Indians use one maraca for ritual purposes. The maracas currently consists of two identical shakers (English: shakers), usually played by a vocalist. The traditional form is a gourd, ritual filled with seeds, comprising a wooden handle. Modern forms are made of various materials, including plastics. If the maracas not be moved quickly they produce a hissing sound. For faster movement from the wrist creates a much sharper dry tap. The combination of both makes the instrument sounds typical in many Latin American dances like the rumba, and especially the Mexican mariachi. Maracas are also used in the Orff Instrumentarium. Ever the Dutch comedian André van Duin wrote the carnival song "Samba Maracas" in which ambiguous allusions to the samba were made as "Who wants to get involved beating, with his balls in the size"