Editing Maraca

{{Short description|Percussion instrument}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Marraco|Marrakesh|Morocco}}
{{Infobox instrument
| name           = Maraca
| image          = Maracas.jpg
| background     = percussion
| classification = Percussion
| hornbostel_sachs = 112.1
| hornbostel_sachs_desc = Shaken idiophones or rattles
| related        = [[Shekere]]
| musicians      = [[Machito]], [[Monguito]]
| builders       = [[Latin Percussion (company)|LP Percussion]]
| sound sample   = [[File:Maracas.ogg]]
}}

A '''maraca''' ({{Audio|Br-Maraca.ogg|pronunciation}}), sometimes called '''shaker''' or '''chac-chac''',<ref>{{cite book | last=Mendes | first=John | title=Cote ce Cote la: Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary | year=1976 | publisher=Syncreators | location=Arima, Trinidad | page=135}}</ref> is a [[Rattle (percussion instrument)|rattle]] which appears in many genres of [[List of Caribbean music genres|Caribbean]] and [[Latin music]]. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair.

Maracas (from [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]] {{lang|gn|mbaracás}}),<ref>{{citation | author=Antonio Ruiz de Montoya | author-link=Antonio Ruiz de Montoya | title=Vocabulario y tesoro de la lengua Guarani (ó mas bien Tupi) | entry=Mbaracá | volume=2 | page=212b | year=1876 | publisher=Frick | url=https://archive.org/details/gramaticaydiccio02ruiz}}</ref> also known as tamaracas, were rattles of divination, an oracle of the Brazilian [[Tupinambá people|Tupinamba]] people, found also with other Indigenous ethnic groups, such as the [[Guaraní people|Guarani]], [[Orinoco]] 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.<ref>{{citation | editor=Julian H. Steward | editor-link=Julian H. Steward | title=[[Handbook of South American Indians]] | volume=3 | year=1948 | publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office | pages=43, 129, 238}}</ref> Human hair is sometimes fastened on the top, and a slit is cut in it to represent a mouth, through which their [[shaman]]s (''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 {{lang|es|guarás}} ([[scarlet ibis]]). It was used at their dances and to heal the sick.<ref>{{citation | author=Robert Southey | author-link=Robert Southey | title=History of Brazil | volume=1 | pages=187–188, 635 | year=1810 | publisher=Longman & Hurst | url= https://archive.org/details/historyofbrazil01sout/page/188/mode/2up?q=maraca }} Note: {{lang|es|[[:es:guará (ave)|guarás]]}} is spelled idiosyncratically as "goaraz" in this historical source.</ref> Andean [[curandero]]s (healers) use maracas in their healing rites.<ref>{{citation | editor=Lindsay Jones | author=Federico Kauffmann Doig | entry=SOUTH AMERICAN INDIANS: INDIANS OF THE ANDES IN THE PRE-INCA PERIOD | title=Encyclopedia of Religion | edition=2nd | volume=13 | publisher=Gale | year=2005 | pages=8599–8605 | isbn=0-02-865982-1}}</ref>

Modern maraca balls are also made of leather, wood or plastic.<ref>{{cite book | last=Blades | first=James | title=Percussion instruments and their history | year=1992 | publisher=Bold Strummer | location=Westport, Conn. | isbn=0-933224-61-3 | edition=Rev. | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/percussioninstru00jame }}</ref>

A maraca player in Spanish is a {{lang|es|maraquero}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=English Translation of “MARAQUERO” {{!}} Collins Spanish-English Dictionary |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/spanish-english/maraquero |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=[[Collins Spanish Dictionary]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maraquero {{!}} Spanish to English Translation - SpanishDictionary.com |url=https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/maraquero |access-date=2024-06-25 |website=SpanishDictionary.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery class="center" widths="250px" heights="275px">
File:Maracas player at Bonnaroo 2008 festival.jpg|[[Robert Plant]] playing two pairs of maracas
File:Guarani shaman.JPG|[[Guaraní people|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
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Maracas}}

{{Percussion}}
{{Shaken idiophones}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Venezuelan musical instruments]]
[[Category:South American percussion instruments]]
[[Category:Central American and Caribbean percussion instruments]]
[[Category:Orchestral percussion instruments]]
[[Category:Vessel rattles]]
[[Category:Hand percussion]]
[[Category:Unpitched percussion instruments]]
[[Category:Concert band instruments]]