The MARACAS Instrument
Maracas..and our Latin heritage?
Maracas are made from the fruit of the higuera tree so common throughout Puerto Rico. The fruit must be round and small. After taking out the pulp of the fruit through two holes that are bored through the dried shell, small pebbles are introduced into it. Then a handle is fitted to the dry fruit shell. Unequal amount of pebbles are used in a pair that make up the maracas, to produce their distinctive sound.
In some Caribbean and Latin America music the maracas have become one of the most important percussion instruments because they add a driving pulse in the high frequency spectrum. Perhaps their importance to salsa is like the role of hihat and snare drum in pop and rock music.
Maracas are now often made of new materials, such as plastic, but are used the in same way, fulfill the same musical role in Latin bands, and retain the same distinctive sound.
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Recent Comments
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Congrats Rudoph and Helen, for going premium and for writing your first blog within WA. Well done and to be continued. To your success, Desmond.
Thank you for this post one learns something new every day and I have learnt how Maracas are made. I thought they were made from wood I never realised they were made from a fruit. They must take a long time to make. I love learning interesting little facts from other countries and cultures.
And notice, how it grows on the tree like Jackfruit does, aaaaany where on the tree.
And I know you have Guinep, and June Plum in Aruba too.
Al\ my life in Jamaica, the 21.8 years i live there, I always wondered about the Calabash.
It grows on tree.
Was it a fruit of some sort? what is in it?
A perfect bowl, water container or dish grown on a tree.
You making me home sick...
An interesting article Eurekafirma. You might have said that the 'higuera' is the fig tree in English. I am sure it sounds to ok to you that you may find the translation unnecessary. Isn't is great to hear the Caribbean and South American music and watch how the people get busy dancing to their music? They literally dance their problems away.
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Hi Rudolph and Helen, thanks for sharing that. We take things for granted but knowing how these thing originate is always interesting.