What does Maracas mean?

Definitions for Maracas
mara·cas

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Wikipedia

  1. maracas

    A maraca (pronunciation ), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní mbaracás), 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 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 guarás (scarlet ibis). Every man had his maraca. It was used at their dances and to heal the sick. Andean curanderos (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 maraquero.

Wikidata

  1. Maracas

    Maracas are a native instrument of Latin America. They are percussion instruments, usually played in pairs. They consist of a dried calabash or gourd shell or coconut shell filled with seeds or dried beans. They may also be made of leather, wood, or plastic. Often one ball is pitched high, and the other is pitched low. There is evidence of clay maracas used by the natives of Colombia 1500 years ago. The word maraca is thought to have come from the Tupi language of Brazil, where it is pronounced 'ma-ra-KAH'. They are known in Trinidad as shac-shacs. The leather maracas were introduced in 1955 by Venezuelan percussionist Pan con Queso. Although a simple instrument, the method of playing the maracas is not obvious. The seeds or dried beans must travel some distance before they hit the leather, wood, or plastic, so the player must anticipate the rhythm. One can also strike the maraca against one's hand or leg to get a different sound. In a radio program that band leader Vincent Lopez hosted in the early 1950s called Shake the Maracas, audience members competed for small prizes by playing the instrument with the orchestra.

Anagrams for Maracas »

  1. marasca

  2. mascara

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Maracas in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Maracas in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

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"Maracas." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Maracas>.

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