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A maraca ( , , ), 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. A maraca player in the Spanish language is called a maraquero.
The instrument is known by various names across Latin America and the Caribbean, including maracá (Brazil), chac-chac or shak-shak (Eastern Caribbean), and higuera (Puerto Rico, referencing the calabash tree). In Brazil, numerous regional variants exist, such as adjá, canzá, ganzá, and xeque.
Rattles made from Lagenaria gourds are being shaken by the natural grip, while the round Crescentia calabash fruits are fitted to a handle. Modern maraca balls are made of leather, wood or plastic with a wooden stick inserted through a hole in the shell to serve as a handle. Human hair is sometimes fastened on the top, and a slit is cut in it to represent a mouth, through which their ( payes) made it utter its responses. A few pebbles are inserted to make it rattle and it is crowned with the red feathers of scarlet ibis (scarlet ibises). It was used at their dances and to heal the sick. Note: guarás]] is spelled idiosyncratically as "goaraz" in this historical source. The design may vary by region; for example, in Puerto Rico, maracas are fashioned from the higuera fruit, while in other areas they are made of tin, wood, leather, or synthetic materials. The contents and materials affect the instrument’s timbre and volume. Andean (healers) use maracas in their healing rites.
In many indigenous and Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions, the maraca may also serve as a sacred function. Among the Tabajara people of Brazil, the maraca is considered a "sacred object" used during the Toré ritual. It represents a conduit between the human and spiritual realms, facilitating communication with ancestral spirits known as Encantados. Decorative elements such as feathers and symbolic paintings enhance its spiritual potency.
In pajelança (an Afro-Indigenous healing practice in northern Brazil), the maraca is used to summon spiritual entities during therapeutic and trance rituals. The instrument marks the rhythm of sacred songs ( doutrinas), and its sound is believed to activate healing forces. Pajés (healers) often differentiate between the traditional gourd maraca and metallic variants ( xeque) used in syncretic rituals.
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