Marac-lets as Little Maracas

Let me share with you the cutest find I have this week at SM City Cebu's National Bookstore: a pair of little maracas. They are so small that I call them Marac-lets, meaning little maracas.  At  $0.80 per piece, I bought a pair thinking they were good for my collection.

About Maracas

Maracas, which always come and look good in pairs rather than alone, belong to the percussion instruments, and are famous with the Latin American music.

Many assumed that its first kind came from Morocco, probably because of their almost similar-sounding terms, but no, they are said to have originated from Puerto Rico instead. Of course, how can we miss that? The maracas music can very well  be heard in most Puerto Rican compositions as well as in Brazilian, Jamaican and other Latin American songs.

This Marac-let is only about 5-inch long

They have revolved around the world and acquired different names: "shakers", or "shac shacs" like in Trinidad and Tobago, and while for babies, they are simply called "rattles". Maracas, to create good music and complement each other, one has to have a high pitch sound, while the other should be low-pitch.

Marac-lets should always go in pairs

Usually made out of shells of coconut or gourd, there are also those that are made from dried calabash fruit (Crescentia cujete), plastic, leather, and wood.  They are then filled with seeds or pebbles to create that familiar maracas sound when shaken. Makers of that musical accompaniment often apply shiny finishes on it, paint on it with different colorful designs, or put some attractive ornaments, perhaps to augment its being little.

Well, that's about it. Just don't forget to shake those maracas when you see them.

--- Ireen ---