Maracas , sometimes called
rumba shakers and various other names, are
percussion musical instruments—
rattles—that originated in
Latin America. They are classified as
idiophones. Players hold them by their handles, usually in pairs, and shake them. Traditional maracas consist of hollow balls made from dried
gourd shell (
cuia "koo-ya") or
coconut shell filled with seeds or dried beans and mounted on a wooden handle. Modern maraca balls are also made of leather, wood, or plastic.