The maraca is an instrument, like the palm shaker, that almost certainly has gourd roots. Take a dried gourd, lash a stick onto it for a handle and start jamming (or ministering to the sick or wounded or whatever). The main technical problem associated with maracas is finding a way to get a handle on the gourd that is both aesthetically pleasing and mechanically sound.

We’ve made small ones and medium-sized ones and one giant one. Small ones made from egg gourds are cute but fragile. Small to medium-sized ones made from pear gourds (like these) are very much like traditional wooden maracas in size, shape, and sound.