Sometimes also xique-xique, a wonderfully evocative, onomatopoeic term for any kind of Brazilian rattle instrument, but when used in English referring more specifically to the maracas rattle. Other variants include shak-shak, chak-chak, shack-shack, or and in Cuba, chacha. Usually made from a gourd containing seeds, or sometimes an animal skin, it’s extremely common as a percussion, accompaniment instrument across the Latin American region, but is often seen as a lower form of playing or kids’ toy, but as percussion specialist John Santos demonstrates, there’s more to it that just shaking:
And to celebrate the diverse applications of xaque-xaque and its other names, here are some diverse examples.
First, the fabulously uplifting 1961 album Bombo y Maracas, by Climaco Sarmiento Y Su Orquesta, re-issued by Discos Fuentes in 2021:
And below, more recent releases with a modern twist, by the aptly named band Xique-Xique, comprising DJ and producer duo, São Paulo’s Bibiana Graeff and Xavier Fabre.
Following that, the Amsterdam-based electronica and crossover musician Alex Figueira and his album mixing beats of traditional and other forms, the humorously titled Maracas, Tambourines and Other Hellish Things (Original Soundtrack), out on The Magic Movement.
So then, any more on xaque-zaque music and culture? Feel free to suggest examples, or even from film, art, or other contexts in comments below.
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