I couldn't resist this great vintage pair of maracas on my weekly gander through Gee-Dub, my local Goodwill store. They were $2.99 each, and of course I had to get both. It would be like buying a salt shaker without the pepper. Mellow, with a lovely patina, they're made from gourds filled with seeds and in true maraca form, one of the shakers is pitched high, the other low. I remember seeing some just like these in my childhood, back in the Carmen Miranda/Ricky Ricardo days, when they were oh-so-popular. I think the reason for my attraction, is the fact that in grade school rhythm band, the colt-legged little me was always stuck with either the dull wood blocks or the dumb wood sticks. I longed for the coveted, exotic maraca. Or maybe it's my Native American DNA speaking? Yes, I think it must be.
