Caxixi: Brazilian musical instrument

A caxixi is a percussion musical instrument that is made up of a closed basket with a flat-bottom filled with seed or other smaller substances. The round bottom of the instrument is traditionally made from a dried gourd. The caxixi is an indirectly struck idiophone just like the maraca; it is sounded by shaking the container of the particles.  Different sounds are produced by varying the angles at which the instrument is shaken and this will determine whether the contents strike the reed basket or the bottom of the caxixi.

source: artdrum.com

The caxixi is found in Africa and South America but they are mainly used in Brazil. In Brazil, the smaller sized of the instrument started to be played together with the berimbau. The larger size was first used on the recording of music by Airto Moreira but it was Nana Vasconcelos that further used the instrument for rhythmic accompaniment and ornaments. I West Africa, the caxixi is used by singers and usually they use it together with the drummers. They believe that the instrument can summon good spirits and chase away evil ones. More modern caxixi are produced out of metal and have a more cutting sound because of the metals.