Los tres mulatos de Esmeraldas (1599) by Sánchez Galque.
Most Afro-Ecuadorians are the descendants of enslaved Africans who were transported by predominantly British slavers to Ecuador from the early 16th century.[3] In 1553, the first enslaved Africans reached Ecuador in Quito when aslave ship heading to Peru was stranded off the Ecuadorian coast. The enslaved Africans escaped and establishedmaroon settlements in Esmeraldas, which became a safe haven as many Africans fleeing slave conditions either escaped to there or were forced to live there. Eventually, they started moving from their traditional homeland and were settling everywhere in Ecuador.[4]
Portrait of a Quito Matron Lady with Her Black Slave (1783)by Vicente Albán.
Racism is an issue on an individual basis and societally. Afro-Ecuadorians are strongly discriminated against by themestizo andcriollo populations.[5][6] As a result of this racism, along with lack of government funding and low social mobility, poverty affects their community more so than the white and mestizo population of Ecuador.[7][8] After slavery was abolished in 1851, Africans became marginalized in Ecuador, dominated by the plantation owners.[9]
Afro-Ecuadorian people and culture are found primarily in the country's northwest coastal region. The majority of the Afro-Ecuadorian population (70%)[10] are found in the province ofEsmeraldas and theValle del Chota in theImbabura Province, where they are the majority.[11] They can be also found in significant numbers inGuayaquil, and inIbarra, where in some neighborhoods, they make up a majority.[12] Many Afro-Ecuadorians have participated in sports, for instance playing with theEcuador national football team, many of whom hail from Valle del Chota.[13]
Afro-Ecuadorians at a convention to receive cultural recognition, traditional instruments can be seen in the background
Afro-Ecuadorian culture may be analysed by considering the two main epicenters of historical presence: the province ofEsmeraldas, and theChota Valley.[14] In Ecuador it is often said that Afro Ecuadorians live predominantly in warm places like Esmeraldas.[15] Afro-Ecuadorian culture is a result of theTrans-atlantic slave trade.[11] Their culture and its impact on Ecuador has led to many aspects fromWest andCentral Africa cultures being preserved via ordinary acts of resistance and commerce.[16] Examples of these include the use ofpolyrhythmic techniques, traditional instruments and dances; along with food ways such as the use ofcrops brought from Africa, like thePlantain andPigeon pea, and oral traditions and mythology likeLa Tunda.[17][18][19][20] When women wear their hair as it grows naturally, it is often associated with poverty, which is why successful or upwardly mobile women tended to straighten their hair.[21]
An example of the Cununo in the semi-final round of a championship in Esmeraldas.
Sometimes this music is played in religious ceremonies, as well as in celebrations and parties. It features call-and-response chanting along with the music. Some of the rhythms associated with it arecurrulao,bambuco andandarele.[24]
Afro-Ecuadorian style drum from Esmeralda.
On the other hand, in the Chota Valley there isbomba music. It can vary from mid-tempo to a very fast rhythm. It is usually played with guitars, as well as the main local instrument calledbomba, which is a drum, along with aguiro, and sometimesbombos andbongos. A variation of it played byla banda mocha, groups who playbomba with abombo,guiro and plant leaves to give melody.[25]
The religious practice among Afro-Ecuadorians is usuallyCatholic. Catholic worship is distinctive in Esmeraldas, and sometimes is done withmarimba.[26][27]
Numerous organizations have been established in Ecuador to for Afro-Ecuadorian issues. TheAfro-Ecuadorian Development Council (CONDAE).Afro-Ecuadorian Development Corporation (Corporación de Desarrollo Afroecuatoriano, CODAE), institutionalized in 2002,Asociación de Negros Ecuatorianos (ASONE), founded in 1988,Afro-Ecuadorian Institute, founded 1989, theAgustín Delgado Foundation, the Black Community Movement (El Proceso de Comunidades Negras) and TheNational Confederation of Afro-Ecuadorians (Confederación Nacional Afroecuatoriana, CNA) are amongst some of the institutional frameworks in place in Ecuador.[9] TheWorld Bank has given loans for Afro-Ecuadorian development proposals in Ecuador since 1998, loaning $34 million for related projects between 2003 and 2007, andUSAID also monitored the 2006 elections in Ecuador to ensure that Afro-Ecuadorians were not being unfairly underrepresented.[9]
Jaime Hurtado, from Guayaquil; known for fighting for the rights of the working people of Ecuador; founder and leader of theDemocratic People's Movement (MPD); assassinated in the winter of 1999[29]
An Afro-Ecuadorian in the national assembly.Semifinal of the Encebollado Championship in Esmeraldas 2015Semifinal of the Encebollado Championship in Esmeraldas 2015"Together for our rights" March through the streets of San Lorenzo, EsmeraldasSemifinal of the Encebollado Championship in Esmeraldas 2015Semifinal of the Encebollado Championship in Esmeraldas 2015Afro-Ecuadorian girls in traditional clothing.An Afro-Ecuadorian artesian vendor.Afro-Ecuadorians offer recognition to Foreign Minister.Afro-Ecuadorians offer recognition to Foreign Minister.Afro-Ecuadorians offer recognition to Foreign Minister.Afro-Ecuadorians offer recognition to Foreign Minister.An Afro-Ecuadorian marimba groups from Esmeraldas
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