Ecuador’s mainland is famous for its colonial cities, volcanic peaks, highland markets, and jungle wildlife. Though the Pacific coast is one of the less visited areas by foreigners. It has its own range of amazing attractions that make it a worthwhile visit. Explore laid-back fishing villages, the archaeological sites of the central coast, surf and sunbathe at a remote beach, visit the largest petrified forest in South America, enjoy of some the best Ecuadorian gastronomy, visit the most important coffee and banana plantations, dance Afro-Ecuadorian marimba in Esmeraldas, visit La Plata Island known as “the small Galapagos”, observe humpback whales from June to October, hike in pristine tropical forests, admire the highest mangroves in the world or explore the vast pristine places close to the Pacific Ocean. The list is endless. Ecuador's vibrant coastline will not disappoint.

Afro Ecuadorian Sounds

The origin of the Afro Ecuadorian music is fascinating, let’s immerse into these African sounds from Esmeraldas province, where most of our Afro Ecuadorians live. Let’s revel into the origins of the unknown but captivating part of the culture from the northern-coastal area.
‘’Musical life in the province centered on the Currulao, the marimba dance, with strong roots in the black population’s Bantu and Mande heritage in Western Africa. The Currulao was a predominantly secular festive event that took place every weekend in local casas de la marimba, or "marimba houses." These privately-owned dwellings were a focal point for Afro-Ecuadorian communities, used for civic meetings, recreation, and providing the performance space for the Currulao. Norman Whitten, Jr. has written extensively on the symbolic integration of the marimba dance as a secular ritual and its importance within Afro-Ecuadorian culture in Esmeraldas; where the interpretation of the Currulao indexed gender mores key to the maintenance of Afro-Ecuadorian society, ritually re-enacting and acting as a catharsis for male-female relationships in the community. In addition to the overt message of seduction and conquest in the dance choreography, the call-and-response musical tension and struggle for dominance between male soloists and the chorus of female singers represented these same relationships.’’

Articulating Blackness in Afro-Ecuadorian Marimba Performance by Jonathan Ritter.