Representation and Difference

Racialisation in Marimba Esmeraldeña and Bomba del Chota 1)

Authors

  • María Gabriela López-Yánez Universidad Central del Ecuador. Ecuador

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35305/rr.v3i6.99

Keywords:

Afro-Ecuadorian, Communicative competence, Coloniality, Dance, Music

Abstract

During the Atlantic slavery period enslaved and freed Africans and Afro-descendants populated principally two areas in Ecuador: the Chota-Mira valley (Imbabura and Carchi provinces) and the northern part of Esmeraldas province. Afrodescendants from these territories created two music and dance-based events; Bomba del Chota and Marimba Esmeraldeña. Since their arrival, Afro-descendants in Ecuador have had a history of dehumanization that continues until the present day. Based on the testimonies of the Marimberos and Bomberos included in this paper, archival compilation and fieldwork research, I address questions of racialized representations of Marimba and Bomba in order to build towards the notion of communicative competence. Here I propose the shift of some of the representations of Marimba and Bomba from the current focus on stereotypical characteristics such as a naturalized happiness and hyper-sexuality, to an emphasis on Afro-Ecuadorians’ collective memories. Through a sonic composition and its theorization, a questioning of coloniality that sustains racialized representations and the exposure of key, but usually silenced, collective memories is proposed. By developing a sonic composition and analyzing it, I aim to contribute with crucial theoretical and practical strategies to deepen a much needed and timely understanding of Marimba and Bomba

 

 

1) This paper and its sonic composition are bas ed on a chapter of my PhD thesis entitled “Sounds of collective memories: A decolonial counter- representation of Afro-Ecuadorian Marimba Esmeraldeña and Bomba del Chota” (López-Yánez, 2020). I dedicate this paper to one of the most renowned, charismatic and wise Afro-Ecuadorian artist, the Marimbero Guillermo Ayoví Erazo -Papá Roncón-, who passed away on September 30th, 2022, while I was writing it.

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Author Biography

María Gabriela López-Yánez, Universidad Central del Ecuador. Ecuador




Published

2023-04-11

How to Cite

López-Yánez, M. G. (2023). Representation and Difference : Racialisation in Marimba Esmeraldeña and Bomba del Chota 1). Revista Euro Latinoamericana De Análisis Social Y Político (RELASP), 3(6), 191–216. https://doi.org/10.35305/rr.v3i6.99

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