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Marimba



As part of the African tradition, Marimba music, traditional dances, and chants are integral parts of the family and community fabric Colombian South Pacific region and the Esmeraldas province of Ecuador. The rhythmic movements of the body accompany these stories and poems, which are chanted in ceremonies as celebrations of life or as a way to worship saints or say goodbye to the deceased.

Marimba is a hand xylophone made of palm wood, with bamboo tube resonators. It is played with drums and maracas and is rooted in community life. A range of expressions occurs in marimba music and traditional chants and dances, such as sharing food and drink. Each expression makes a point of integrating family and collective elements through ancestor practices that give a sense of belonging to a particular group and place in history.

The community is considered the bearer and practitioner, regardless of age or gender. Getting stories and legends from oral tradition down to the older generation is crucial, and music teachers are responsible for transmitting musical knowledge to future generations. Colombia and Ecuador are the second locations where the marimba is popular in Latin America. The instruments were brought with the African diaspora to Colombia and Ecuador after being brought by slaves. The cultural significance of these instruments persists to this day. The Afro-Latino communities that preserve and play marimba have historically valued it as a way to show their resilience.

In Colombia, marimbas are most commonly known as the marimba de chonta (peach-palm marimba), which is popular in the areas of Chocó and Cauca. Recently though, the marimba genre has started to fade out in popularity. The most popular marimba is a type found in the Esmeralda province, where a maroon named Alonso de Illescas settled near the area around current day Esmeraldas in the 16th century. This evokes pride for a community in which marimba music has been prohibited for centuries following government encroachment upon the Esmeralda province.

The marimba that is most widely played in Ecuador is the marimba esmeraldena (Esmeralda marimba). Marimbas are an important part of Ecuadorian culture: they are played at many religious ceremonies, as well as at festivals and dances.

Ecuador and Colombia may have different social, economic, and political characteristics, thus emphasizing the need for a shared understanding of cultural diversity and collaborations between countries in the region to achieve peace and solidarity.


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