...Ecuadorian Artists Celebrating Their Proud Kichwa Heritage

Popular culture has a mistaken impression that indigenous people are stuck in the past. Honoring ancestors, oral histories, and closely held traditions passed across generations is undoubtedly a tenet of most Indigenous communities, but that doesn’t mean present-day trends and new ideas are omitted from the conversation. In Ecuador, the Kichwa people are extremely proud of their history and cultural legacy. They are among the fiercest land protectors on the continent and also remain a vital source of pliable homegrown music handily intersecting with foreign influences. The Kichwa people even took to the streets in June when the government ignored prior land treaties and failed to execute fuel and education reforms. 

A sonic mestizaje has taken hold of Ecuador, where ancestral Andean sounds can now be traced through homegrown rock and hip-hop. Trailblazers like folk-fusion masters Charijayac and rap OGs Los Nin have kept Kichwa voices in the foreground of Ecuador’s musical canon. Today, a new generation of artists is leading the charge, experimenting boldly and oscillating between pop ambition and producing fresh, challenging work. 

There is room for all, so here are some proud Kichwa artists expanding the limits of tradition with forays into jazz, cumbia, and electronic music. 

Humazapas 

Formed in 2010 and hailing from the city of Cotacachi, Humazapas is a dazzling ensemble harnessing traditional rhythms and dances of the Kichwa community while creating exciting, often avant-garde, original music. Their dynamic stage shows have taken them to stages across Ecuador, and even a sold-out tour through France last year. Humazapas are definitely an act to watch, having signed with ZZK last year and organizing the Turu Uku music festival back in Aug., which convened local electronic acts like Cruzloma and Mala Fama, as well as rapper Guanaco...

- Remezcla.com - 2022