Culture of Ecuador
Encyclopedia
The majority of the Ecuador
ian population is mestizo
, a mixture of both European and Amerindian ancestry, and much like their ancestry, the national culture is also a blend of these two sources, along with influences from Africa. 96% of Ecuador's population is German, Italian,and Spaniard descent. 95% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic, although their Christian beliefs are mixed with ancient indigenous customs.
Ecuador can be split up into four parts, geographically; the Costa (coast), the Sierra (Highlands
) and El Oriente (the east; which includes the Amazonic region). The Galapagos
islands, or Archipiélago de Colón
also belong to Ecuador.
There is tension and dislike between the residents of Quito
and Guayaquil
. Additionally, there is centralism in these two cities, so people from other provinces also tend to dislike its residents. Furthermore, due to the at times extreme cultural difference between the Coast and the Sierra, there is a general dislike between those two regions that traces back to prehispanic times.
, the latter of which spans its existence before any civilization in the Americas. The most notable groups that existed in Ecuador before, and during the Inca conquest were the Quitus (near present-day Quito), the Cañari (in present-day Cuenca
), and the Las Vegas Culture (near Guayaquil). Each civilization developed its own distinguished architecture, pottery, and religious beliefs, while others developed archaeologically disputed systems of writing (an achievement the Incas did not achieve). After years of fierce resistance, the Cañari succumbed to the Inca expansion, and were assimilated loosely under the Inca empire. The Inca were an advanced society which originated in Peru
, and established a great empire within one century. It dominated Peru and extended as far as Bolivia
and central Chile
. To communicate with each other they developed stone-paved highways spanning thousands of miles used by messengers. These messengers passed each other records of the empire's status, which are sometimes thought to have been encoded in a system of knots called quipu. Remarkably, the Cañari, Quitus, and Caras were able to hold back Tupac-Yupanqui for years, though they proved less successful against his son, Huayna Capac. After conquering Ecuador, Huayna Capac imposed upon the tribes the use of the Quechua (or Kichwa) language, lingua franca of the Inca and still widely spoken in Ecuador. The Cañaris were the strongest, and fiercest group in Ecuador to fall, and after their collapse and subsequent assimilation, the conquest of lands north became easier.
In celebration of his victory, Tupac Yupanqui ordered a great city to be built at Tomebamba, near Cuenca called Pumapungo over the ancient Cañari town. When he died in 1526, Huayna Capac divided the empire between his two sons, Atahualpa and Huascar. Atahualpa ruled in the north from Quito, while Huascar ruled in the south from Cuzco. Huascar and Atuahualpa wanted all the empire, the could not share the territory, so an internal war took place.
Francisco Pizarro
landed in Ecuador in 1532, accompanied by 180 fully armed men, he is mission was to find gold. Several years earlier, Pizarro had made a peaceful visit to the coast, where he heard rumors in Colombia of El Dorado of inland cities which had incredible amounts of gold. This time, he intended to conquer the Incas just as Hernando Cortez did in Mexico
--and he couldn't have picked a better time. Atahualpa had only recently won the war against his brother Huascar when Pizarro arrived. Pizarro ambushed the ruler, forced him to collect an enormous ransom, and then executed him.
Spanish governors ruled Ecuador for nearly 300 years, first from the viceroyalty of Lima, then later from the viceroyalty of GranColombia
. The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism, colonial architecture, and today's national language. Independence was won in 1822, when the famed South American liberator Simon Bolivar joined Sucre and defeated a Spanish army at the Battle of Pichincha.
is a most destructive force that has continued to ravage Ecuador since the rise of segregated towns. Each region is divided between different, and unique topographic geography creating a sense of individual pride of their side. The most notable regional competition or confrontation is between Guayaquileños, and Quiteños. This sense of regionalism has created many barriers between people and has always been a destructive force in the country. Due to regionalism the economy suffered severely because either side hesitates to do anything that might result in the expansion of the other's economy, even if it would mean retarding their own economy. During War regionalism was considerably abated, but there are significant reports in which such boundaries ended in individuals betraying their country due to their continuing desire to see the other region lose. One example alleges that someone had given information to enemy troops during Tawantinzuma. Most of the regional fighting occurs among teenagers, and college students.
and extended
. Unlike in much of the West
, where the elderly are often placed in care facilities geared towards people of advanced age, elderly Ecuadorians will often live with one of their children. However, in recent years the number of facilities to care for the elderly has grown significantly.
Godparent
s are also far more important in Ecuador than in the West, and they are expected to provide both financial and psychological support to their godchildren. Precisely for that reason, Ecuadorians with marital troubles will often ask their godparents for advice.
Families are formed in at least one of the following two ways: Civil Marriage (which is the legal form of formalising a bond between a man and a woman and which all married couples are required to undergo) and the Free Union (where a man and a woman decide to form a family without undergoing any official ceremony). The Ecuadorian Constitution accords the members of a Free Union family the same rights and duties as in any other legally constituted family.
It is important to note that there are many variations in family structure, as well as in the social and cultural structure in Ecuador depending on the socioeconomic position in which people live. Generally the upper classes adopt more of the American or European ways of life. This leads to great contrasts within the Ecuadorian people.
's liberal revolution in 1906, in which Ecuadorian women were granted the right to work. Woman's suffrage was granted in 1929.
Girls tend to be more protected by their parents than boys, due to traditional social structures. At 15, girls often have traditional parties called fiesta de pollo quince quinceañera
s is a term used for the girl not the party, the party involves food and dance. This is a coming out party or debutante where the girl is now of age. This is a tradition found in most Latin American countries and is comparable to the American tradition of sweet sixteen
parties.
carnivals, while others have no official customs, yet all of them are related to a mixture of amerindian and Catholic beliefs.
The Ecuador Film Company was founded in Guayaquil, in 1924. During the early twenties to early thirties, Ecuador enjoyed its Cinema Golden Age Era. However, the production of motion pictures declined with the coming of sound.
Beyond the Gates of Splendor
(2002), directed by Jim Hanon, is a documentary about five missionaries killed by the Huaorani
Indians in the 1950s. He recycles the story in the 2006 Hollywood production End of the Spear
. Most of this film was shot in Panama.
Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda
(Between Marx and a Nude Woman, 1995), by Ecuadorian Camilo Luzuriaga, provides a window into the life of young Ecuadorian leftists living in a country plagued by the remnants of feudal systems and coup d'etats. It is based on a novel by Jorge Enrique Adoum
In addition to film, there are numerous books and novels based on Ecuador, including the science fiction novel by Rod Glenn, The King of America, and the science fiction novel Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
.
is concerned, is centred around lunch, rather than dinner as in Western cultures. Sometimes it is the only main dish in their diet.
There is no one food that is especially Ecuadorian, as cuisine varies from region to region of the country. For example, costeños (people from the coast) prefer fish, beans and plantains (unripened banana like fruits), while serranos from the mountainous regions prefer meat
, rice
s and white hominy mote.
Some examples of Ecuadorian cuisine in general include patacones, unripe plantain
s fried in oil
, mashed up and then refried, llapingachos, a pan seared potato ball, and seco de chivo, a type of stew
made from goat
. More regionalized examples include ceviche
s from the Coast, which are different from other ceviches and traditionally is served unprepared, as well as almidon breads, plantains served with crushed peanuts or salprieta, and encebollado
, the most popular dish in the Coast, that contains a marinade with large chunks of fish, onions and various regional seasonings.
Beef Jerky comes from the word in the ancient incan language in Quechua. "Charqui"
, though many speak Amerindian languages such as Kichwa
, the Ecuadorian dialect of Quechua
. Other Amerindian languages spoken in Ecuador include Awapit (spoken by the Awá
), A'ingae (spoken by the Cofan
), Shuar Chicham (spoken by the Shuar), Achuar-Shiwiar (spoken by the Achuar
and the Shiwiar
), Cha'palaachi (spoken by the Chachi), Tsa'fiki (spoken by the Tsáchila
), Paicoca (spoken by the Siona
and Secoya) and Wao Tededo (spoken by the Waorani).
Though most features of Ecuadorian Spanish are universal in the Spanish-speaking world, there are several idiosyncrasies.
Costeños tend to speak more quickly and louder than serranos, and most of them do so in a very informal way. A common term costeños use to call each other is mijo, a portmanteau of sorts for "my son" (mi hijo). Several such terms originate from their fast speech, and they have intrincate language humor and jokes, difficult to translate or even understand in other regions. Also, each coaprovince has a different variety of accent with specific different terms.
Serranos usually speak softly, and very respectfully. Traditionally they are seen as more conservative, and use a number of Kichwa-originated terms in their everyday speech, often puzzling to other regions. A widely known example is the word guagua, which means child in Kichwa. Their speech comes from their Incan amerindian roots and can be seen as a variation of other Andean accents.
Whistling
, yelling or yawn
ing to get someone's attention is considered rude, yet informally done.
people of Tigua, located in the central Sierra region, are world renowned for their traditional paintings on sheepskin canvases. Historically the Tigua people have been known for painting highly decorative masks and drums; painting on flat surfaces is somewhat of a modern occurrence. Today Tigua paintings can be found on sale all over Ecuador, particularly in touristic areas.
Tigua artists are celebrated for their use of vibrant colors and simplistic themes. Most paintings depict scenes of pastoral life, religious ceremonies and festivals. The volcano, Cotopaxi
is commonly depicted in the landscape in most paintings as it holds cultural significance in the region.
, a city in central Ecuador, is known as the "City of the three Juanes", with Juan Montalvo
(a novel
ist and essay
ist), Juan León Mera
(author of the words to Ecuador's national anthem
, "Salve, Oh Patria
") and Juan Benigno Vela (another novelist and essayist) all sharing it as a place of birth. Other important writers include Eugenio Espejo
, from colonial Quito, whose works inspired the fight for freedom from Spain in Ecuador and touched a number of topics, novelist and poet Horacio Hidrovo Velásquez, from early century's Manabí
, whose works have inspired films.
is very important in Ecuador, with differences between Coast and Highlands. Generally, pan pipes, flute
s of bamboo
, violin
s, drum
s and charango
s all played often, but with different purposes. For instance, in the Sierra popular tunes played at fiesta
s include "Rosa Maria" and "El Condor
Pasa", with sanjuanito being an easily recognizable genre. In the Costa, the instruments are played mostly for cumbia
, salsa
, and pasillo
s. Costeños have two kinds of purposes for music, the rhythm-filled one which is played in most places, be it in public like in the bus or in parties, and the slow, moarnful pasillos and rocolas, which are exclusive to old bars. The slow tunes are humoristically known as cortavenísticos ("vein-cutting") because of their overall sadness.
In addition to the numerous native cultures, Ecuador is home to a Mestizo culture, and a sizable Afro-Ecuadorian culture (approximately a half-million), "In the mid-16th century, at least two slave ships from Panama bound for Peru wrecked on the shores of what is now Esmeraldas province. The African slaves established a maroon society (freed slaves), and maintained autonomy during much of the colonial era". http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=575 Today's Afro-Ecuadorians are famous for their marimba music and dance festivals. Long before the Spanish conquest, and even much before the Inca civilization, the diverse native cultures of the region had rich musical traditions. Ancient flutes, trumpets, drums, and other musical artifacts have been found in tombs. Music was obviously important in the human and supernatural worlds of ancient Andean people.
With the coming of the Spanish conquerors in the 16th century, accompanied by Catholic missionaries and African slaves, additional musical languages were introduced. Today, three principal racial and cultural strains - Indigenous, Spanish, and African - have evolved into distinctive sentimental and great for listening.
is of Ecuadorian origin, and is known there as "Sombrero de paja toquilla", or a Jipijapa. It is made principally in Montecristi
in the Province of Manabí
. Its manufacture (particularly that of the Montecristi superfino) is considered a great craft.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian population is mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
, a mixture of both European and Amerindian ancestry, and much like their ancestry, the national culture is also a blend of these two sources, along with influences from Africa. 96% of Ecuador's population is German, Italian,and Spaniard descent. 95% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic, although their Christian beliefs are mixed with ancient indigenous customs.
Ecuador can be split up into four parts, geographically; the Costa (coast), the Sierra (Highlands
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
) and El Oriente (the east; which includes the Amazonic region). The Galapagos
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
islands, or Archipiélago de Colón
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
also belong to Ecuador.
There is tension and dislike between the residents of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
and Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
. Additionally, there is centralism in these two cities, so people from other provinces also tend to dislike its residents. Furthermore, due to the at times extreme cultural difference between the Coast and the Sierra, there is a general dislike between those two regions that traces back to prehispanic times.
History
Ecuador was inhabited with numerous civilizations which constructed the ethnic cultural background of Ecuador years before the Inca empire. http://www.exploringecuador.com/museum_bce/aborigen.htm Many civilizations rose throughout Ecuador, such as the Chorre and the ValdiviaValdivia Culture
The Valdivia Culture is one of the oldest settled cultures recorded in the Americas. It emerged from the earlier Las Vegas culture and thrived on the Santa Elena peninsula near the modern-day town of Valdivia, Ecuador between 3500 BC and 1800 BC....
, the latter of which spans its existence before any civilization in the Americas. The most notable groups that existed in Ecuador before, and during the Inca conquest were the Quitus (near present-day Quito), the Cañari (in present-day Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
), and the Las Vegas Culture (near Guayaquil). Each civilization developed its own distinguished architecture, pottery, and religious beliefs, while others developed archaeologically disputed systems of writing (an achievement the Incas did not achieve). After years of fierce resistance, the Cañari succumbed to the Inca expansion, and were assimilated loosely under the Inca empire. The Inca were an advanced society which originated in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and established a great empire within one century. It dominated Peru and extended as far as Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and central Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. To communicate with each other they developed stone-paved highways spanning thousands of miles used by messengers. These messengers passed each other records of the empire's status, which are sometimes thought to have been encoded in a system of knots called quipu. Remarkably, the Cañari, Quitus, and Caras were able to hold back Tupac-Yupanqui for years, though they proved less successful against his son, Huayna Capac. After conquering Ecuador, Huayna Capac imposed upon the tribes the use of the Quechua (or Kichwa) language, lingua franca of the Inca and still widely spoken in Ecuador. The Cañaris were the strongest, and fiercest group in Ecuador to fall, and after their collapse and subsequent assimilation, the conquest of lands north became easier.
In celebration of his victory, Tupac Yupanqui ordered a great city to be built at Tomebamba, near Cuenca called Pumapungo over the ancient Cañari town. When he died in 1526, Huayna Capac divided the empire between his two sons, Atahualpa and Huascar. Atahualpa ruled in the north from Quito, while Huascar ruled in the south from Cuzco. Huascar and Atuahualpa wanted all the empire, the could not share the territory, so an internal war took place.
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
landed in Ecuador in 1532, accompanied by 180 fully armed men, he is mission was to find gold. Several years earlier, Pizarro had made a peaceful visit to the coast, where he heard rumors in Colombia of El Dorado of inland cities which had incredible amounts of gold. This time, he intended to conquer the Incas just as Hernando Cortez did in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
--and he couldn't have picked a better time. Atahualpa had only recently won the war against his brother Huascar when Pizarro arrived. Pizarro ambushed the ruler, forced him to collect an enormous ransom, and then executed him.
Spanish governors ruled Ecuador for nearly 300 years, first from the viceroyalty of Lima, then later from the viceroyalty of GranColombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism, colonial architecture, and today's national language. Independence was won in 1822, when the famed South American liberator Simon Bolivar joined Sucre and defeated a Spanish army at the Battle of Pichincha.
Regionalism
RegionalismRegionalism (politics)
Regionalism is a term used in international relations. Regionalism also constitutes one of the three constituents of the international commercial system...
is a most destructive force that has continued to ravage Ecuador since the rise of segregated towns. Each region is divided between different, and unique topographic geography creating a sense of individual pride of their side. The most notable regional competition or confrontation is between Guayaquileños, and Quiteños. This sense of regionalism has created many barriers between people and has always been a destructive force in the country. Due to regionalism the economy suffered severely because either side hesitates to do anything that might result in the expansion of the other's economy, even if it would mean retarding their own economy. During War regionalism was considerably abated, but there are significant reports in which such boundaries ended in individuals betraying their country due to their continuing desire to see the other region lose. One example alleges that someone had given information to enemy troops during Tawantinzuma. Most of the regional fighting occurs among teenagers, and college students.
Family
Ecuadorians place great importance on the family, both nuclearNuclear family
Nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a father and mother and their children. This is in contrast to the smaller single-parent family, and to the larger extended family. Nuclear families typically center on a married couple, but not always; the nuclear family may have...
and extended
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
. Unlike in much of the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, where the elderly are often placed in care facilities geared towards people of advanced age, elderly Ecuadorians will often live with one of their children. However, in recent years the number of facilities to care for the elderly has grown significantly.
Godparent
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
s are also far more important in Ecuador than in the West, and they are expected to provide both financial and psychological support to their godchildren. Precisely for that reason, Ecuadorians with marital troubles will often ask their godparents for advice.
Families are formed in at least one of the following two ways: Civil Marriage (which is the legal form of formalising a bond between a man and a woman and which all married couples are required to undergo) and the Free Union (where a man and a woman decide to form a family without undergoing any official ceremony). The Ecuadorian Constitution accords the members of a Free Union family the same rights and duties as in any other legally constituted family.
It is important to note that there are many variations in family structure, as well as in the social and cultural structure in Ecuador depending on the socioeconomic position in which people live. Generally the upper classes adopt more of the American or European ways of life. This leads to great contrasts within the Ecuadorian people.
Women
Women are generally responsible for the upbringing and care of children and of husbands in Ecuador, and traditionally, men have taken completely inactive role in this area. Recently this has begun to change, due to the fact that more and more women are joining the workforce resulting in men doing a little housework becoming slightly involved in the care of their children. This change has been greatly influenced by Eloy AlfaroEloy Alfaro
José Eloy Alfaro Delgado was the President of Ecuador from 1895 to 1901 and from 1906 to 1911. He became one the strongest opponents of pro-Catholic conservative President Gabriel Garcia Moreno...
's liberal revolution in 1906, in which Ecuadorian women were granted the right to work. Woman's suffrage was granted in 1929.
Girls tend to be more protected by their parents than boys, due to traditional social structures. At 15, girls often have traditional parties called fiesta de pollo quince quinceañera
Quinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
s is a term used for the girl not the party, the party involves food and dance. This is a coming out party or debutante where the girl is now of age. This is a tradition found in most Latin American countries and is comparable to the American tradition of sweet sixteen
Sweet sixteen (birthday)
A sweet sixteen party is a type of birthday party in the United States celebrating a sixteenth birthday, Sweet sixteen parties mark a coming of age.- Types of sweet sixteen party :...
parties.
Celebrations
Carnivals and festivals are also varied through the country and are highly expected by the population, usually featuring many traditional games and fun. Some parts celebrate maskMask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
carnivals, while others have no official customs, yet all of them are related to a mixture of amerindian and Catholic beliefs.
Television and cinema
The majority of the movies shown in movie theatres in Ecuador come from the United States. The movies are often in English and have Spanish subtitles, but are sometimes translated for family movies.The Ecuador Film Company was founded in Guayaquil, in 1924. During the early twenties to early thirties, Ecuador enjoyed its Cinema Golden Age Era. However, the production of motion pictures declined with the coming of sound.
Beyond the Gates of Splendor
Beyond the Gates of Splendor
Beyond the Gates of Splendor is a feature-length documentary film that was released in 2004. It chronicles the events leading up to and following Operation Auca, an attempt to contact the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador in which five American missionaries were killed...
(2002), directed by Jim Hanon, is a documentary about five missionaries killed by the Huaorani
Huaorani
The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by...
Indians in the 1950s. He recycles the story in the 2006 Hollywood production End of the Spear
End of the Spear
End of the Spear is a 2006 docudrama film that recounts the story of Operation Auca, in which five American Christian missionaries attempted to evangelize the Huaorani people of the jungle of Ecuador...
. Most of this film was shot in Panama.
Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda
Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda
Entre Marx y una Mujer Desnuda is a 1976 novel written by the Ecuadorian poet Jorge Enrique Adoum.The novel was made into a film in 1996 by the Ecuadorian film maker Camilo Luzuriaga, in Spanish with English and French subtitles...
(Between Marx and a Nude Woman, 1995), by Ecuadorian Camilo Luzuriaga, provides a window into the life of young Ecuadorian leftists living in a country plagued by the remnants of feudal systems and coup d'etats. It is based on a novel by Jorge Enrique Adoum
Jorge Enrique Adoum
Jorge Enrique Adoum was an Ecuadorian poet and writer. He was one of the major exponents of Latin American poetry. Social concerns were always present in his work.-Biography:...
In addition to film, there are numerous books and novels based on Ecuador, including the science fiction novel by Rod Glenn, The King of America, and the science fiction novel Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
.
Cuisine
An Ecuadorian's day, at least as far as his or her dietDiet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
is concerned, is centred around lunch, rather than dinner as in Western cultures. Sometimes it is the only main dish in their diet.
There is no one food that is especially Ecuadorian, as cuisine varies from region to region of the country. For example, costeños (people from the coast) prefer fish, beans and plantains (unripened banana like fruits), while serranos from the mountainous regions prefer meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
s and white hominy mote.
Some examples of Ecuadorian cuisine in general include patacones, unripe plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s fried in oil
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
, mashed up and then refried, llapingachos, a pan seared potato ball, and seco de chivo, a type of stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
made from goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
. More regionalized examples include ceviche
Ceviche
Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...
s from the Coast, which are different from other ceviches and traditionally is served unprepared, as well as almidon breads, plantains served with crushed peanuts or salprieta, and encebollado
Encebollado
Encebollado is a typical dish from the south Ecuadorian coast, most likely from the provinces of Guayas and Manabi. In simple terms, the "encebollado" is a fish stew containing incurtida cassava and red onion. Juice of onion is made with tomato, condiments such as "pepper" and other species...
, the most popular dish in the Coast, that contains a marinade with large chunks of fish, onions and various regional seasonings.
Beef Jerky comes from the word in the ancient incan language in Quechua. "Charqui"
Language
Most Ecuadorians speak SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, though many speak Amerindian languages such as Kichwa
Kichwa
Kichwa is a Quechuan language, and includes all Quechua varieties spoken in Ecuador and Colombia by approximately 2,500,000 people...
, the Ecuadorian dialect of Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
. Other Amerindian languages spoken in Ecuador include Awapit (spoken by the Awá
Awá
The Awá or Guajá are an endangered indigenous group of people living in the eastern Amazon forests of Brazil. Their language is in the Tupi–Guarani family. Originally living in settlements, they adopted a nomadic lifestyle about 1800 to escape incursions by Europeans...
), A'ingae (spoken by the Cofan
Cofán
The Cofán people are an indigenous people native to Napo Province northeast Ecuador and to southern Colombia, between the Guamués River and the Aguaricó River...
), Shuar Chicham (spoken by the Shuar), Achuar-Shiwiar (spoken by the Achuar
Achuar
The Achuar are an Amazonian community of some 18,500 individuals along either side of the border in between Ecuador and Peru. As of the early 1970s, the Achuar were one of the last of the Jivaroan groups still to be spared the effects of western contact....
and the Shiwiar
Shiwiar
Shiwiar, also known as Achuar, Jivaro, Maina, is a Jivaroan language spoken along the Pastaza and Bobonaza rivers in Ecuador.-External links:**...
), Cha'palaachi (spoken by the Chachi), Tsa'fiki (spoken by the Tsáchila
Tsáchila
The Tsáchila people of Ecuador live in the county of Santo Domingo in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.- Legend of the origin of their ornamentation :...
), Paicoca (spoken by the Siona
Siona people
The Siona people are an indigenous ethnic group living in the Ecuadorian Amazon or Oriente , and in Colombia...
and Secoya) and Wao Tededo (spoken by the Waorani).
Though most features of Ecuadorian Spanish are universal in the Spanish-speaking world, there are several idiosyncrasies.
Costeños tend to speak more quickly and louder than serranos, and most of them do so in a very informal way. A common term costeños use to call each other is mijo, a portmanteau of sorts for "my son" (mi hijo). Several such terms originate from their fast speech, and they have intrincate language humor and jokes, difficult to translate or even understand in other regions. Also, each coaprovince has a different variety of accent with specific different terms.
Serranos usually speak softly, and very respectfully. Traditionally they are seen as more conservative, and use a number of Kichwa-originated terms in their everyday speech, often puzzling to other regions. A widely known example is the word guagua, which means child in Kichwa. Their speech comes from their Incan amerindian roots and can be seen as a variation of other Andean accents.
Whistling
Whistling
Human whistling is the production of sound by means of carefully controlling a stream of air flowing through a small hole. Whistling can be achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips and then blowing or sucking air through the hole...
, yelling or yawn
Yawn
A yawn is a reflex of simultaneous inhalation of air and stretching of the eardrums, followed by exhalation of breath. Pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching simultaneously....
ing to get someone's attention is considered rude, yet informally done.
Indigenous art of Tigua
The QuichuaKichwa
Kichwa is a Quechuan language, and includes all Quechua varieties spoken in Ecuador and Colombia by approximately 2,500,000 people...
people of Tigua, located in the central Sierra region, are world renowned for their traditional paintings on sheepskin canvases. Historically the Tigua people have been known for painting highly decorative masks and drums; painting on flat surfaces is somewhat of a modern occurrence. Today Tigua paintings can be found on sale all over Ecuador, particularly in touristic areas.
Tigua artists are celebrated for their use of vibrant colors and simplistic themes. Most paintings depict scenes of pastoral life, religious ceremonies and festivals. The volcano, Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in the country, reaching a height of...
is commonly depicted in the landscape in most paintings as it holds cultural significance in the region.
Literature
AmbatoSan Juan de Ambato
Ambato is a city in located in the central Andean valley of Ecuador. Lying on the banks of the Ambato River, the city also sits beneath several tall mountains. It is the capital of the province of Tungurahua, at an elevation of 2,577 meters above sea level. The population is 180,000 , making it...
, a city in central Ecuador, is known as the "City of the three Juanes", with Juan Montalvo
Juan Montalvo
Juan María Montalvo Fiallos was an Ecuadorian author and essayist.Born in Ambato to José Marcos Montalvo and Josefa Fiallos, he studied philosophy and law in Quito before returning to his hometown in 1854. He held diplomatic posts in Italy and France from 1857 to 1859...
(a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist and essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist), Juan León Mera
Juan León Mera
Juan León Mera Martínez was an Ecuadorian poet, novelist, journalist, critic, politician and satirist....
(author of the words to Ecuador's national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, "Salve, Oh Patria
Salve, Oh Patria
"¡Salve, Oh Patria!" is the national anthem of Ecuador. The lyrics were written in 1865 by the poet Juan León Mera, under request of the Ecuadorian Senate; the music was composed by Antonio Neumane...
") and Juan Benigno Vela (another novelist and essayist) all sharing it as a place of birth. Other important writers include Eugenio Espejo
Eugenio Espejo
Francisco Javier Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo was a medical pioneer, writer and lawyer of mestizo origin in colonial Ecuador. Although he was a notable scientist and writer, he stands out as a polemicist who inspired the separatist movement in Quito. He is regarded as one of the most important...
, from colonial Quito, whose works inspired the fight for freedom from Spain in Ecuador and touched a number of topics, novelist and poet Horacio Hidrovo Velásquez, from early century's Manabí
Manabí
Word Manabí can refer to:* Manabí Province in Ecuador* Manabí * The manga and anime series Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! or the nickname of its main character Manami Amamiya....
, whose works have inspired films.
Music
MusicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is very important in Ecuador, with differences between Coast and Highlands. Generally, pan pipes, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and charango
Charango
The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, 66 cm long, traditionally made with the shell of the back of an armadillo. Primarily played in traditional Andean music, and is sometimes used by other Latin American musicians. Many contemporary charangos are now made with...
s all played often, but with different purposes. For instance, in the Sierra popular tunes played at fiesta
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
s include "Rosa Maria" and "El Condor
Condor
Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....
Pasa", with sanjuanito being an easily recognizable genre. In the Costa, the instruments are played mostly for cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
, salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, and pasillo
Pasillo
Pasillo is a South American genre of music extremely popular in the territories that composed 19th century Gran Colombia: Colombia; Ecuador, where it is considered the national musical style; and to a lesser extent in the mountainous regions of Venezuela and Panamá...
s. Costeños have two kinds of purposes for music, the rhythm-filled one which is played in most places, be it in public like in the bus or in parties, and the slow, moarnful pasillos and rocolas, which are exclusive to old bars. The slow tunes are humoristically known as cortavenísticos ("vein-cutting") because of their overall sadness.
In addition to the numerous native cultures, Ecuador is home to a Mestizo culture, and a sizable Afro-Ecuadorian culture (approximately a half-million), "In the mid-16th century, at least two slave ships from Panama bound for Peru wrecked on the shores of what is now Esmeraldas province. The African slaves established a maroon society (freed slaves), and maintained autonomy during much of the colonial era". http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=575 Today's Afro-Ecuadorians are famous for their marimba music and dance festivals. Long before the Spanish conquest, and even much before the Inca civilization, the diverse native cultures of the region had rich musical traditions. Ancient flutes, trumpets, drums, and other musical artifacts have been found in tombs. Music was obviously important in the human and supernatural worlds of ancient Andean people.
With the coming of the Spanish conquerors in the 16th century, accompanied by Catholic missionaries and African slaves, additional musical languages were introduced. Today, three principal racial and cultural strains - Indigenous, Spanish, and African - have evolved into distinctive sentimental and great for listening.
Clothing
The Panama hatPanama hat
A Panama hat is a traditional brimmed hat of Ecuadorian origin that is made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant...
is of Ecuadorian origin, and is known there as "Sombrero de paja toquilla", or a Jipijapa. It is made principally in Montecristi
Montecristi, Ecuador
Montecristi is a town in the Manabí province of Ecuador and the capital of the canton by the same name.As of the 2001 census Montecristi had 14,636 inhabitants....
in the Province of Manabí
Manabí Province
Manabí is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Portoviejo. The province is named after the Manabí people.-Economy:Manabí's economy is based heavily on natural resources such as cacao, bananas, cotton, etc. It's industrial sector is based on Tuna canning, tobacco, and alcoholic beverage production...
. Its manufacture (particularly that of the Montecristi superfino) is considered a great craft.
Sports
Football is the most popular sport in Ecuador. Information on all other Ecuadorian Sports related articles are below:- Football in EcuadorFootball in EcuadorAssociation football is the most popular sport in Ecuador, in line with the majority of South America.-Governing body:...
- Ecuador national football teamEcuador national football teamThe Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
- Ecuador women's national football team
- Ecuador national under-20 football teamEcuador national under-20 football teamThe Ecuadorian national under-20 football team represents Ecuador in international under-20 football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation.-History:...
- Ecuador national baseball teamEcuador national baseball teamThe Ecuador national baseball team is the national baseball team of Ecuador. The team represents Ecuador in international competitions.-Honors:Baseball at the Summer Olympics*2008 : Lost in qualifying....
- Ecuador national cricket teamEcuador national cricket teamThe Ecuador national cricket team represents the nation of Ecuador in International Cricket competitions. Ecuador took part in the 2007 South American Cricket Championships, where the team lost both of their matches against Brazil and Argentina A...
External links
- Ecuador people and culture http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/people_and_culture.html
- Hip ECUADOR http://www.hipecuador.com/html/ecuador/ecuador_culture.htm
- Ecuador http://www.vivecuador.com/html2/eng/culture.htm
- Archaeology of Ecuador
- Museum and Virtual Library (Museums of Central Bank of Ecuador) english
See also
- Latin American cultureLatin American cultureLatin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the peoples of Latin America, and includes both high culture and popular culture as well as religion and other customary practices....
- Hispanic culture
- Music of EcuadorMusic of EcuadorThe music of Ecuador has a long history. Pasillo is a genre of indigenous Latin music. It is extremely popular in Ecuador, where it is the "national genre of music." Pasillo as a genre is also present in the mountainous regions of Colombia, Panama and Venezuela, to a lesser extent.Today, it has...
- Religion in EcuadorReligion in EcuadorReligion in Ecuador is an expression of the different cultural heritages in the Ecuadorian culture including the Spanish colonization, the Native Amerindian and the Afro-Ecuadorian.-Demographics:...