Ecuadorian rock encompasses a broad and diverse independent music scene. The

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

involves different styles including

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

, metalcore, gothic metal, heavy metal,

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

, blues, and grunge.

Recognition and acceptance of the genre

Rock music is widely listened to and enjoyed in Ecuador, however, some forms of the genres are not broadly accepted in certain more conservative sectors of Ecuadorian

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

where there can be a great deal of

prejudice Prejudice can be an affective feeling towards a person based on their perceived group membership. The word is often used to refer to a preconceived (usually unfavourable) evaluation or classification of another person based on that person's per ...

toward the genre. Until the midst of the 1990s rockeros of all kinds have been discriminated against. Consequently, a powerful alliance of segments of the Catholic Church, the police and other government institutions has been formed against rock music. Even in the new millennium the official media discourse is highly discriminative against the rockeros. This is evidently shown by the reactions towards the tragedy of a fire blaze which broke out in the nightclub Factory in Quito on April 19 in 2008 during a gothic rock festival "Ecuador gótico" and an awards ceremony. In this fire at least 19 people died and 24 were injured. In the flames all members of the band "Zelestial" were literally wiped out. Particularly significant was the reaction in the daily press. Although there was great sympathy with the victims, their families and friends, on the other hand some journalists – such as Jorge Ortiz in "Hora" or Fernando Ehlers in "La TV" argued that the tragedy had been the result of the "satanic practices", vandalism and the morbid gothic cultures of the rockeros and metaleros. Nevertheless, rock continues to be a popular genre in the country. Unlike

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, which have dedicated rock record labels, Ecuador lacks a music industry that supports

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

ian rock bands. This is an issue of the Ecuadorian music industry that as a whole has had relatively limited support and investment. Although, in recent years, a small rock music industry has developed in Ecuador, many Ecuadorian bands believe the lack of a strong local music industry is the primary reason that Ecuadorian rock music has not found international commercial success.

Influences on the development of Ecuadorian rock

Rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

was introduced to Ecuadorian audiences in the late 1950s through radio and television music programs. The primary influences on the evolution of Ecuadorian rock were Mexican and Argentine rock; however, the political environment during the Ecuadorian revolution of the 1960s also influenced the genre. The Hippies are recognized as one of the first Ecuadorian rock groups. Since the midst of the 1990s several mestizo-bands in Ecuador made use of indigenous musical elements in rock music. Rocola Bacalao integrated Andean rhythms and made in their song-texts references to emblematic indigenous towns, such as Pujilí in Cotopaxi. Sal y Mileto and Casería de Lagartos coined the genre of new Ecuadorian Rock. Nevertheless, in the 1980s and the early 1990s the rhythm of the social as expressed in Ecuadorian rock was characterized by hopelessness and resistance or even resignation against repression. With the emergence of a powerful indigenous movement organized in the

Conaie The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador ( es, Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador) or, more commonly, CONAIE, is Ecuador's largest indigenous rights organization. The Ecuadorian Indian movement under the le ...

the rhythm changed. The most emblematic references towards the political impact of the indigenous movement are made by the metalband Aztra and the hardcore band CURARE at the beginning of the 2000s, during the heyday of indigenous social protest against neoliberalism and for (ethnic) democratization.Olaf Kaltmeier 2019. "Rockin`for Pachamama: political struggle and the narration of history in Ecuadorian rock music.” In: ''Sonic Politics''. Ed. Olaf Kaltmeier and Wilfried Raussert. New York: Routledge 2019, p.179-204.

Health promotion messages in Ecuadorian rock

In recent years, Ecuadorian rock groups have collaborated with non-governmental organisations (NGOSs) to promote health messages targeted at

young people Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

. In 2005, Cacería de Lagartos (Lizard Hunt), partnered with the Ecuadorian Red Cross to create an

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

campaign promoting

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

awareness.

References

External links

Sal Y Mileto

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

of Sal Y Mileto (experimental/post metal "rock libre Ecuatoriano" ("Free Ecuadorian Rock") band)
Jethzabel
biography of Jethzabel (Progressive metal, progressive metal band)

biography of Mama Vudú ( new wave/ punk/ alternative rock band)
Rocola Bacalao
biography of Rocola Bacalao ( merengue, ska,

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

, swing, reggae, polka, reggeatón, Andean music (La Sierra) and punk fusion band)
Metamorfosis
biography of Metamorfosis (rock band with a

social conscience A social conscience is "a sense of responsibility or concern for the problems and injustices of society". While our conscience is related to moral conduct in our day-to-day lives with respect to individuals, social conscience is concerned with th ...

)
CURARE
biography of CURARE, a longo-metal and mestizo music band (longo-metal is a Latin-American reinterpretation of hard rock; mestizo music combines Andean and Afro rhythms with distorted guitars and hard rhythms)

review of Pululahua 1999 (rock festival held in the basin of Pululahua Volcano, Andes mountains, Ecuador) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ecuadorian Rock Ecuadorian music Rock music by country