African liberator or Marroon known as Alonso llesceas was born around 1528 in what is now Present day Senegal he is of Hausa and Mandinka ancestry at age 10. He was sold into slavery by Catholic missionaries to Spain at a young age he was forced to convert to Catholicism and he was baptized in Seville with the adopted name Enrique translated as Eric in English later the Slave master Illecas gave him the name Alonso de Illescas he learned the Spanish language and he played instruments from Senegal called Kora which is played by the Wolof and Madinka mostly in West Africa, when he was at age 25 he was sold again and transported by Spanish to the Americas which includes North and South America by the family of his slave master in 1553, the merchant ship of the Spanish sailed to Panama then to Peru before he was brought to Ecuador later he rebelled, fought and escaped with other Africans for their freedom.
According to Afro- Ecuadorian Anthropologist, Miguel de Balboa Alonso he was once invited to a feast with a chief Chillanduli with the Indian Ecuadorians in Dobe, Alonso Illecas was a brave young man who fought in a war he spoke fluent Spanish and can write it, the Spanish Slave masters wanted to maintained a friendly relationship with him but he rejected it he was once told by a Catholic priest that he was pardon and appointed as a Governor of Esmealdas it is believed he took appointment and wrote a letter to the King of Spain and told him he appreciated his offer but added that before he approve the offer first he have to sit down and talk with his people.
Alonso Illeceas broke the relationship between him and the King of Spain which is dangerous, An Afro Ecuadorian freedom fighter called Maria Chiquinquira Diaz was an Afro Ecudorian woman of Niger Ancestry others claimed her maternal Ancestors came from the Niger regions brought to Ecuador she was the first woman to stand up and fought the Spanish plantation owners called Presbyter Afonso Cepeda de Arizcum Elizondo, Maria daughter was also captured as a slave she fought for her daughter freedom in 1794. She freed 1,000 black women in Ecuador and rebelled against the Spanish but she was forced to work on Sundays on the plantations but she refused.
Afro Ecuadorians are mixed with African, Indian and of European ancestry due to Slave trade the Spanish had children with most of the African women brought to Ecuador but it is believed the Indian intermarried with them, Ecuador has a strong Bantu and Mande influences they still pratice the African Culture combined with the Indo cultures as well, they brought an instrument from Africa called Marimba which is a musical instrument which consist of wooden bars and metal mallets for the West Africans it is derived from balafon. They performed the marimba dances, marimba was a way they expressed their freedom but it was restricted by the Spanish in the early 20th Century they would display their rich culture and traditions, El Azucar dance traced its origins back to what is now Present day Mozambique it was brought to Ecuador and was performed on the sugar plantations.
- Thank you very much for this valuable information
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