Radio free Ecuador Felipe Maqui was born in Argentina and cordilleras offer both a sense of protection and a feeling spent much of his youth in Spain, where he got married. He of isolation, with the peaks wreathed for most of the day in spent his honeymoon in Quito and decided to stay. Today he thick clouds that seem to wrap themselves around the city, and runs La Ideal, an art center in the La Mariscal neighborhood, sometimes intrude with sudden showers. “These abrupt varia- near La Floresta, which is well known for its nightlife, its tions,” points out Gonzáles, “can be heard in the music here. nightclubs and its noisy tumult, sometimes a source ofThere is an intense creative activity here and the sounds them- consternation for its inhabitants. Maqui, who is also backup selves are very restless and changeable. Today lots of young guitarist for one of Ecuador’s best- artists are returning to the roots known singers, Paola Navarrete, “The mantra here is ‘do it of Ecuadorian music for inspira- explains: “For a long time, Ecuador tion, mixing ancestral styles was a broken bridge between yourself.’ There is no with the modernity of electro and Colombia and Peru. For foreign music market to speak of, hip-hop. The young generations promoters it was as if the country are proud to display the founda- did not exist. That’s beginning to and no labels; artists tions of their culture.” Pedro change, but only very slowly.” have to fend for themselves.” Ortiz of Da Pawn, whose refined La Ideal’s beautiful hall with its rock sound draws as much on 500 seats has hosted more than Martín González Radiohead as on traditional 80 concerts over the past two pasillo, illustrates this. But the years, featuring Ecuadorians, best example of this culture shock as well as performers from the rest isgiven by electro prodigy of the continent and Europe. Eduardo Zambrano Gómez. He DJ Nicolá Cruz, the best-known hides behind the name Lascivio Ecuadorian musician in the world, Bohemia on stage, yet makes no is in action there almost every secret of his intentions: “I found week, and every musician from that electronic music here was the city or visiting from elsewhere just a parody of what you could makes a point of performing hear all over the world, so I wanted at this aptly named “ideal” venue. to incorporate what’s unique Equally important is Radio about our music and our tradi- Cocoa, an online platform that tions, while injecting a really con- showcases new music being temporary energy.” Thanks to his created in Ecuador in the form irresistible La Cumbia Quitapenas of podcasts and video sessions, and La Cumbia Hipnótica, he has while also serving as a cultural revitalized Andean cumbia, which magazine. Based in the prestigious is now played all over the world. University of San Francisco, This music bears the imprint of Quito, it has a tiny office occu- Ecuador’s mix of ethnicities, com- pied by its director and former bining African rhythms, Spanish student, Martín Gonzáles. “We guitars and Andean flutes. started out copying American EVHA (acronym for El Viejo campus radio stations with Hombre de los Andes—“the old the aim of giving prominence man of the Andes,” a giant cactus to independent creators,” says from the equatorial jungle), a Maqui. “The mantra here is quartet based in Quito but whose ‘do it yourself,’ There’s no music members all come from different market to speak of, and no regions, grew out of the same labels; artists have to fend for roots. “In Ecuador,” explains themselves more by necessity than choice, but that produces Martín Calderón who, as well as managing the group, is in interesting results because people feel a sense of freedom.” charge of their stage visuals, “people are all very different according to whether they grew up on the coast, in Guayaquil, Electro-melancolia Gonzáles also talks about the unique in the jungle or in mountainous regions like in Quito.” And yet melancholy of the people of Quito, which he links to the city’s they are all united in feeling the same emotion. Which one? topographical situation, a large plateau entirely surrounded Melancholy, as ever. “Or joyful sadness,” says a coffee shop by mountains and volcanoes. When you’re there, the twowaiter in La Floresta. The oxymoron is included in the bill. Balançoire installée à 4 100 m, au-delà du terminus du TelefériQo. A swing installed at 4,100 m, beyond the upper station of the cable car. Maison-musée de Carlota Jaramillo (1904-1987), célèbre «Reine du pasillo» (ci-contre). The house and museum of Carlota Jaramillo (1904-1987), “La Reina de la Canción Nacional” (pasillo). 127