El murmullo de la marimba (The Whisper of the Marimba)

The marimba is the bridge between Africa and Latin America. The sound of the wooden xylophone connects the present-day life on the Ecuadorian Pacific coast with its African roots. Hundreds of years ago, the marimba music came to Ecuador, traveling across the sea in the hearts and mind of the enslaved African people.

Stormy drum rhythms and the gentle, undulating melodies remind us of the violence experienced during slave trade and colonial rule and also tell the story of the centuries-old musical resistance of the Afro-Ecuadorian community. In 2015 the marimba music has been declared as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

"The Whisper of the Marimba" portrays three generations of musicians who lay bare their worries and dreams as well as their unshakable trust in the power of art and music to nurture their identity and community. A story of losing memory and rewriting history...

East Coast USA Premiere

Greta-Marie Becker
Germany & Ecuador // 2020
Documentary
Spanish with English Subtitles
80 Minutes

Co-Presented by Minorities in Film (MiFilm)