Luz Argentina Chiriboga Guerrero (Esmeraldas, Ecuador, April 1, 1940) is an Afro-Ecuadorian writer known for her exploration of Afro-Hispanic cultural identity and the challenges faced by women. Her work spans novels, short stories, poetry, and essays, focusing on themes such as race, gender, and sexuality within patriarchal and racially segregated societies. Chiriboga’s most notable works include Bajo la piel de los tambores (Drums Under My Skin) and Jonatás y Manuela, which highlight the complexities of Afro-Ecuadorian identity and female autonomy. She has won multiple awards and her work has been translated into several languages, including English, French, and Italian.
Early Life and Education
Luz Argentina Chiriboga Guerrero was born on April 1, 1940, in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, to Segundo Chiriboga Ramírez, a banana farmer, and Luz Maria Guerrero Morales. She was one of ten siblings, and her family alternated between living in the countryside and in Esmeraldas, a port city. She received her early education at the public school Hispanoamericana and later attended Colegio Nacional Cinco de Agosto in Esmeraldas, graduating in 1955. She completed her high school studies in Quito at Colegio Nacional 24 de Mayo. Chiriboga then pursued higher education at the Central University of Ecuador, earning a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a specialization in ecology.
Personal Life
In 1962, Chiriboga married Nelson Estupiñán Bass, an esteemed Afro-Ecuadorian writer. Together, they returned to Esmeraldas, where Chiriboga balanced her time between raising their children and assisting in her husband’s literary research.
Literary Career
Chiriboga’s writing career began in 1968, inspired by a circus that visited Esmeraldas. Encouraged by her husband, she started writing poems and short stories, and her early works were published in periodicals like Débora, Letras del Ecuador, and Revista Cultura. Her debut novel Bajo la piel de los tambores (1991), later translated into English as Drums under My Skin, explored Afro-Latina identity, particularly through the experiences of black women in a patriarchal society.
Her literary work addresses the complexities of race, gender, and sexuality, often focusing on topics that had been considered taboo in Ecuadorian society, such as birth control, fetishism, sexual violence, and female autonomy. One of her most acclaimed works is the short story El Cristo de la mirada baja, which won first prize in the International Literary Contest of the Liberator General San Martín in 1986.
Chiriboga’s involvement in the Congress of Black Culture in the 1980s greatly influenced her literary voice, particularly regarding the African diaspora in Latin America. Her works challenge societal and religious norms, portraying women’s sexuality in ways that disrupt traditional patriarchal honor codes.
International Recognition and Translations
Luz Argentina Chiriboga’s literary contributions have achieved international recognition, making her a prominent figure in Afro-Ecuadorian and Afro-Latina literature. Her work, characterized by its deep exploration of race, gender, and Afro-Hispanic cultural identity, has found resonance with readers and scholars across the world. Her themes, addressing the complexities of Afro-Latina identity, sexuality, and the African diaspora, have made her a unique voice in global literature.
One of her most important works, Bajo la piel de los tambores (1991), marked a significant breakthrough in Afro-Latina fiction by exploring race and identity from a woman’s perspective in a largely patriarchal and racially segregated society. The novel was translated into English as Drums Under My Skin in 1996 by Mary Arthurlene Harris, allowing Chiriboga’s work to reach a broader international audience, particularly in the United States, where the narrative became an essential part of Afro-Hispanic literary studies. This novel played a critical role in amplifying Afro-Latina voices within academic circles, especially in the context of race and gender.
Similarly, her novel En la noche del viernes (1997) was translated into English as On Friday Night (2009) by Paulette A. Ramsay and Anne-María Bankay, further extending her reach. This novel delves into the complexities of love, race, and class dynamics, particularly within Ecuadorian society. Its translation allowed for a wider appreciation of Chiriboga’s treatment of controversial social issues such as interracial relationships and female autonomy.
Chiriboga’s 2010 novel, La nariz del diablo, was also translated into English in 2015 as The Devil’s Nose by Ingrid Watson Miller and Margaret L. Morris. This historical novel brought attention to the experiences of Jamaican workers in Ecuador during the construction of a railway system. The translation expanded the narrative of Ecuador’s history to an international audience, highlighting the often overlooked contributions of the African diaspora to Latin American infrastructure and development.
Her body of work has been translated into several other languages, including French, Italian, and Quechua, further demonstrating the global relevance of her themes. These translations have allowed Chiriboga’s voice to transcend linguistic barriers, offering international readers insights into the struggles of Afro-Latina women in a context dominated by both Hispanic and mestizo traditions.
In addition to her translations, Chiriboga’s international recognition has been bolstered by her participation in literary conferences and cultural seminars across Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. She has been a frequent speaker at these events, where she advocates for greater representation of Afro-Latina voices and discusses issues related to race, gender, and cultural identity. Her work has been the subject of numerous academic studies and theses, and her writings continue to influence scholars and students in the fields of Afro-Hispanic and feminist literature.
Her honors include the José de San Martín Prize in Buenos Aires, and in 2006, she received a cultural merit recognition from the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana Benjamín Carrión. She has also been included in numerous national and international anthologies.
Personal life
In 1962, Luz Argentina Chiriboga married Nobel-nominated Ecuadorian writer Nelson Estupiñán Bass, author of When the Guayacans Were in Bloom. Following their marriage, the couple moved from Quito to Esmeraldas, where Chiriboga devoted several years to raising their children and assisting her husband with his literary research. It was with his encouragement and influence that Chiriboga began her own writing career in 1968, marking the start of her significant contributions to Afro-Hispanic literature.
Timeline of Luz Argentina Chiriboga’s Life
- April 1, 1940: Born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
- 1955: Completed studies at Colegio Nacional Cinco de Agosto in Esmeraldas.
- 1958: Graduated from Colegio Nacional 24 de Mayo in Quito.
- 1962: Earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a specialization in ecology from Central University of Ecuador. Married writer Nelson Estupiñán Bass and moved to Esmeraldas.
- 1968: Began her writing career, encouraged by her husband, starting with poetry and short stories.
- 1976: Elected president of the National Union of Women of Ecuador, Esmeraldas branch.
- 1977: Published the ecologically themed poetry collection Las Voces de la Vida.
- 1981: Published the essay La Música Popular y la Mujer in Revista Cultura, criticizing sexism in popular music.
- 1983: Participated in the Congress of Black Culture in Cali, Colombia.
- 1985: Participated in the Congress of Black Culture in Panama.
- 1986: Won the José de San Martín International Literary Contest for her short story El Cristo de la mirada baja.
- 1991: Published her first novel Bajo la piel de los tambores (Drums Under My Skin), marking a breakthrough in Afro-Latina literature.
- 1994: Published the novel Jonatás y Manuela, exploring Afro-Ecuadorian identity and historical themes.
- 1997: Published En la noche del viernes (On Friday Night) and the cultural anthology Diáspora por los caminos de Esmeraldas.
- 1999: Published Palenque, a collection of décimas (ten-line stanzas).
- 2001: Published Luis Vargas Torres y los niños and Coplas afro-esmeraldeñas.
- 2002: While giving lectures at Penn State University, her husband, Nelson Estupiñán Bass, passed away from pneumonia at Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania.
- 2006: Received the Cultural Merit Award from the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Esmeraldas branch.
- 2010: Published the novel La nariz del diablo (The Devil’s Nose), a historical fiction about Jamaican workers building Ecuador’s railroad.
- 2013: Published Multiplica las llamas, a poetry collection.
- 2015: English translation of La nariz del diablo (The Devil’s Nose) was published.
Luz Argentina Chiriboga speaks about her life.
List of Luz Argentina Chiriboga’s Memberships
- Corporation Society Friends of Genealogy (former vice president, 2013-2014)
- Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
- Grupo América
- National Union of Women of Ecuador (former president of the Esmeraldas branch)
- Society of Ecuadorian Writers
- Association of Contemporary Ecuadorian Women Writers
- Club Social Cultural de Esmeraldas
- Corporation Society of Ecuadorian Genealogy (former president, 2007-2008)
Published works
Novels:
- Bajo la piel de los tambores (1991) / Drums Under My Skin (Afro-Hispanic Institute, 1996, translated by Mary Arthurlene Harris)
- Jonatás y Manuela (Abrapalabra Editores, 1994)
- En la noche del viernes (SINAB, 1997) / On Friday Night (Arawak Publications, 2009, translated by Paulette A. Ramsay & Anne-María Bankay)
- Cuéntanos, abuela (Ediciones, 2002) / Tell Us, Grandmother (French translation)
- Desde la sombra del silencio (2004)
- La nariz del diablo (Campaña Nacional Eugenio Espejo, 2010) / The Devil’s Nose (Page Publishing, 2015, translated by Ingrid Watson Miller & Margaret L. Morris)
Short Stories:
- Diáspora por los caminos de Esmeraldas: Décimas, cuentos, adivinanzas, leyendas, coplas, refranes, dichos, rompecabezas, trabalenguas, chigualo, arrullos, recetas de cocina (Ardilla Editores, 1997)
- Este mundo no es de las feas (Editorial Libresa, 2006)
- El Cristo de la mirada baja (1986, included in anthologies)
Poetry:
- La contraportada del deseo (Talleres Gráficos de Abya Ayala, 1992)
- Manual de ecología para niños (Abrapalabra Editores, 1992)
- Palenque (décimas) (Instituto Andino de Artes Populares, 1999)
- Coplas afro-esmeraldeñas (Ediciones Consejo Provincial de Esmeraldas, 2001)
- Capitanas de la historia (Colección Selva, 2003)
- Con su misma voz (Colección Fuego, 2005)
- Multiplica las llamas (2013)
Essays:
- La música popular frente a la mujer (Revista Cultura, Banco Central del Ecuador, 1981)
- Raíces africanas en la nacionalidad ecuatoriana (Centro de la Cultura Afroecuatoriana, 1992)
- Escritores esmeraldeños, tomos 1, 2, 3 (Editorial e Imprenta Delta, 1995)
Social History:
- Mis recuerdos (Corporación SAG, 2008)
Anthologies:
- Antología de narradoras ecuatorianas (Quito, 1997)
- Between the Silence of Voices: An Anthology of Contemporary Ecuadorean Women Poets (Quito, 1997)
References
- Wikipedia, “Luz Argentina Chiriboga.” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Encyclopedia.com, “Chiriboga, Luz Argentina (1940–).” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Ecuador Fiction, “Luz Argentina Chiriboga.” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Goodreads, “Books by Luz Argentina Chiriboga.” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio (Ecuador), “Luz Argentina Chiriboga.” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
- Es.wikipedia, “Luz Argentina Chiriboga.” Retrieved on October 16, 2024. Click to view.
This post was updated on October 16, 2024.