The Song of the National Soul: Ecuadorian Pasillo in the Twentieth Century

This article examines the social history of the Ecuadorian pasillo and its rise, decline, and pervasiveness as a musical symbol of the Ecuadorian national identity. It also explores the pasillo in relation to a widespread belief among Ecuadorians that being "sentimental" is a unique trait of their national character. I argue that the pasillo's pervasiveness as a national symbol during the twentieth century is due to the multiplicity of meanings that it generates across age, ethnicity, gender and social classes.