History of Afro- Guatemalans of Guatemala.

Afro Guatemalans are a group of African descendants located in Guatemala, Central America they were captured from Guinea, Angola, Nigeria, some parts of East and Central Africa, Ghana, Togo, Benin,  Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cape Vedre, Cameroon,  Equitoral Guinea, Ivory Coast and they came from ethnic groups such as Igbo, Fulani, Kanuri, Isoko, Hausa,  Yoruba, Fon, Gurunsi, Akan which include Asante, Baoule, Agni, Brong and other Akan ethnic groups, Ewe, Fon, Mandinka, Bamileke and Tikar.  

Afro Guatemalans were captured from different parts of Africa to Guatemala during Slave trade they first arrived in 1524 with Pedro Alvarado it said he was a conqueror of Guatemala, Africans sold into Slavery by the Spanish used to work on the sugar cane plantations, Indigo plantations, cochineal plantations, the Garifuna were a group of African descendants mixed with Carib ancestry they took them from Africa brought them to the coastal of Central America places like Honduras, Belize and Nicaragua. 

It is said they settled in the land areas and South of the Pacific between 1524 and 1620 they were brought to Guatemala after 1620, there were Africans who rebelled and would run away and formed the Maroon societies, slavery in Guatemala was abolished in 1823, the Spanish brutally raped women and they gave birth to mulattos known as mixed race.  

During the 17th Century some of the enslaved Africans were able to rebelled and fought the Spanish they had their freedom and came together with other enslaved Africans formed a free negra community  translated as free Black community in Guatemala, they brought the African Cultures and traditions with them they played an instrument which originated from Africa it is played during musical performance and for entertainment the first Afro- Guatemalan had African ancestry and little of  European ancestry he ruled Guatemala from 1844- 1865 then Afro Mestizo are Afro- Guatemalans which it is believed they have a little bit of West African ancestry, Indian and some European ancestry.  

The Marimba instruments is also an important folk instruments in traditional music of the Southern part of Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, according to Andy Palacio the Garifuna have mixtures of French, Creole, Bambu and Patwa mixed in the Garifuna languages. In their Culture they bake coconut bread majority of them who bake this bread are Garifuna, Maya and Afro Carribeans  from Guatemala, many of them brought to Guatemala were forced to work on cotton, tobacco, coffee plantations their melodies played on shows indigenous African and European influences from both Styles.

  In 1795 Africans and their descendants captured into slavery followed by the leadership of an African liberator and Freedom Fighter called Marco Sanchez Diaz he revolted in St. Vincent and fled to Honduras in 1804, Marco Diaz founded Livingston known in the Garifuna languages as La Buga which is located between the Mouth of the La Dulce river and Amatique bay in their traditions they go for fishing by boats.

In the late 17th Century the Garifuna were soon confronted with the power of multiple British forces impressively fleed from the French, they were eventually forced to surrender to the British superior opposition an agenda of White Supremacy. 

The Garifuna gradually dispersed along the coast of the mainland Honduras, Belize and Nicaragua finally established a town called Livingston in the early 1800s their local dishes dates far back to West Africa such as the green plantains known as Machuca which is combined with the fruit in a mashed form together with coconut milk soup, fried fish, Dharasa is a sweet or sour flavor combined with Ereba which is a Cassava bread.   

The Afro Guatemalan Cultures have a strong influence of Mayan, African, Indian and Spanish influence and Putama their music including Afro Guatemalan Jazz which originated from the Afro- Cubans in 1611 it is believed the Mulatto helped the maroons of Tutale, not allowed Africans and their descendants to participate in the military compaines but rather enslaved them they fought back with the Spanish forces from time to time since the conquests. 

 The Afro Guatemalan some still pratice Polygamy and the Indigenous African Spirituality combined with Santeria and West African Vodu , the Europeans discriminated against them because of the differences which still exist now in the modern day and where accused when they fought for their Independence.

 Their drums are shaped of Standard snare and size of a drum.