Ñuca Trans

Ñuca Trans
Ñuca Trans member and coordinator Karla Pillajo at Quito Pride in 2018
Ñuca Trans member and coordinator Karla Pillajo at Quito Pride in 2018
Background information
OriginQuito, Ecuador
GenresFolk music
Folk dance
Years active2007–present
MembersKatya Mishell Vásquez
Rashell Erazo
Jade Daviana Villacrez
Carmita
Vanessa Zambrano
Shantal López
La Nena Claudia
Alejandra Bohada
Karla Pillajo

Ñuca Trans is an Ecuadorian folk music and dance group, widely considered to be Ecuador's first folk group composed exclusively of transgender women. The band's name comes from the Kichwa term ñuca trans, meaning "we trans women". Ñuca Trans describes its mission as to show the Ecuadorian public the role transgender people can play in society as artists and promoters of local cultures; the group's dances, choreographed by its members, are largely based on indigenous traditions by the Otavalo and Kayambi peoples.

History

Ñuca Trans was founded by transgender activist Katya Mishell Vásquez in 2007, with the initial goal to put on a folk performance performed by trans women at Quito Pride. Vásquez and six of her friends, who all were members of the trans organisation Alfil, wished to "break common stereotypes" about trans women; they all donned indigenous clothing from the Kayambi community, and performed dances originating from the Sierra region. After a positive reception to their performance at Quito Pride, Ñuca Trans decided to continue performing as a group.

Ñuca Trans' original members were Vásquez; Rashell Erazo; Jade Daviana Villacrez; Carmita; Vanesa Zambrano; Shantal López; and La Nena Claudia. All six had experienced discrimination in the years prior to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1997. In 2010, two new members, Alejandra Bohada and Karla Pillajo, joined the group. Since then, various other trans women have performed as part of Ñuca Trans.

Ñuca Trans primarily performs at LGBTQ events, including during commemorations of International Transgender Day of Visibility, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, and International LGBT Pride Day. They have performed at venues including the Teatro Dionisios, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Quito, Plataforma Gubernamental de Quitumbe, and the historic centre of Quito.

In 2021, members of Ñuca Trans nominated the group's coordinator, Pillajo, for the Patricio Brabomalo Award for her activism, which she ultimately won. In November 2021, the Municipality of Quito formally recognised Ñuca Trans for contributions to LGBTQ and indigenous activism.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Buri, Ricardo (30 September 2021). "Ecuador: Mujer trans recibe premio de la municipalidad de Quito" [Ecuador:Trans woman receives award from Quito municipality]. Corresponsales Clave (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Funcionarios públicos deberán realizar un curso virtual para eliminar la discriminación Glbti" [Public officials will be required to take an online course to eliminate LGBTI discrimination]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 29 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Capelo, María Paz (27 March 2021). "'Ñuca trans', mujeres transgénero promueven bailes folclóricos" ['Ñuca trans', transgender women promote folk dances]. La Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Las mujeres transgénero también celebran el Día de la Mujer" [Transgender women also celebrate Women's Day]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 Fierro Echeverría, Samuel Enrique (January 2015). Trans-gresor@s: Etnografía del performance en procesos de producción cultural en grupos activistas transgénero [Trans-gressors: Ethnography of performance in processes of cultural production amongst transgender activist groups] (Master's thesis) (in Spanish). Ecuador: Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 Venegas Ferrin, Nela (2018). "« Asi se baila en mi tierra ». Les Warmishinas dans les danses populaires andines : le cas du groupe de danse Ñuca Trans" ['This is how we dance where I'm from' - The Warmishinas in Andean folk dances: the case of the dance group Ñuca Trans]. Horizons/Théâtre (in French) (10–11): 78–95. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026 – via OpenEdition.
  7. ↑ "Secretaría de Derechos Humanos conmemoró el Día de la Visibilidad Trans con la presentación de proyecto de prevención de violencias" [Secretariat of Human Rights commemorated Trans Day of Visibility with the presentation of a project for the prevention of violence] (Press release) (in Spanish). Gobierno del Encuentro. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Ecuador tiene políticas de inclusión desde 1997" [Ecuador has had policies of inclusion since 1997]. El Telégrafo (in Spanish). 18 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Danza, música y arte en horario extendido" [Dance, music, and art with extended hours]. Quito Informa (in Spanish). 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Secretaría de Inclusión Social y colectivos LGTBIQ+ impulsarán acciones conjuntas" [Secretariat for Social Inclusion and LGBTQI+ groups will launch joint initiatives]. Quito Informa (in Spanish). 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2026.